ONE in three people in Kendal have been a victim of crime during the last five years with car crime and vandalism being the leading experiences, according to a new survey.

The findings were revealed in a poll by Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Collins after a postal survey of 100 households in the town.

It stated that just 28 per cent believed there was less crime than five years ago, and seven per cent agreed with the statement that the police do a good job, are given enough money and are sufficiently visible.

A total of 73 per cent agreed the police need more resources.

Vandalism and graffiti were named as the top two issues people want tackling as a priority.

Supt Colin Mather, based in Kendal, said 100 homes would not be an adequate number from which to make such judgements, and that the results may have been tainted by where respondents lived.

Mr Collins launched the survey from the Hayclose Road home of Brian and Gussie Spence, two pensioners who have suffered nuisance vandalism attacks to their property.

Calling for more neighbourhood policing, Mr Collins said crime which goes undetected or unpunished can lead to worse incidents being committed.

Mr Collins said: "I am not being critical of the police, we realise they do all they can with the resources they have.

"How well you use police officers can be directly related to how many you have.

Both this survey and a lot of other evidence indicates fear of crime is growing.

"There is evidence that the lack of community policing contributes to that fear of crime.

This really reinforces the need for us, as a county, to have a better share of the nation's resources for policing and for our police officers in South Lakeland to be given more opportunity to implement community policing rather than form filling."

What are believed to be teenage vandals have set fire to the netting which lines the Spences' garden fence on several occasions, as well as damaging their fence.

Mrs Spence, 69, said although the police had responded courteously and immediately when the damage was reported, she would feel safer if patrols in the area were more regular.

Mrs Spence said: "I would like to emphasise that the police should come to places like this."

Husband Brian, 72, said: "A policeman's presence is a big deterrent.

People are fed up with trying to keep things nice.

The police want to get round to patrolling around here more."

Home Office figures for the county showed that criminal damage has risen by 11 per cent across the county during the last five years.

Previously 8,407 criminal damage offences were committed in the county, which rose to 8,922 in 2001.

Supt Mather said the Kendal area and surrounding villages like Arnside and towns such as Grange, saw a 6.2 per cent rise in all reported offences bringing the total to 2,925.

But he said this compared to a 13.7 rise in Barrow which saw 5,434 reported offences, a 19.7 per cent rise in West Cumbria, and a 12.6 per cent rise in North Cumbria.

He said the Crime and Disorder Reduction survey and its associated strategies would address matters of local concern like youth disorder and criminal damage, while the area had seen a 39 per cent drop in house burglaries.

Supt Mather said: "Tim Collins has painted a fairly bleak picture but the reality is, taken from a wider view, that South Cumbria and Kendal as well, are particularly safe places to live and visit."