POLICE and council leaders today slammed vandals who went on a wrecking spree in Nelson, smashing house and car windows.

Officers said they received 22 reports of criminal damage over the weekend.

Now extra bobbies are to be put on the beat to prevent a repeat.

All the incidents involved smashing the windows of homes, or cars.

Coun David Foster, chairman of the Nelson committee, said there was no excuse for the damage and said he would be speaking to police about the vandals.

He said: "I would love to get hold of them by the scruff of the neck and give them a good tanning, but you can't do that nowadays.

"These people need to be punished."

Damage was done to the rear window of a Renault Clio in Avondale Road, between 5.45pm and 10pm on Friday, the back window of a Renault Laguna in St Mary's Street on Friday night, and the side windows of a blue Citroen Saxo and a Clio in Edith Street and Marsden Hall Road, also on Friday night.

Windows of properties in Stafford Street and Andrew Street were smashed at 12.10am on Saturday, and the outer pane of a double glazed window in Walton Lane was broken between 10.30pm on Friday and 9am on Saturday.

Sergeant John Fryer said: "It is mindless vandalism caused by more than one group because they are not just in one area.

"It could be down to people being drunk, particularly with it happening at the weekend.

"There will be extra patrols on foot in the hotspot areas."