Three men have been arrested and a haul of air weapons seized after more than ten cars were peppered with pellets as they travelled between Eastcourt and Oaksey, near Malmesbury.

Last week, police received numerous reports of cars being hit with pellets with several vehicles, including one carrying a small child, and having their windows smashed by the impact.

Two men from the Eastcourt area and one man from Brokenborough have been arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Officers from the firearms unit carried out a search warrant at a house in Eastcourt last Wednesday and seized four air rifles and ten air powered hand guns.

PC Dave Castle of Malmesbury police said officers had also confiscated "copious amounts of ammunition."

The three men, aged 18 and 19, have been released on police bail and are due to return to Gable Cross Police Station in mid March.

The shootings are believed to have taken place over a three-day period between February 29 and 31.

PC Castle said: "Police received numerous reports that people driving along Eastcourt and Oaksey had appeared to have been shot at by air rifles.

"Some windows had been shot out and most cars had at least two holes suggesting that more than one air rifle was being used."

The police helicopter was scrambled on Tuesday night but no suspects found, before house to house inquiries on the Wednesday led to two of the arrests. The third man was arrested on Thursday.

A local female motorist, who did not want to be named, described the moment her car was hit as she drove home last Tuesday evening.

She said: "I was driving along minding my own business when there was suddenly a big loud bang and the passenger window just smashed.

"I stopped the car and couldn't work out why it had smashed so reversed back down the road to see if I could see anything like a stone or a branch but there was nothing.

"I thought about getting out of the car but decided that since it was pitch black that wasn't a good idea. I was pretty shaken up by it and just decided to get home as soon as possible."

As well as having the window smashed the car was also dented where a pellet had hit the side panel.

The garage repairing the window found an air pellet in the driver's foot well.

The woman's husband, who was at home at the time, said: "I'm surprised and quite shocked. This is a really quiet neighbourhood and normally there isn't any trouble here.

"There's a difference between high jinx and actually endangering someone."

PC Castle said: "This was a deliberate act that has absolutely no excuse and it beggar's belief.

"If you have three people firing in quick succession one pellet could break the window and the next one could carry on into the car. Some of the people had children in the car, so this could have had absolutely disastrous consequences."

Police are appealing for any other motorist who believes they or their car was fired on as they travelled on the unmarked road to contact Wiltshire Police.

People should call 08454 087000 and ask for PC Dave Castle at Malmesbury Police Station.