A TOWN council is to monitor all cases of local vandalism in the wake of numerous incidents, including a paint attack on the police station.

Councillors expressed frustration over the amount of vandalism in Thirsk, days after a man wearing a balaclava struck at the police station.

Officers immediately cleaned the graffiti off the front door and one of the windows of the station in the Market Place after the incident at 2.40am on May 16.

At around the same time of the attack with black paint, a man wearing a dark-coloured jumper and grey tracksuit bottoms with stripes down the leg was seen running along nearby Kirkgate.

A police spokesman described the man as slim, with muscular shoulders.

He said: “Police have established that a white BMW 1 Series drove along Kirkgate towards Norby as the man ran away and it is believed that the driver and any occupants of the vehicle may have seen him and could have information vital to the investigation."

PC Clare Mayes said: “It is important that we trace the occupants of the BMW so they can tell us what they saw.”

Two people had been arrested and released following the incident.

At a meeting of Thirsk Town Council, councillors said there had been numerous vandalism incidents in recent weeks - including at a £40,000 adventure playground, in The Holmes park, which was only opened in February.

After receiving a letter from police officers stating the force was unable to liaise with the council at its monthly meetings due to other commitments, councillors said reporting vandalism to the police had proved problematic, partly due to the station’s opening hours.

Councillor Ed Fraser said if the police were aware of the amount of damage vandals were causing in the town, it could lead to more action.

Members have now agreed to draw up regular lists of all the incidents of vandalism to forward them to the police.