CCTV and floodlights could halve vandalism in Beau Sejour car park. Vandals targeted vehicles at the leisure centre at the weekend, alongside others in neighbouring Maurepas Road and at Les Caches in St Martin’s.

Crime prevention officer Bernie English advised people to take precautions, such as parking close to the entrance and exit and near lights – not hidden away in the corners.

‘To mitigate criminal damage is very difficult. You should lock your car up, use the alarm, but it doesn’t stop someone throwing a brick through the window.’

If the car park was floodlit and CCTV installed it could have an impact, he added.

‘It would probably reduce these incidents by 50% at least, but we’re all aware of the expenditure cuts at Beau Sejour.’

It was an option that had to be taken seriously, he said.

Mr English said that vandalism came in fits and starts.

‘We’re probably at a peak at the moment and encourage people to give us information if they know who’s responsible for it or have seen something,’ he said. ‘We do rely on the public being our eyes and ears.’

Culture and Leisure minister Peter Sirett sympathised with the owners of the vehicles, having once had his own car attacked.

But he added that criminal damage was an island-wide problem.

‘We’ve got a meeting next week where we’ll discuss the vandalism – obviously we’ll do anything we can,’ said Deputy Sirett.

‘But at the end of the day we have to accept these things are happening when the centre is shut . . . it’s a community problem.’

Financial constraints could prove telling.

‘Finding money for extra initiatives at the moment will be difficult,’ said Deputy Sirett.

Insurance companies said it was unlikely these incidents would affect premiums across the board.

‘The amount of insurance paid is worked out on the overall claims to a company. If it carries on it would obviously have an impact, but I don’t think it’s the size yet that insurers would worry about it,’ said Network Insurance director Bob Marquis.

‘But the sooner the police find the culprits the better.’

Rossborough managing director Peter Morris said it was unlikely to affect premiums as a whole.

‘But it is likely to have an affect on the individual if they had comprehensive cover that pays for the damage to the car, but if they don’t have protected no claims their payments would go up,’ he said.

‘Even if someone did have protected no claims, you can get the scenario that if there are two or three accidents in something like two years, it could count against the reduction in no claims.

‘It’s pretty unlikely one insurance company would have all the cars affected and if you look at the total amount involved, it’s not going to have a significant effect.’