Marker pen damage to a car in Iverson Road

A MYSTERY vandal is scrawling expletives under the cover of darkness on cars fixed by a repair shop in West Hampstead.

The AGM Auto Centre said cars that were ready for collection and left in the company’s parking space in Iverson Road were being found defaced.

The 25-year-old business, well-used locally, has also had its own company car scratched after it was left on the street overnight.

It is allowed to keep 10 cars in the road and displays permits on the repaired vehicles but in January paper notes started appearing on windshields with messages such as: “You can’t park here.”

By February the messages had turned more abusive and Yasser, the manager at AGM who did not want us to print his surname, said expletives such as ‘**** U’ were found on the bodies of the cars in a wet marker.

Yasser said: “After working hours, between 7 and 1-2 in the morning – someone is coming along with a wet marker, it dries up and leaves marks. Sometimes they don’t write messages, scribbling with the pen. It’s very very strange. It’s quite worrying, it has never happened in the last 27 years.

“I don’t know if it’s race or hate, we have no issue with neighbours, most of them are our customers.”

A resident in Iverson Road has also reportedly had “next time park properly” marked on their car door’s panels and windows.

The owners of AGM have repeatedly contacted the police, telling them: “We have once again become victim to this ghost vigilante who has taken it upon themselves to cause criminal damage to public property.”

The police have promised increased surveillance in the area.