Was my car trashed by angry voters? No, just bored kids, says Blears

The minister, formerly in charge of government anti-social behaviour policies, had the windscreen of her parked grey Citroën Xsara Picasso broken and all four of its tyres slashed as she canvassed voters in Salford yesterday.

But the Salford MP, who came under fire at the height of this year's MPs' expenses scandal, played down the idea that angry voters were to blame for the damage.

She said: "I think it is all a bit pathetic really. I think it is just kids who were bored, I don't think there is anything more to it.

"Unfortunately, that is what a lot of people in my constituency have to put up with."

Asked whether the attack had shaken her, she said: "No, not at all."

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said that they were called to the scene at 6.25pm yesterday after a report that a car had been damaged. The spokesman added that officers were investigating.

Ms Blears, a former Labour Party chairman and Home Office minister, was criticised after it was revealed that she had failed to pay a tax bill of more than £13,000 on the sale of a flat in London. She subsequently paid the money and resigned as Communities Secretary.

Although she said that her actions had been within the MPs' expenses rules, they were described as "totally unacceptable" by the Prime Minister.

She was then criticised for resigning from the Cabinet days before voters went to the polls in the European and local elections.

She said subsequently that she "enormously" regretted the timing of her departure.

In June, she defeated a vote of no-confidence inside her constituency Labour Party association.