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One of the cars scratched in Aldershot
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'Phantom' car vandal targeting Aldershot

By Amy Taylor
February 22, 2013

CALLS to catch a ‘phantom’ vandal who is attacking cars parked in a neighbourhood near Aldershot railway station need to be taken seriously, residents say.

Deep scratches have been appearing regularly on the paintwork of cars parked in Cargate Avenue, a road favoured by London commuters who can enjoy a day’s free parking.

The problem is not a new one, said resident Jonathan Sharpe, who just moved to the road at the beginning of the month, but many people are ‘suffering in silence'.

“I was warned when I moved in that there was a phantom car scratcher. A neighbour warned me while I was out in the street, he came out and said ‘I will pre-warn you, there’s a car scratcher in this street.

“I thanked him and told him I’d let him know if I saw anything – and two weeks later it happened to me.”

His black Renault Megane was scratched during the day on Friday while he was at work at the Home Brew Shop in Blackwater Way.

Another car, a black Nissan, is regularly targeted and is badly damaged, with scratches all over the rear bumper and side doors.

“Until then, I left my car in the street when I went to work. The scratch looked quite fresh.

“I’m too scared to leave it out now, and I’ve stopped walking to work. I actually bring my car to work, even though it's only 10 minutes away, because it's a black car and the scratches stick out like a sore thumb.”

He said of the eight people in his house, three others had also fallen victim to the ‘phantom’ scratcher. One, who has lived there for 12 years, told him that in the past there had been more severe incidents of tyre slashing, and bricks through windows.

The current spate of vandalism took a nastier turn on Tuesday, February 19 however, with nails left under the tyre of a commuter’s car while it was left in the street.

Mr Sharpe said he wanted to encourage other residents to report the vandalism to police, so that the damage was taken seriously. While no one seems to know who was responsible, he thinks the culprit is "someone with a grudge against commuters”.

A spokesman for Hampshire Police said that the car scratching reported in Cargate Avenue was not the most common type of car crime, saying that the biggest problem was opportunist thefts from unlocked cars, and people leaving valuables on display.

For more on this story, see this week's News & Mail, out now.

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Most recent user comments 12 of 12

@Knapperdog: Having a permit doesn't entitle a driver to a parking space, it simply allows one to park legally if there is space available. The reason the council gave me for not allowing me to have a parking permit on The Grove is that, living on Station Road, I live in the town centre and, although its only on the opposite side of the junction, The Grove isn't in the town centre. So therefore I am only allowed to park on the top three floors of the multi-story in the town centre. Parking in the pay & display area opposite my flat all day, every day would cost the same as an annual parking permit but I'm only allowed to park there for a maximum of one hour.

ChrissyD, Aldershot
01/03/2013 at 13:44

http://www.gethampshire.co.uk/news/s/2130020_rushmoor_council_tax_frozen_for_third_year

Perhaps they could have even reduced council tax, if they'd sold parking permits to all and sundry and regardless of the availability of parking space. After all, according to some, it's merely a money-making scheme?

Knapperdog, Surly
01/03/2013 at 10:30

Since parking in Rushmoor was decriminalised (ie no longer the remit of the police), in 2002, RBC have jumped on every single possible parking area and started charging for it. I live on Station Road in Aldershot and I cannot park my car anywhere near me legally. The only place I can park is over the road in the pay and display area and even then for only an hour. I asked the council for a permit for the parking area on The Grove but was told that I could not have one. The closest permit parking I am allowed is in the multi-story car park in the town centre or by the football ground (both of which are the same permit level as The Grove). As a single woman, neither of these is attractive options, especially at night. With the council parking charges and policies like these, its no wonder commuters are parking in places like Cargate, which then fosters ill-will, resulting in such things as this vandalism.

ChrissyD, Aldershot
28/02/2013 at 17:10

@ Retired of Aldershot - Vandalism is vandalism in my book, whatever the parking policies, or policing strategies in the area. Surely, you're not suggesting that a woman that chooses to wear whatever clothes she wants to wear 'was asking for it' if she is molested. In that case, based on your logic, perhaps the fashion designer is also partially culpable? Criminality is criminality, end of story.

@ peter hensman - by way of an example, as far as I am aware, the only statutory function of local authorities in relation to horticulture / parks / gardens is the provision of allotments. Therefore, the provision, maintenance and upkeep of all other green spaces, hanging baskets etc... is effectively above and beyond the statutory minimum. Perhaps concreting these green spaces over and providing more parking might be the perfect solution (?), albeit that the provision of parking facilities, isn't a statutory function either.

Knapperdog, Surly
27/02/2013 at 12:08

I thank Knapperdog for not reading my earlier post properly. I noted that the Council's car park pricing was a contributory factor - not the cause of the vandalism per se.

If you are familiar with the concepts of supply and demand and with the elasticity of that demand with respect to price, you will know that if a price goes up then demand falls - be it on groceries, petrol or car parking.

By having a high daily parking rate and restrictions and charges that are in force from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. the RBC policy does drive parkers to use the nearest "free" space to the town centre or station and causing congestion in mainly residential roads.

This is not avocating a free for all and I do reaslise that car parks have a cost of ownership assocatied with them but it is one of balance and I do not think that RBC have that balance right in terms of supporting shoppers, commuters and residents alike.

I also realise that Network Rail and / or South West Trains have a responsiblity for contributing to that balance by having fair parking charges at the station - and they do not.

Retired of Aldershot, Aldershot
27/02/2013 at 08:07

@ Knapperdog, Of course, if you'd prefer a council that only provides the minimum of services that it is statutorily obliged to provide, then this could be right up your street

I thought that was all they ever done anyway

peter hensman
26/02/2013 at 22:37

I was wondering how long it would be before it became the council's fault. Not very... the answer.

Obviously, there should be free parking and no controls within the town centre, or around the railway station, so that all the available space is taken up by those that work there or commute, and none is available for residents, or those visiting the town centre. This assumes, of course, that you could negotiate the grid-lock that would invariably arise.

I suppose it's also just as well that public car parks tend to maintain themselves at no cost to the general council taxpayer, the costs being covered by the users. Imagine the uproar, if such services ran at a loss and had to be covered by the council tax, rather than subsidising the council's budget and effectively funding other services.

Of course, if you'd prefer a council that only provides the minimum of services that it is statutorily obliged to provide, then this could be right up your street.

Knapperdog, Surly
26/02/2013 at 13:25

You sure this not a NEW car parking control scheme?

unhappy (now disgusted)
25/02/2013 at 13:24

You can get security lights that have a camera in them and record to a memory card - worth fitting those

sleeping beauty
23/02/2013 at 12:36

This is more likely to be misinformed reportiing.

As commented, Cargate is someway from the station but is used, on a daily basis, by town centre workers.

The parking areas around St Michaels and St Georges Roads are for mostly residents only but there are some areas which are used by commuters.

That area too has had it unfair share of car vandalism.

Part of the problem is RBC's car park charging policy which sets a a high rate for a day at any road space within 3/4 mile of the station or town centre - apart from the three hours at Westgate.

They drive (pun intended) commuters and shoppers to park far from the centre on essentially residential roads leading to local resentment.

Fortunately the car vandalism is not so bad as an area of Swindon which had 150 tyres slashed this week. The suspects were held by police but were released on bail. Doubtless to get knuckles rapped and told not to do it again....

Retired of Aldershot, Aldershot
23/02/2013 at 11:16

"of cars parked in Cargate Avenue, a road favoured by London commuters who can enjoy a day’s free parking."

Cargate Avenue is quite a hike to Aldershot Railway Station. Do London commuters really park there. Just interested to know

Dawi, Aldershot
22/02/2013 at 15:29

One answer would be for residents to put in security camara's to cover the frontage of their property, not to expencive these days, probably less than the cost of their insurance excess. Available from M*pl*n and all good electrical retailers. Just a thought join together for a group purchase and get a discount it pays to haggle