‘I’m being watched’: Mother-to-be targeted with paint on car three times
The first time Miss Humpage's car was targeted, emulsion paint was thrown over it. Gloss paint was thrown over it the second time, damaging her Volkswagen so badly it has been written off Picture: DIANE HUMPAGE - Credit: DIANE HUMPAGE
A pregnant woman in Bury St Edmunds said she no longer feels safe after paint was thrown over her car three times in less than a fortnight.
Miss Humpage's cars were attacked with paint on three occasions Picture: DIANE HUMPAGE - Credit: DIANE HUMPAGE
Diane Humpage, a 21-year-old support worker, first discovered her car covered in grey emulsion paint on December 16.
She assumed the incident was the work of children misbehaving and was able to wash the paint off so the car had no long-term damage.
But a second incident with a can of gloss paint six days later left her car written off - and overnight on December 29 her courtesy car was also covered in paint.
Suffolk police are now investigating.
The most recent incident saw the courtesy car Miss Humpage was driving targeted with paint. Picture: DIANE HUMPAGE - Credit: DIANE HUMPAGE
Miss Humpage said: "There was no paint on any other car when I've found mine the next day. I know I was being targeted.
"The damage to my car was so bad I had to get rid of it, the gloss paint wouldn't come off and it would cost more to repair it.
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"Now the courtesy car I was given has been covered in paint. I feel like I'm being watched, I'm not safe, I'm scared."
Miss Humpage is seven months pregnant and needs the car for her job.
She said two payments of £150 in insurance excesses had also been a problem for an expectant single mother - but the fear of someone monitoring her was far worse.
"It's an expense I really don't need but that's not the worst, the worst part is that someone is watching me," she said.
"I keep myself to myself - I go to work, come home and see my family, that's it. I have no idea who is doing this.
"I've parked in different places and driven two different cars in the road, so whoever is doing this knows I'm the one driving them."
The incidents were reported in the same week an FOI revealed that almost 95% of car crime reported in Suffolk in the last four years has not led to a conviction.
Police said a regular difficulty with charging people on suspicion of car-related crimes was a lack of CCTV evidence as much of it happens at night or in poorly lit areas.
Miss Humpage believes whoever threw paint over her car is doing it after street lights are switched off between 11.30pm and 6am so they cannot be seen.
Police have asked anyone with any information about these incidents to contact Bury St Edmunds CID by calling 101 and quoting CAD 87 of December 30.
