RESIDENTS of a quiet Bournemouth street woke up to find vandals had tipped large quantities of oil over their cars during the night.

The attack in Wycliffe Road, Winton, was reported to the police and Bournemouth council at the weekend.

Environmental health workers were expected to mount a clean-up operation to stop the oil being washed into the drains.

One of around a dozen victims, restaurant manager Rafal Borowiak, said he got home from work at 12.30pm and found the mess when he got up just after 7am on Saturday morning.

“The whole car was covered with it.

“Most of the cars in the street had the same situation,” he told the Echo.

“I’ve tried to clean it off twice, but it’s still leaking from under the bonnet. It’s going to take a while.

“I think it’s old burnt-out oil – there were two big drums on the pavement at the end of the road. There’s still one there.”

Polish Mr Borowiak, who lives with his British girlfriend, said he thought it was a quiet neighbourhood when he moved in two years ago.

“The average age is around 70. Someone broke into my car the second day I moved in, and one day I found burning pieces of clothing landing on my motorbike at the back of the house. We’re thinking of moving out.”

A Dorset police spokeswoman said officers had attended the scene, but it was not thought that any damage had been done to the cars. “The owners have been advised to call us back if any permanent damage has occurred.”