NINE cars parked in a back street were damaged when paint-stripper was thrown over them.

Residents of Front Street, Perkinsville, near Chester-le-Street, discovered the damage, the cost of which is not yet known, when they got up for work yesterday morning.

The cars were parked in the lane that runs behind Front Street and some were damaged even though they were behind gates in residents' yards.

A Durham Police spokeswoman said it appeared the culprits had worked their way up the lane from the Ouston and District Workingmen's Club end, throwing the corrosive liquid on vehicles.

"It looks as if they started off at the lower numbers as most of the damage was done at those houses.

"It looks as if it was done between 10pm on Sunday and 7am on Monday morning, but so far nobody in the locality appears to have seen anything.

"But somebody did report hearing voices in the street between 1am and 2am. We are carrying out house to house inquiries.

"Some of the cars are quite badly damaged. Whatever was used has gone right through the paintwork.

"Some of them are down to the bare metal.

"It could be that more than nine have been damaged as people may have driven off to work early without noticing any damage.''

Anyone with information is asked to call PC Neil Mitchinson, at Chester-le-Street police station, 0845 60 60 365.

They can also call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.