WEAPON wielding yobs were discovered smashing up people’s cars in Pitsea.

Essex Police are investigating after reports of a group of yobs spotted brandishing crowbars and causing damage to vehicles in the Steeplehall area.

The vandals were spotted shortly after 9pm on Saturday, with a resident raising the alarm and calling the police.

The resident, who spoke to the Echo but wished to remain anonymous, said she saw a group of youths running around wearing balaclavas and armed with crowbars.

She added: “A group of horrible kids or teenagers were running around Steeplehall with balaclavas and crowbars and other things that looked like weapons.

“They were climbing on cars and trying to pull bits off them and smash them up.

“One also had a motorbike and was riding dangerously on the paths.

“I called 999 as they weren’t going to stop.

"Police came quickly and I showed them where they ran.

“As I left, they were chasing them trying to catch at least one of them.

“If anyone has any problems on Saturday around that area then it’s definitely worth calling the police and linking it with this report I made, who knows how many cars they will have damaged.”

The incident marks the latest in a long line of crimes in the Pitsea area over the last few months.

On January 26 a 43-year-old woman was pushed to the pavement and violently robbed of her handbag while walking in Pitsea Road.

On February 1, a man was stabbed in the leg during an armed robbery outside Subway in the Broadway.

Essex Police said no arrests have been made in relation to Saturday's incident but investigations are ongoing.

A spokesman added: “We were called to reports of a group of people causing damage to vehicles in the Steeplehall area of Basildon at around 9.05pm on Saturday, February 9.

“We arrived a short time later but the group had left the area.”

Anyone with information should call 101 quoting incident 1274 of February 9 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.