Joan and Andy Penman had their car windscreen smashed during the spate of attacks in the Paynesholm area of Paston, which left eight vehicles with broken windows.

Yobs appear to have clambered on to the cars and kicked in their windscreens to leave a trail of destruction in the early hours of yesterday.

Police say the attacks took place at about 1.30am

Former city council worker Mrs Penman (67), who has a spinal problem and is registered disabled, said the couple were now left depending on taxis to keep hospital appointments after their Hyundai Matrix car was taken off the road to be repaired.

She said: "Obviously, these people haven't got anything better to do or any respect for anyone.

"I am disabled and find it difficult to get about, and my husband has chronic lung disease and a heart problem and he can't even walk to the bus stop, so our car is our lifeline.

"Everyone whose car was damaged has now got to fork out money for the repairs and some won't have been able to get to work yesterday."

She said the first she knew of the vandalism was when her neighbour knocked on her door after discovering the damage when he was leaving for work.

Mrs Penman said: "For us our car is our little luxury and also our way of getting from A to B.

"These people are just idiots. They are not even thoughtless, they are mindless. They are just the pits, they really are."

Also affected by the wanton destruction was the Citroen Xsara Picasso of Brian Jackson (41), also of Paynesholm.

He said: "They have climbed on to the car itself and smashed the front windscreen with their feet – that's what I was told by the police. I have only had the car for three weeks.

"It's normally quiet around here, but something happens sooner or later."

Anyone with any information about the incident should call the police on 0845 456 4564, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.