Eastleigh police are vowing to get tough with vandals who are putting the lives of motorists at risk by hurling missiles at cars.

The move comes after the second attack in less than a month - and police believe there may have been more which have so far gone unreported.

The first incident happened at 2am on Sunday May 4 when the windscreen of a Hedge End couple's Toyota Yaris was cracked as the car travelled along the M27 at 70mph.

Police believe the small object - similar in size to a golf ball - smashed into the front of the car after being thrown from the A33 bridge at Chilworth, near the Clock filling station.

Last week, vandals struck again in Stoneham Lane, Eastleigh, where £500 worth of damage was done to the roof of a Honda car after a missile was thrown - either from the M27 motorway bridge or from a nearby pedestrian footbridge over the road.

Pensioner Fred Moody, who lives in Brockenhurst, had been playing at the Banister Park Bowling Club in Stoneham Lane and was driving away with two colleagues in his car when the vehicle was attacked at about 9.40pm.

He said: "It was nearly dark by this time. Suddenly we were struck on the roof by something. It was a hell of a bang. If it had been a fraction of a second earlier it would have been right through the windscreen and hit my face.

"We didn't stop because we didn't think anything was broken. We were aware that something had fallen from above. It was a bit frightening."

Mr Moody said the attack had left two indentations about two inches back from the top of the windscreen of his car immediately over the driver's position.

"There was only one bang and it must have bounced off the car then," said Mr Moody who believed another car had been attacked in Stoneham Lane the same evening.

Eastleigh-based Sgt Julie Fry said the fact that there had been two reported incidents in such a short space of time was "very concerning".

She said: "I think people are embarking on a very hazardous, reckless and thoughtless exercise and don't recognise the implications of what their actions could do."

She pointed to an incident earlier this year when police launched a murder hunt when a lorry driver died of a heart attack after a piece of rock was thrown from a bridge over the M3 in Surrey. Besides appealing for information which could help track down those responsible for the Eastleigh attacks, Sgt Fry also urged motorists who had been targeted in similar incidents to contact the police.

She added: "We will be looking at ways we can use resources to robustly intervene and try to put an end to this dangerous practice."

Sgt Fry said Eastleigh police would be looking at increasing their traffic patrols with officers keeping a sharp lookout for any would-be offenders.

Meanwhile, anyone who can help the police with information about the incidents is asked to contact the crimedesk on 0845 045 4545.