A PREGNANT woman has spoken of her “absolute shock” after finding her tyres slashed on a busy town centre street.
Hayley Bates, 25, from Branston, had parked her blue Vauxhall Astra Coupe on Cross Street at 8am on Tuesday morning.
After returning from work at 5.30pm, she found her car “nearly on the floor” after her two rear tyres had been stabbed and flattened.
Ms. Bates, who is four months pregnant, said: “I was just getting back to the car after I had finished work, and I saw the car was down on the driver’s side.
“At first I thought it was maybe just some kids who had put nails down on the road, but then I saw the other side was down as well. There were two clear stab marks on each side.” Police are looking at CCTV from the nearby Coors car park, and are appealing for any witnesses to come forward.
A spokesman from Staffordshire Police said: “The police were called out at around 6.30pm after a report of a car’s tyres being found slashed.
“Anyone with any information can contact the police on 0300 123 4455, or on the Crimestoppers number 0800 555 11.” Ms Bates had to sit for two hours outside with her five year old daughter while she waited for a crime scene investigator to arrive.
The tyres had been given to Ms Bates just two weeks previously, along with new alloys, as a gift from her partner.
She added: “I’ve been given a quote of £189 for each new tyre. People go out to work and they have to use their wages to pay for other people damaging their property.
“Whoever did this are scum. They have no regard for anybody else. I’m now scared that if I park there again my front tyres are going to get done as well.” Ms Bates’ mother, Susan Bates, said she was absolutely outraged about the offence.
She said: “It’s just despicable, why do it? Someone has obviously done it on purpose.
“It’s made me really angry; she’s now got to spend all that money on new tyres she wouldn’t have had to otherwise.”
