More than 30 cars were left with smashed windscreens, broken windows and snapped wing mirrors after a spate of vandalism.

Police are investigating after vehicles in Trowbridge, Bradford on Avon and Holt had their windows broken on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

Christine Shaw, 52, of Dursley Road, Trowbridge, was one of many to wake up to find the window of her blue Ford Focus had been smashed.

“It’s dreadful,” she said. “The whole pane was smashed completely; it was all gone. There was glass all over the side and the road.

“Every cloud has a silver lining I suppose, because the man who came out to repair my window said he had got lots of jobs overnight and that there had been, to his knowledge, 37 broken in this area. I only realised what had happened when I saw a note police left.

“If it had not been for that I wouldn’t have known about it until I came to scrape the ice off.”

Inspector Dave Cullop of Trowbridge Police said: “This mindless vandalism has affected residents living in Trowbridge, Bradford on Avon, Hilperton and Holt. This sort of behaviour will not be tolerated. If anyone believes that damage to their vehicle is connected to this inquiry and they have not yet reported it, please contact Wiltshire Police on 0845 408 7000.”

l Liam Ballinger, 19, from Charlotte Square, Trowbridge; Ricky Lewis, 20, from Hawkeridge, Westbury; Nathan Ringe, 18, from Avenue Road, Trowbridge and a 17-year old youth from Southwick, who cannot be named for legal reasons, have been charged with criminal damage. All four are due to appear before Chippenham magistrates on March 24.