A SERIAL slasher could be on the loose in Eglinton Park after reports of a spate of attacks on car tyres.

A number of visitors to the Kilwinning beauty spot say they have had their tyres slashed and their cars smeared with mud when parking up to go for a walk in the park.

One couple, Joyce and Adam Boyd use the park daily to walk their dog Buffy, but in the last few weeks have had their car attacked twice by the mystery vandal.

The couple enter the park at the entrance nearest to Kilwinning and park their car just over the bridge on the left hand side. It’s a spot that has long been used by dog walkers and visitors to the park, however is now also used by residents of the new apartments and developers accessing the new housing estate.

Three weeks ago Joyce, 45, returned to her car after taking Buffy a walk and found her car caked in mud. Then, last week after being out with Buffy in the evening she drove home and discovered both her back tyres had been slashed.

She said: “When the car was smeared in mud I didn’t think that much of it. To be honest, I just thought it was kids passing and messing about. I just wiped it away and drove home.

"But then last week I drove home and could feel the tyres were down a bit. I thought I maybe had a slow puncture and I said to my husband Adam I would blow it up in the morning.

"But when I got up the next day both back tyres were completely flat and when I got the man from the AA out he said that each tyre had three slash marks in them and said it had obviously been done very deliberately. I couldn’t believe it.”

Joyce and Adam, 58, were so angry that Joyce went on the Kilwinning Memories Facebook page to warn other drivers - and was stunned at the response.

She told the Times: “Within a few minutes of me posting the message I was inundated with people saying the same thing had happened to them. Some people had tyres slashed, some had mud smeared on their windscreens and some had their cars keyed and scratched.

"It was unbelievable. It’s made me think it’s obviously someone with a grudge against people parking in that particular part of the park.”

Joyce says since her car was targeted she hasn’t returned to Eglinton Park with Buffy.

She said: “I felt a wee bit freaked out to think that someone had targeted me deliberately. I haven’t been back to the park since.

"I just take Buffy elsewhere now because I don’t really feel safe going up there, which is ridiculous because it’s a public park for everyone to enjoy.”

Kilwinning Councillor Joe Cullinane has urged any victims to report the damage to police and said the targeted attacks are “unacceptable”.

He said:“For whatever reason someone is taking exception to people parking at that particular spot. Now, whether or not that is a privately owned piece of land or not, that does not justify that kind of reaction. It’s nothing short of criminal damage and it’s unacceptable.

“I’m not sure if since the new housing development and apartments went up the use of that part of the road has changed or not, but it doesn’t matter. There are no signs anywhere to say ‘no parking’ or ‘private land’ so as far as people are concerned, it’s a public park.

“I would say to anyone who this has happened to, please report it to police so they can collate their information and hopefully catch whoever is doing this.”

Police confirmed they received a report of a car being damaged at Eglinton Park on Wednesday, June 15 between 7.30pm and 8.30pm and enquiries are continuing into the matter.

A spokesperson said:“We would encourage anyone who has been victim of a similar incident or anyone with any information to call us on 101.”