An elderly couple have been ‘devastated’ by a mystery vandal who destroyed their cars with paint stripper, and then returned ten months later to push manure through their letterbox.
Ken and Diane Lott, both 81, returned home from holiday on February 8 to find a poo-like substance all over the front door and a key glued into the key hole.
The couple have no idea why they are being targeted by the unknown figure, who the police are scrambling to identify.
The vandalism began in April last year, when Ken and Diane came back from a holiday with their daughter Julie, 48, and found paint stripper all over their two cars.
CCTV shows the culprit returning later to spray the vehicles with black paint and inject both exhaust pipes with foam insulation spray.
The ‘frightened’ family, from Hockley in Essex, had to write off both cars due to the damage and erect more cameras around their property.
The hooded perpetrator could not be seen in CCTV and the Lotts had put the nightmare behind them.
Then a month ago, the family returned from a holiday on the Isle of Wight to find their home of 49 years defaced.
A manure-type substance, which did not smell, was shoved into their letter box and a key was glued into their front door.
Julie told Metro: ‘It was devastating. My parents are upset and frustrated.
‘My entire body was shaking with anger.’
The time, doorbell cameras picked up the face of individual police want to speak with, seemingly an elderly woman.
Julie said: ‘Mum and dad have no idea who it is.
Essex Police have circulated the image of the suspect’s face and believe the two incidents are linked, but the woman has not been identified.
Julie and her dad are both in a band, and vandalism incidents took place when they were away travelling to perform.
This has led them to speculate that the perpetrator sees their gigs being advertised and knows they are aware.
They are confused why the parents appear to be targeted. In the April incident, the perpetrator did not touch Julie’s car but only destroyed her parents’ vehicles.
The 48-year-old, who grew up in the house and has moved back in while her parents away, added: ‘It is not knowing what she is going to do next.
‘If she is not found this presumably won’t be over.
‘We have sealed the letter box because you do not know what she is going to do next.’
The picture of the suspect has been shared on numerous local group but they have avoided arrest.
Julie said: ‘It is such a clear picture. Someone must know who she is. It has been shared far and wide.’
Inspector David Kealy, of the Castle Point and Rochford community policing team, has spoken at length with the victims.
He said: ‘No one should feel unsafe in their home and that’s why this property is included in officers’ daily patrols in the area and any suspicious activity will be acted upon.
‘Mr and Mrs Lott also know exactly how to contact us and what response they should expect should they have any further cause to.’
Essex Police said in a statement: ‘We’re asking for the public’s help to identify this person who we want to speak to in connection with our investigation into an incident in relation to a property in Main Road, Hockley.
‘On 8 February this year, the victims returned home and found their front door had been damaged. Following a number of enquiries, we are now in a position to release a CCTV image of a person that we would like to speak to.
‘We are also investigating another incident (in April 2024) where the victims returned home to find their cars had been damaged with paint stripper being poured over them.
‘If you have any information, CCTV, dash cam or other footage in relation to this incident, then please get in contact with us.’
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