A STRING of beach huts along Dovercourt seafront have been damaged by vandals - making it the seventh wrecking spree in the past year.

A total of six beach huts were broken into in the early hours of Monday, February 3 and three more were damaged.

The incident is believed to have happened between 2am and 6am.

A spokesman for the Harwich and Dovercourt Beach Hut Association said: “I wish I knew why they keep trying to break into the huts.

“If they are looking for stuff, there’s nothing in them.

“We always tell owners to not leave anything in the beach huts, so I don’t understand why they are doing it.

“I’m really annoyed, because there’s nothing to steal.”

She said the owners of the damaged beach huts have been contacted.

It is the first time yobs have targeted the beach huts along the seafront this year, but the seventh time within the past 12 months.

The last incident involved seven beach huts being vandalised just before Christmas.

A Tendring Council spokesman said: “We urge anyone with information about who may have committed these crimes to contact the police.

“We regularly hold meetings with beach hut associations in Tendring, and preventing crime is a standing agenda item.”