A mum says she could have been killed after “mindless” catapult vandals targeted her car.

Helen Blanche, from Hunton near Maidstone, woke up to find the window of her Toyota Auris smashed.

“My windows are tinted – they don't know if anybody was in there or not,” the 56-year-old said.

“That could have fired and hit me in the head. It’s just mindless. They just don't seem to realise the consequences of it.

“The way that was fired through the window would have killed somebody had they been inside it.”

The project adviser, who lives in West Street, has had to fork out £240 to get the window repaired. She believes it happened sometime during Thursday evening (February 22).

Helen’s car was parked on the road just outside her home.

She said: “My daughter noticed it the next morning. At first I thought somebody had burgled the car, but then I went out and had a look properly.

“I could see a big 12mm ball bearing on the front seat.”

“Boredom I think is one of the problems,” she added. “A lot of them that carry out this sort of thing don't have any ambitions in life.

“So they decide to go and cause trouble. It’s rife across the country.

“Neither of us slept brilliantly afterwards – it puts you a bit on edge. It doesn't make you feel very safe in your own home.”

This isn’t the first time the village has been targeted by catapult attacks.

In October, resident Jacquie Frances – also from West Street – was shocked after finding her kitchen window had been broken.

“I had been standing there at the sink only minutes before,” she told KentOnline.

“I had walked away when I heard a loud crack. At first, I thought something had fallen over, then I discovered the shattered glass.”

Just a few days later, a Nu-Venture No 25 bus travelling between Hunton and Yalding had its rear window taken out by a catapult.

The company had to pay £1,000 for repairs and passengers suffered from a reduced service at the time.

Since the incident, Helen has been unable to use her car for three days.

The mum works full-time in Lewes, East Sussex, with her 15-year-old daughter also attending Plumpton College in the area.

“I live in quite a rural area and it has been a bit of a nightmare,” she explained.

“I rely on that car to get from A to B.

“Three days doesn’t sound a lot, but you have no shops at all here. We are quite cut off.

“My daughter has a GCSE mock exam tomorrow. It's about 36 miles away – I can't drive a car that has no side window all the way there.”

A spokesman from the police said: “We were called at 10.40am on February 23 to a report of criminal damage in West Steet, where a car had a window broken.

“The damage is believed to have been caused by a ball bearing.”

Anyone with information should call 01622 604100, quoting reference 46/30283/24.