CARS were damaged and shop windows smashed during a string of incidents in Ringwood.

Police are investigating after a number of acts of vandalism and criminal damage in the town overnight between Saturday and Sunday (February 3 and 4).

Between 10pm on Saturday and 5am on Sunday, it’s reported that two doors and two large windows were smashed at Morrisons Daily, Hightown Road.

Then, at approximately 12.40am on Sunday morning, two cars had their windows smashed on Whitehart Fields.

And some time between 11pm on Saturday and 9am on Sunday, a windscreen had been smashed on another vehicle in Parsonage Barn Lane.

In the same road, it’s reported that a convex safety mirror was smashed between midnight and 1am on Sunday morning.

Police are keen to trace a person described as white, aged around 17, 5ft 11ins to 6ft tall, of slim build. They were wearing a jacket with a high-visibility horizontal line across the chest, and a hooded top with a white stripe.

New Forest Inspector, Darren Ord, said: “We believe these incidents to be linked and are doing everything we can to find those responsible.

“Officers will continue to provide high-visibility patrols in the area, so please speak with them if you have anything you want to discuss, or any concerns or issues you wish to raise.

“Additionally, if you also experienced any damage to your property last weekend, and haven’t yet reported this to us, please do so at the earliest opportunity.

“If you witnessed any of the incidents, or have any footage which may assist us in our investigation, please call 101 and quote incident number 44240050823.”