A STUDENT has been left heartbroken after vandals smashed her car.

Trudi Ryder had parked her car near the Jumbo water tower in Colchester before she started her shift at Walkabout.

When she finished her shift, at about 2am on Tuesday morning, she was shocked to find the back of her Volkswagen Up! had been smashed.

Trudi, 20, who is studying social care , said: “The whole of the back was completely smashed.

“I cried as it took me years to save up for this car.

“It was the most disheartening thing ever. There was just glass everywhere.”

Trudi called the police but they said there was nothing they could do at this time unless anyone had further information.

Trudi is now having to save up over the summer to pay out for the damage to be repaired.

She said: “All the money I have earned over the summer will go towards fixing it.

“ There were other cars around at the time but it was just mine that was damaged.

“It was a massive shock. I had been saving up since I was 17 and it cost me about £6,000.

“I don’t know how much it is going to cost to get fixed yet.”

Trudi, who is from Colchester, said the car was also vital to her for getting around.

She has had to cancel her plans to get around as she has no other mode of transport.

She said: “Whoever hit my car did not punch it, they must have hit it about three times.

“They must have picked something up to use as it was a smash and a half.

“It was so stressful.”

Over the weekend about 60 cars were smashed up by vandals at Whitehall Industrial Estate.

The damage caused totalled thousands of pounds and has created problems for a number of businesses who have been inconvenienced and have had to pay out for repairs.

Anyone with information about either incident should contact the police on 101.