A COUNCIL mayor believes he is being systematically targeted in a sinister campaign of intimidation by a gang of vandals.

Homes and cars belonging to Zulfiqar Ali and his family have been repeatedly damaged in the last 18 months.

Mr Ali, of Arnold Road in Birkby, is a councillor and the current Mayor of Rochdale, where he has a home which has also been vandalised.

The 45-year-old is so desperate for the incidents to stop he is offering a £2,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of those responsible.

He said: “It is very distressing and it has been going on for too long. I just want it to stop.”

The incidents started in October 2009 when paint-stripper was thrown on his Toyota Avensis and a Toyota Yaris on Arnold Avenue, causing a total of £600 of damage.

It happened shortly after a dispute broke out between Mr Ali’s brother, Adam, who ran a business offering legal advice in Manchester at the time, and a client.

Adam, 32, said: “They weren’t happy with the advice I had offered and one day I was sitting in a cafe in Manchester when five men came in demanding that I give them £3,500.

“I refused, so they stole a Louis Vuitton bag I had that contained two mobile phones and some designer sunglasses.”

Both Adam and Zulfiqar Ali believe the incident sparked the ensuing string of vandal attacks.

Since 2009, eight cars have been damaged, with repair costs running into thousands of pounds, and windows have been smashed at both Arnold Avenue and Dean Street in Rochdale.

The Examiner first reported on the problems last March.

On February 20 this year, windows were smashed at both properties within a few hours.

Mr Ali shares the Arnold Avenue house with Adam, as well as his parents Baghali Ali and Zubaida Bagum, wife Shaheen Akhtar, sister Naila Parvin, brother Zubair and two children Faizan, 12, and Zakiya, eight.

He said: “This isn’t just affecting me. My parents are both in their 70s and I have children and it’s very frightening for them.

“We have never had a problem with anybody and don’t know why anyone would want to do this.

“If someone has an issue with me or any of my family they should deal with it through the proper channels, not by doing this.”