Parks staff arrived at Matlock's Hall Leys Park at 8am on Thursday morning to find dozens of Stella Artois bottles smashed over slides, climbing frames and even in the paddling pool.

And on nearby Knowleston Place, three cars had their windows smashed, leaving two of them so insecure that police arranged for their recovery at 1.30am.

Police dogs were taken to the scene in the small hours to carry out an area search, but the perpetrators had fled.

One resident claimed to have heard "banging" in the night, but most who spoke to the Mercury said they first they knew of the incidents was when the police arrived on the scene at around 1am.

An owner of one of the damaged cars, Emma Davies, said: "They smashed up the windscreen and the windows. My car also has a sort of glass boot and they totally smashed that.

"They'd kicked all the panels and the wing mirror and actually pushed it from the bridge (where it was parked) about ten metres and into the railings, and bent the railings.

"I feel pretty gutted. I just can't understand why someone would do that. It's beyond my comprehension."

She said that a couple of nights earlier someone had damaged the wing of her Smart Roadster car.

"I don't know if someone had been doing a stunt, but someone had actually walked over the car. There were footprints over it."

Another car owner, who did not wished to be named, claimed the damage to his vehicle suggested it had been "rammed".

Numerous incidents of vandalism and anti-social behaviour have taken place at the Knowleston Place end of the park since the summer, according to residents.

The Mercury revealed in September that Matlock police want to impose a designated public places order (DPPO) on the park, giving them greater powers to control drink-related anti-social behaviour.

Insp Paul Corton said CCTV footage would be reviewed following Wednesday night's incidents and added: "I am very much concerned about the problems in the park. That's why I'm looking to take action there with a DPPO."