Australian police have been left puzzled after a string of attacks have been carried out on mobile speed camera cars.
A 'serial pest' is said to be behind attacks that have seen the windows of mobile speed camera cars smashed and the tyres slashed.
The latest attack took place on Bellarine Highway in Point Lonsdale, regional Victoria, at about 8:50pm.
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The traffic vehicle was parked on the side of the highway when the vandal was said to have approached the car.
Victoria Police have confirmed that a camera operator was inside the vehicle during the attack but luckily, managed to drive away unharmed, the Daily Mail reports.
Assistant Commissioner Road Policing Glenn Weir described the 'cowardly' attack as 'high-end criminal behaviour'.
Weir said: "Absolutely terrifying to be sitting in a car doing your job in the dark and all of a sudden out of nowhere comes some lunatic who attacks you with a pole."
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The assistant commissioner made it clear that the individual behind the attacks would be held responsible, adding: "We will not put up with it. Anyone who wants to interfere with [camera operators] will feel the full force of investigation and apprehension."
Victoria Police are confident that a 'serial pest' is at large in the Parkdale area after it was confirmed there have been a spate of attacks carried out of the past 14 months.
Another recent incident happened just nine days after a mobile speed camera was rammed by a car on 13 June. The traffic vehicle was parked in the suburb of Wallet, just 26km north of Melbourne, when it was hit multiple times by a driver in a four-wheel drive.
The collision was said to have taken place at around 1.40am while parked on Craigieburn Road East.
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Thankfully, the camera operator who was inside the car at the time of the attack was uninjured.
A similar attack also took place on 26 April – on this occasion, a female road safety camera operator was inside the vehicle when a masked man smashed the side mirrors of the car with a metal pole.
Community and Public Sector Union Julian Kennelly also confirmed that an operator in Tullamarine was stalked before a number of people jumped out and attacked his car.
Speaking to the Herald Sun, he said: "He (the operator) was in the process of shifting locations … and a vehicle followed him down the road for five or 10 minute.
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"He pulled over … and then both (the people in the other vehicle) jumped out of the vehicle and ran towards his vehicle launching pieces of wood at the camera's car. Quite frightening."
Despite the countless attacks, the assistant commissioner has said these types of attacks are 'rare'.
He continued: "To have four in two months is unusual and to have two in such a location that is close together - obviously that's one of the lines of enquiry we're looking at whether it's the same person."
LADbible has contacted Victoria Police for comment.
Anyone who has witnessed the attacks or has dashcam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Topics: Australia
Shiala Mahmood