Hi all,

I would welcome your thoughts on this please.

I posted back in the Summer about a curved scratch on my windscreen and was not sure whether it was some grit in the wiper blades that had caused it or whether it had been done deliberately. I think the former.

Anyhow, I asked for advice on how to get this out, etc, and after doing some research I found a glass polishing firm down in Devon who sell professioal scratch removal polish - they sell it in a kit form with pads to go on a drill to polish out the scratch.

I was not up to doing this - if I try to use a drill I probably would take out the planet - but I bought a bottle of their polish, some of their pads and spent a weekend polishing out the scratch. It was hard work but I did it - I could no longer see the scratch and felt that primeval caveman sense of satisfaction.

But this is why I am posting now.

Got in my car on Saturday morning and my eye was immediately drawn to a long vertical scratch on my windscreen, from top to bottom of the windscreen almost, directly in front of the passenger seat. It is a near perfect straight line so it is definitely done deliberately.

I can feel it with the nail of my finger and it is about a hair's width. In the bright sunshine it is very obvious.

I know it was not there the previous day as, well, I have been having some anxiety issues driving on dual carriageways and only the previous day a friend of mine, retired stress counsellor, had sat in the car with me for 3 or 4 hours whilst he talked me through driving up and down a number of dual carriageways. Once we had done this I simply dropped him off home, drove home to my cul-de-sac, parked said car in drive and then saw the scratch on Saturday morning when I got in the car again.

So, I drive out to meet some friends on Saturday, rant at them about this scratch on the driver's side - it was a bright sunny day with clear blue sky - then drive home, parked car in drive again, did not look at it on Sunday but got in the car yesterday to go to a meeting and right in front of my driver's view was an almost identical scratch, albeit it feinter and thinner, on the driver's side of the windscreen directly in front of the steering wheel.

It is possible that I missed this second scratch on Saturday but I doubt it as Saturday was such a clear day and this second scratch is so noticeable - to me anyhow. I doubt I would have missed it as it was a clear sunny blue-skyed day. A friend looked at it yesterday by sitting in my driver's seat and she noticed both straight away.

The thing is - I live in a lovely, quiet cul-de-sac with the loveliest of neighbours. The only thing I can think is that the end of the cul-de-sac has a fence which borders the nearby comprehensive and sometimes kids jump over the fence as a shortcut between the school and nearby houses. Why anyone would want to do this is beyond me and, as I have had anxiety issues driving, I am not someone who drives around cutting people up, burning them off, etc.

Anyhow, I am digressing.

I don't know what to do now so I am seeking your advice on things. My gut reaction is not to do anything immediately just in case this is ongoing.

But longer-term do I spend several days trying to polish out these scratches or do I try and claim on the insurance?

The scratch in my driving line of view is very thin but very noticeable and distracting to me personally - but will an insurance person see it in the same way? Do they replace windscreens for this kind of thing?

I really do not know how to proceed folks so I would welcome any positive thoughts and suggestions.

Thanks,

T.