A neighbourhood in Manchester is on alert after multiple incidents of a thug deliberately destroying Christmas decorations outside houses.
The local neighbourhood watch team has been warned to keep an eye out for individuals deliberatley destroying decorations after once family woke to find their festive lights had been ransacked.
Sebastian and Tina Colans found their decorations in a mess after being deliberately trampled and ruined.
It comes after a mother in Manchester with terminal brain cancer had her front garden decorations destroyed, with police already investigation the incident.
Christmas lights have been targeted by thugs
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And locals say they are aware of other similar stories.
"We saw a post in the community group of another person who had their Christmas tree destroyed that was outside," Tina Colans explained after her decorations were damaged.
"They aren’t cheap! It’s almost as if someone is trying to dampen the holidays."
She added: "It’s a shame that people do this during Christmas, damaging someone else’s property is something I will never understand.
The attacks appear random in nature
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"I am just happy they didn’t try to break in. We were meant to do some last minute Christmas shopping but we have had to postpone that due to this.
"Just please whoever is doing this, just stop."
Her husband added: "I just don’t get why someone would do this? It blows me away that people really look at something and say yeah I’ll destroy that.
"I am absolutely fuming but me and my wife cleaned up the damages before the kids had woken up but we had to explain the missing decorations.
"We plan on getting some more decorations which is super inconvenient for us.
"Prices are high during this time and we have spent a lot of our money on presents and the kids so I think it’s just sick to do this."
The couple initially thought their lights had been destroyed by bad weather but closer inspection made it clear than they had been deliberately targeted.