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Cars are being vandalised and daubed in graffiti by a disgruntled resident near Luton Airport after their owners allegedly parked them on a residential street for three weeks to avoid airport parking fees.

Locals on a street in Luton, Bedfordshire, have taken pictures of the Range Rover, which is one of two with its windows smashed.

Another car, which appears to belong to a London-based window tinting business, is also covered in white paint which reads 'selfish git' and 'this is not airport parking' spread across the windscreen.

Cars have been vandalised in a street near Luton Airport, including this vehicle which had its windscreen and windows smashed

Residents say they have become fed up at the streets being full of cars that holidaymakers are leaving before heading to the nearby airport

Messages were also left on the Peugeot accusing the driver of being 'too tight to pay for airport parking'

It is believed the car had been parked there for more than two weeks when it was vandalised last Sunday on a street that is a 10-minute drive from the airport.

Angela Baldwin's sister, Sarah, spotted the car on her street and noticed it had been vandalised.

Ms Baldwin, 37, said: 'The owners are going to have a shock when they get back of their holiday.

'They were obviously seen walking off with their cases. Personally I think this is a little extreme.

'I've heard that the person who wrote on the car did only that and since then the windows have been smashed and the other damage caused by kids.

'The writing looks easily washed off, however, since the writing was done, that then has given whoever the green light to smash it up.'

Samir Hissaund, an IT consultant, has a Ford Focus parked outside his property that has graffiti written on it and claims that it is a regular occurrence on his road.

Mr Hissaund, 32, said: 'The car parked there three or four weeks ago now.

'It's a regular occurence for people to park on our street when they go to the airport. There's always cars parked outside houses.

'After a couple of weeks, the council actually put a notice on it to say it was an abandoned vehicle and after that, the windows were smashed.

Other graffiti messages were left on the vehicle, with locals saying holidaymakers using the area to avoid airport parking fees was a huge issue

This vehicle escaped major damage to its body but did have 'No Airport Parking' scrawled on the windscreen

'I know they were smashed with a brick because one was sat on the driver's seat.

'There was another car further up the street and both had white writing on them.

'This happens quite regularly and I've probably seen upwards of 10 cars with this writing on them. Residents on this street have also written 'no airport parking' in the road.

'I got a leaflet through the door which stated that the council are in consultation about introducing a permit scheme.

'I believe it would be £50 per vehicle for a permit and if you don't have one, you won't be able to park on the road at all.

'I fear that might push the problem to another street though.

'We actually have a drive on our property which can fit both of our vehicles, so we never personally have problems.'

Cars have been left covered in glass, pictured, after vandals smashed the windows in

Residents say the damage happens regularly but feel a parking permit scheme might only push the problem into another street

Kay Doyle, who lives just yards from one damaged car, claimed two 'kids in hoodies' were responsible for the damage.

She said: 'At first the tyres were let down on it, but then last week - it was the early hours of Thursday morning we looked out of our window to see two kids in hoodies jumping all over it. Then they got on theit bikes and rode off.' 

Another male resident living nearby who didn't want to be named said 'I know some people have been getting so fed up with what's been happening that they have been going out and letting down tyres on the cars.

'The problem is that it is so expensive to park at the airport. but people have no right to vandalise these cars. It must be awful to arrive home after a long flight and get back to a vehicle that has been smashed up and the tyres let down.

'It's not nice to think that there are people going out at night and attacking cars like this. The slightest noise and you are up at the window. You don't feel safe'

He said he has to tell visitors to his home who park their cars in the street to put a notes under their windscreen wipers saying where they are.

Retired lorry driver John Archer, 80, said a black Peugeot had been left outside his home for the last three weeks during and had been targeted by vandals, with a window smashed.

This morning it was suddenly removed and he has no idea who attacked it.

Hollybush Road is very close to the main long stay car park at Luton Airport

But vandals did target the tyres, pictured, with the behaviour described as 'extreme' by some residents

Gina Wadsworth also lives near the vandalised silver Peugeot.

She said: 'Its getting worse. There's never a day goes by when I don't have a car that's been left by someone using the airport parked outside my home. You see them turn up and then load everyone I to a taxi.

'I am now concerned that the people who own the Peugeot will come back and see what's happened to their car and think that because it's outside my home, I am responsible and attack my car in the driveway. This is down to kids. It's not local residents.' 

Another resident, Amanda Carnell, who lives three streets away, believes youngsters may be involved.

She said: 'This isn't in my street but I have seen it vandalised for three weeks.

'There are actually two cars that have had their windows smashed, but this is the only one with the paint.

'People using nearby streets [as free parking instead of paying at the airport] is a huge issue in this area. It's much worse on that street, but it's spreading to mine now too.

'I believe the local council are going to start using permits for residents to help combat it. I think you'll probably get two permits per household.

'We just got a leaflet through the other day.

'The road's pretty bad anyway because it's on a hill as well so you can't see if there's cars coming the other way.

'It is a problem, but it certainly doesn't warrant this kind of behaviour. This is why I think it might be children.

Vandals also appear to have spray painted graffiti along the road next to the cars as a warning to others

Neighbours said the problem 'did not warrant vandalism' and some claimed youths might be behind the attack

Some residents have put traffic cones outside their homes to try to stop people parking in their regular spots

'They have probably heard something at home and they don't understand what's going to happen in the future.

'Incidents like this will push up the price of insurance for car owners in the area.'  

A spokesperson for Bedfordshire Police said: 'Our local policing team has not received any reports of vandalism in the Holly Bush Road area of Luton in recent days. We understand that parking issues can cause frustration, but we would discourage anyone from taking matters into their own hands.

'Instead we would urge anyone with frustrations about parking in their local area to report these issues to their local authority, which handles parking matters.

'PCSOs are being deployed to the area to carry out enquiries and reassure the community. We would urge anyone who has any information about a crime to report it via 101 so that we can investigate and take appropriate action.'