A family have been left shocked after their car was subject to a 'bizarre' vandal attack.
The white Ford vehicle was found covered in gravel with its tyres deflated.
It had been left in a lay-by just outside the owner's property in a hamlet near Bridport.
Three wheelbarrows of gravel had been spread onto the drive as a flood prevention measure and the vandals used some of this material to cover the car.
Mum Sam Fosberry has been living in North Bowood for two-and-a-half years.
The vandalism to her car has shocked her and her family.
She said: "We had parked our car in the lay-by outside our house and we were away for the night.
"When we returned we found that all of our tyres were let down and gravel had been carefully placed onto our car and into the wheel discs.
"We were like 'what, why would anyone do that', it is really bizarre.
"What is quite scary about this is that it (gravel) is in the engine and brakes. It is going to cost us a lot of money to get it all out of the engine and the dust caps and has potentially put our car out of action. We live in the middle of nowhere and we need our car to get around."
She added: "We are in shock as this unprovoked vandalism which is not only caused us money to fix but our young children are scared and don’t feel safe in their home.
"We haven't done anything wrong. We parked in the lay-by for a couple of days because of the storm and the flooding.
"Two others in the neighbourhood have had the air in their tyres put down in the past. I feel it is threatening. People have got children and they are going out with their tyres down. It needs to stop."
A spokesperson for Dorset Police said: "We received a report at 12.45pm on Sunday December, 10 of criminal damage to a vehicle that had been parked in a lay-by in Quarrs Close, North Bowood.
"It was reported that between 1pm on Saturday, December 9 and 11am on Sunday, December 10 the car had been covered in gravel.
"Enquiries into the matter are ongoing and local officers have been made aware."
Anyone with information is being asked to contact Dorset Police.
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