Fears are held for the safety of motorists in Dungog with what appears to be the random dumping of screws on the town's roads.
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Tyres have been punctured and vehicle wheels damaged, with Dungog Tyre Service removing up to 15 screws from tyres each day.
"My biggest fear is that this will kill someone," said Dungog Tyre Service operator Ashley Myhill.
He is concerned that the screws will cause damage to someone's tyres resulting in an accident.
"In new cars it's hard to tell if you've got a screw in your tyre," he said.
"You hit a pothole, the tyre blows and you could crash."
In other news:
Dungog resident Jim Young was recently driving through the town when he realised one of his tyres was slowly deflating.
He took his vehicle to Dungog Tyre Service where he learned he was the latest in a series of victims who had driven over screws.
"About three months ago I got a flat tyre and I didn't realise it. I parked out the front and Maria [Mr Young's partner] said my tyre was flat," Mr Young said.
"I changed the tyre and went to the tyre service place... I said to the guy 'how come I couldn't tell?' and he said it's because of power steering.
"He showed me the inside of [the tyre] and what driving on the flat tyre had done was worn the wall away. They couldn't put the tyre back on again so I had to buy a new tyre... I was a bit upset.
"In fact a lot of people are very angry about it, obviously someone is walking along the main street dropping the screws. It's very annoying.
"I don't know how many people have to get a new tyre but if they've got power steering the same as I have, which most cars have these days... apparently with power steering it compensates, you don't feel that drag.
"It can be very dangerous."
The Chronicle understands that some locals whose tyres have been damaged have reported the incident to police.
Police were unavailable for comment at the time of publication.
Dungog Tyre Service staff have reported seeing these screws in tyres since April, 2021 according to Mr Myhill.
When Mr Myhill first saw the screws he assumed that it was just a tradesman with a hole in their toolbox, however after over two years of seeing damaged tyres consistently he believes that it couldn't be accidental.
Over the two and a half years of seeing damaged tyres Mr Myhill has filled multiple buckets with the screws, so much so that he has had to begin throwing the screws out instead of collecting them for re-use.
Although the screws provide Dungog Tyre Service with a steady supply of work, it's not particularly lucrative for the business, Mr Myhill said.
Angus Michie
Angus Michie is a reporter with the Dungog Chronicle. He has an interest in community and council reporting.
Angus Michie is a reporter with the Dungog Chronicle. He has an interest in community and council reporting.
