VIOLENT crime has surged in Kendal and Ulverston although anti-social behaviour is on the decrease, according to figures just released for 2004, writes Luke Dicicco.

There was a rise of more than 30 per cent in violent crime last year in Kendal and the Lakes (the southern Lake District), while recorded violent crime spiralled by 50 per cent in Ulverston, the South Lakeland Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership was told at its meeting on Friday.

The number of offences in Kendal rose from 359 to 484, while Ulverston saw an additional 96 incidents, taking the number of incidents to almost 300.

In the rural area around Kendal, violent crimes rose from 150 to 174, and in the Lakes from 124 to 162.

Operations manager for South Cumbria police Chief Inspector Kevin McGilloway said the rise was due to a number of factors, including the reclassification of what was described as a violent crime, and successful appeals to the public to report crimes such as domestic violence.

"South Lakeland is a very safe place to live," he stressed. "Violent crime is rising nationally and we are now recording pushing and shoving in the street as a crime, whereas before that may not have been the case.

"Increasing street patrols has also had the same effect because the more our officers are out there the more incidents they see."

Chief Supt Garry Horlacher said the rise was "unacceptable".

See your South Lakes Citizen newspaper for the full story.