A couple “died inside” after seeing thousands of pounds worth of damage caused to their property in a matter of seconds.

As John and Anne Devenport sat watching TV over weekend, their car and caravan were subjected to a “vicious” axe attack outside their home on Hazel Drive in Penyffordd, near Mold.

The pair, both in their seventies, estimate that the damage done, caught on CCTV and lasting just eight seconds, was to the value of more than £6,000.

At 9.45pm on Saturday, an individual wearing a hooded top ran at their Ford Mondeo car with an axe, smashing the windscreen before hacking six times at the side of their £20,000 mobile home.

It is the latest development in an ongoing battle against anti-social behaviour in the area and Mr Devenport said he and his wife had been horrified by the attack.

He said: “I can’t stress how devastated we are.

“Anne just keeps crying and breaking down.

“Without the support of our sons, I don’t know what we’d do.”

Mr Devenport discovered the damage later that night when he went to check his CCTV system having heard a noise outside while watching television.

His wife, Anne, described the moments they watched the footage back.

“We feel violated, he might as well have stuck one of us with that axe,” she said.

“When I saw him raise that axe, I died inside and John said the same.

“The caravan has taken away our leisure.

“We don’t feel safe because we’ve had our safety threatened and it’s not just as simple to move away.”

Mr Devenport is a Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator on Hazel Drive and set up the scheme after an increase in anti-social behaviour in the area.

He said there had been an initial reluctance by fellow residents to sign up and said he felt disappointed by the perceived lack of support from North Wales Police and Flintshire Council’s anti-social behaviour teams.

He said: “Our personal safety and property is at risk.

“We had two holidays booked and arranged to go away for our 50th wedding anniversary.

“Unless we bite the bullet and part-ex this caravan and buy a new one at huge cost to us, our winter break can’t happen either.

“We’re so frustrated, we’ve worked hard all our lives and never been in this situation.”

Anne added: “We’ve saved to enjoy our retirement and it’s been taken away by anti-social behaviour.

“It feels like the caravan
isn’t ours any more.”

Mr Devenport is willing to offer a reward for any information that may assist North Wales Police in the conviction of the offender.

A North Wales Police spokesman said a complaint of criminal damage had been received on August 12.

No arrests have been made but anyone with information is asked to contact 101, quoting reference number RC17122528.