The victim of a sustained attack on his Helston home has pleaded with the town council for support after the most recent incident involving a claw hammer.

The man, a resident living near the Sunken Garden, has had a number of windows smashed on six separate occasions by vandals.

He visited Helston Town Council in January to ask for CCTV to be put in the area, but since then has been the victim of two further attacks by what he believes is the same group of teenagers.

The first, towards the end of February, saw them climbing onto his roof and smashing a skylight.

Just a few days later a small paving slab and a claw hammer were thrown through his patio doors.

He told councillors: "It did quite frighten me, I have to admit. If it wasn't for my internal shutters, that stopped all the glass coming at me.

"It is getting quite intimidating now. You don't know when it's going to happen.

"I've not been injured yet but they have thrown stones through and I've had glass on my mattress."

He added that he now had so many windows and doors boarded up that the only glass they would now be able to access would involve climbing into his yard, which he believed would step it up into an even more serious crime.

The man said he was not allowed to put his own CCTV cameras overlooking the Sunken Garden due it being a public area but added that in his opinion this would be the only way police could catch the culprits.

He had rung 999 at the time of each attack, as instructed, but every time the vandals had run off.

He added: "Last time I rang 999 at quarter past eight in the evening; they phoned me at quarter past three the following afternoon.

"With the best will in the world, they aren't going to catch these people."

Town clerk Chris Dawson said he had now established that it would be possible to connect a camera into the existing town CCTV network, which is monitored at Tolvaddon, although it would need permission from the landlord to run a cable through the ope to the next nearest camera. Such a camera could be turned 360 degrees and zoom, with images that would stand up in court.

He would now look into the full costs involved.

The other option was to have a fixed camera covering the walkway, which would not have the option to pan but would be quite a bit cheaper than the other one to install.

Deputy mayor Tim Grattan-Kane, the council's representative at Falmouth and Helston police meetings, said he had raised the situation with Sector Inspector Martin Roberts and the situation was a priority.

Mr Grattan-Kane said: "I am optimistic that his campaign will see the end of those crimes being committed there and the end of you being a repeat victim."

The Packet has contacted Falmouth Police for a comment.