IF the vandals who keep targeting Jill Herdman's car have any decency, they will stop their attacks when they discover that her 10-year-old son is battling cancer.

Young people who vandalise cars and other property rarely think about the consequences for their victims – to them, it's just a bit of fun.

But there is a victim for every act of vandalism, and in this situation that's a boy who is fighting for his life.

It's bad enough that these vandals damage cars that people have worked hard to buy, but to repeatedly target the same vehicle is particularly heartless.

How would they feel if it was their car, or their mother's vehicle?

The sad truth is that these young people won't change their ways until they themselves become victims, because it's only then that they'll learn how it feels to suffer at the hands of someone else.

Miss Herdman says “I wish these vandals could go to Birmingham Children’s Hospital. There are young kids their age fighting for their lives.”

She's spot on: these vandals need to learn some empathy.