Vandals armed with bricks caused damage worth thousands of pounds to a car showroom.

A plate-glass window was hit and vehicles were damaged as around 30 house bricks were thrown at the L of a Car showroom on Weymouth Avenue, Dorchester.

A man living nearby woke in the night to see a group of ‘young men’ picking up bricks that had been used to build a garden path to throw at cars.

Co-owner Phil Powell said seven cars and a plate-glass window from the showroom were vandalised.

He said: “They are not just stones they were proper bricks. They must have thrown them from the other side of the road because there is debris everywhere.

“In a way we are lucky to get away with seven cars as it could easily have been 37. They might have trashed the whole lot.”

Mr Powell and his co-owner Carl Bunter – who moved L of a Car from their site in Osmington in March – are offering a £500 reward for information that leads to a conviction.

Mr Bunter said it was ‘madness’ that police had to come from outside Dorchester.

He said: “The guy who saw them could not go out because there was a bunch of them. This is gutting and we are offering a £500 reward as otherwise they will be left laughing about it.”

The man who called the police, who did not want to be named, said: “I phoned the police three times but apparently there was just one car in the area.

“I called at 12.50am and they arrived at about 1.20am. When they saw the police they went up through the estate and that was it.”

A Dorset Police spokesman said vandals damaged seven cars, a showroom window and the lights of a pedestrian crossing opposite the cricket pitch on Weymouth Avenue in Dorchester.

PC Tony Skeldon, of Dorchester Police, said: “I understand that around six or seven teenagers were responsible for the damage and I’m appealing to the public for help in identifying them.

“It’s likely that other people will know the identity of those responsible for the damage and I urge anyone who has any information about the group responsible or about the damage to contact the police.

“Criminal damage is totally inexcusable and I’m convinced that with information from the public I will be able to apprehend those responsible.”

Dorchester section commander Inspector Les Fry said at the time of the call that local officers had made an arrest and were unavailable to respond.

He said: “Once the seriousness of this incident was realised officers were sent from elsewhere as is normal.

“The matter is currently under investigation and arrests are anticipated.”

Anyone with information can call 01305 222222.