VANDALS carrying out a tyre-slashing spree across seven Poole roads put lives at risk and left drivers with hefty repair bills.

Police say at least 35 vehicles had one or more tyres slashed when the culprits struck in Parkstone in the early hours of Wednesday.

One Shillito Road mum-of-two, who hadn’t noticed her damaged tyre, had to pull over while doing 70mph on the school run on the Upton Bypass when the steering went.

Residents of Douglas Road, Alcester Road, Library Road, Victoria Crescent, Recreation Road and Douglas Crescent are all counting up the cost of the damage. At first most assumed they just had a puncture, but as the area filled with mobile repair vans, word of the crime spread.

Dan Liddiard, of Douglas Road, lost out on days of work because his Dorset Recovery van was hit. New tyres will set him back £140. The 30-year-old dad said: “I hate thinking of all the work I have lost.”

Mr Liddiard, who has lived in the road for 18 months, added: “At around 1am I heard something outside, like a bin lid closing. It turned out to be the air coming out of the tyres.”

Police, first called at around 8.30am, started knocking on doors to alert residents.

Pregnant Ellie Cake’s green Mitsubishi Shogun is out of action due to the vandals.

The teaching assistant, who’s due at the beginning of February, said: “If I do go into labour I will need my car to get to the hospital.”

Witnesses or anyone with information should call the Dorset Police non-emergency number on 101 or Crimestoppers 0800 555 111.