Under the cover of darkness, thugs smashed the front windscreen and rear side windows of a disabled man’s car, squirted it with ketchup and flour, and draped toilet paper around its wing mirrors.

Alan Pearch, 60, was “fuming” when he discovered the damage wrought upon his white Hyundai in the early hours of the morning.

The retired courier said it would not have happened if Surrey County Council and Surrey Police had decided to turn thousands of the county’s streetlights off between midnight and 5am.

From December: Surrey County Council announces streetlights to be turned off in Epsom and Ewell

The council and the police force took the decision to switch off more than 40,000 streetlights across Surrey in the early hours to try to balance the council’s budget. The council expected to save about £210,000 a year from turning the lights off.

Mr Pearch – who has lived in Tonstall Road, Ewell for 23 years – said before the attack at about 2.30am on Saturday, March 23, the worst thing that had happened to his car was when a cyclist got a puncture and stumbled headfirst into his car door.

He was in bed listening to late night news when he heard loud bangs from outside his house. His neighbour then came round asking if he had seen what happened to his car.

Surrey Comet:

Mr Pearch, who has four crushed discs in his spine because of a car crash, a deteriorated spine and calcified hip, said he was “fuming” when he first saw the damage and when he paid £90 for repairs to his car.

He said: “Without the streetlights you have got no way of knowing what is happening to your car. If the lights had been on, this could have been seen.”

“This is pointless vandalism that has cost me money, and on my pension that hurts.

“I think they chose my car because they knew it would cause maximum distress.”

Surrey Comet:

Mr Pearch added: “My wife and I are extremely tired, but we have slept so lightly the last few nights.

“We are jumping at every slight noise. In the dark, noises seem to increase.”

When the council discussed turning the lights off in July, leader David Hodge, said that lights would not be switched off in “high volume traffic routes, areas with speed humps, town centres, pedestrian crossings and area that police have indicated have high levels of crime”.

Surrey Police is investigating. To offer information, contact the force on 101, quoting crime reference number 45170033885.

Have you suffered as a result of the streetlights being out between midnight and 5am? Get in touch at craig.richard@london.newsquest.co.uk