CARS were vandalised and batteries stolen when thieves broke into a garage twice in two weeks.

Thieves smashed vehicle windows and stole the batteries out of almost 20 cars when they broke into the JB Autos' compound in Marshgate Industrial Estate on overnight on February 14.

Business boss James Brown said the vandals returned on Friday, February 24, broke into the compound, stole the wheels from cars and scratched an offensive slur into a car bonnet.

The thefts and vandalism took place between 8pm and 9am the next day.

JB Autos is a MoT and service centre with many of James’ loyal customer’s cars were in the compound overnight.

Because of this James is having to pay for repair work out of his own pocket.

James, who has run the business for 20 years, said he was at a loss as to what to do to prevent opportunistic vandals

He said: “It makes me so angry that this keeps happening to us again and again.

“I feel cheesed off, angry, annoyed. I can’t keep shelling out thousands of pounds on fixing cars in the lot just because low-lives are breaking into my business and damaging cars.

“The latest time they took the alloy wheels off and left the cars on their bellies. One of my lads alerted me and I just thought, not again.

"It was devastating, and I don’t understand why anyone would do this to us."

All of the damage has heaped increasing financial pressure on James who said it has made him question the future of the business if the incidents continue.

“It makes me want to pack it all in, I wonder what I am doing this for if I’m shelling out thousands of pounds," he said.

“It sets us back and it almost makes me want to say, I’ll go on the dole because things like this are happening.

"I’m clawing a little bit back and then it happens all over again and I’m losing thousands of pounds worth of money.”

“I feel really angry about it because I have a reputation to uphold and this is ruining it.”

A Wiltshire Police spokesman said: “We are investigating the break-in and subsequent theft from and damage to a number of cars at this premises between 7pm on Friday, February 24, and 9am on Saturday, February 25.

“This also applies to another, similar incident at the same premises between 9pm on Tuesday, February 14, and midday on Wednesday, February 15.

“We are appealing for witnesses to any suspicious activity in this area at this time."

If you have information call police on 101 or, if you wish to remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.