VANDALS damaged and set off fire hydrants across Birkenhead and Prenton leaving more than 100 people with little or no water.

United Utilities received around 50 calls from customers after problems developed with their water supply at 3.30pm on Thursday.

A spokesman for the water provider said the problems – including no water and low pressure – ran late into the night and are believed to have affected hundreds of Wirral customers.

Water hydrants in Gautby Road, High Chester Road, Tollemache Road, Lansdowne Road, Upper Flaybrick Road, Gamlin Street, Upper Brassey Street, Dundonald Street and Station Road were all damaged.

A spokesman for United Utilities said: “This anti-social behaviour caused a great deal of inconvenience for many of our customers, some of them elderly, who would have suffered from having no water or low pressure.

“Our teams worked long into the night to try and keep the water flowing to people’s homes, but they were up against it with so many hydrants being set off.

“We’d urge parents to warn their children about how this vandalism can affect the most vulnerable in our communities.”