A women’s car has been broken into in the early hours of the morning and vandalised in Headingley.
Lydia Marshall, 21, discovered her car window smashed and inside trashed this morning outside her house on Rokeby Gardens.
“They destroyed the inside. They broke and ripped my gearstick, the rest is just a mess. I do keep quite a bit of stuff in my car, nothing too valuable but i guess nobody else would know that.”
“I was in shock. It’s the last thing you expect to see when you’re rushing about in the morning.”
Source: Ruby Lindsay | All Rights Reserved“The glass from my window was everywhere, i could hear it crunching underneath my feet. They did a lot of damage to my car.”
The incident took place at approximately 3am this morning on Rokeby Gardens, Headingley. Despite having a ring camera on her house, the car was parked further down the street with no CCTV so the perpetrators identity is not clear.
Police data shows vehicle crime in Headingley and Hyde Park is two times more than the national rate, with the rates increasing to 20% from August 2025-26.
“I know quite a few people whose had their car broken into over the years, but i just shrugged it off. I never really thought it’d be me.”
The total number of vehicle crimes reported in the last 12 months from August this year was 324, with the crime rate sitting at 9.8 offencer per 1000 residents.
“The same happened to me last year, i came out one morning and my car was all smashed up. I’m fed up of it, the cost to fix it is more expensive then people realise.”
A nearby resident Olivia Walsh, 21 said: “Whenever you hear the stories it makes you so nervous, i’m upgrading my car this week actually and i really don’t want to leave it on the street anymore.”
“It makes you feel like you cant have nice things anymore because of other people.”
West Yorkshire Police offered advice to reduce the chances of vehicles being targeted such as parking in a well lit area, locking the car and leaving nothing on show.
Lydia has been left dealing with the damage and financial burdern of her car, with many people also left wondering if their car is really safe on the streets. Staying vigilant can only offer so much reassurnace to owners with the rising numbers of vehicle crime in the area.