IT may once have been the best-kept village in Hampshire, but Cheriton would have struggled for the prize at the weekend.

Vandals have painted obscene messages on ten cars as well as bins and road signs, shocking residents of the village near Alresford.

The culprits ran rampant on Friday night with paint and nail varnish.

Rubbish was also dumped in the River Itchen, which runs through the village green.

Police are investigating whether the spree was linked to a teenage party and have spoken to "many individuals" who attended.

One victim, Jenna Shaw, said: "It is not something you expect in tiny little 'Cheery-town'. It was a massive shock; I couldn't believe the lack of respect that was shown towards residents that live here.

"Hopefully the culprits are found and punished accordingly by way of an apology and rectifying the damage."

A villager, who asked not to be named, said about ten cars had been attacked and sprayed with obscenities. "It was not very nice, really," he said.

"There is a fine line between throwing mayonnaise at cars and throwing acid at someone. That is why it has to be nipped in the bud. whoever is responsible has to be brought to book otherwise it's a green light to carry on and do worse and encourage others to do it."

PCSO Rhys Griffiths said: "Police are aware of a party that was held in the village overnight and that debris from the party was found near to the locality of where the damage had occurred.

"Please let me reassure you that many of the individuals from the party have been spoken to and that we will be looking into these reports of damage in due course."