Mystery of tyre-slashing spree solved as Italian police collar dog with gingivitis

Residents of Vastogirardi, Molise region, had suspected neighbourly vendetta or mafia-style intimidation

In a mystery that would befit the Sicilian sleuth Inspector Montalbano, police in a mountain village in southern Italy have finally identified the culprit behind a series of slashed tyres.

The transgressor first struck in July, targeting cars parked close to the fortified historic centre of Vastogirardi, a village in the Molise region that is home to about 600 residents.