VANDALS slashed nearly 200 tyres causing £16,000 worth of damage at a Dorset car company.

All 96 tyres on 24 cars were damaged overnight on July 12.

They were replaced the following day and tyres on a further 74 cars were again damaged the following night.

Now police have appealed for help to trace the offenders, who struck at the County Car Company on the A30 in Sherborne.

The owner, who does not wish to be named, said: "We do not understand why this has been done to us. We have got a good reputation and we are really gobsmacked about why this has happened."

Police have urged anyone with information to call them on 101, quoting incident number 13:0124.

The damage comes just two months after the windows of more than 30 vehicles were smashed at Babylon Motors, also in Sherborne.