POLICE have vowed to crack down on disorder in the streets after serious disturbances in two South Lakeland market towns.

At Kendal, a gang of drunken youths pelted police officers with rocks on the Sandylands estate in the early hours of Sunday morning.

And at Ulverston, carnival day ended in a night of mayhem in the town centre with police attending 18 outbreaks of public disorder, criminal damage and assaults.

South Cumbria's police area commander Super-intendent Colin Mather said an exhaustive investigation would follow the Kendal incident and he would make every effort to arrest what he described as "a small group of anti-social people who are affecting the quality of life of people in South Lakeland."

He warned: "I will ensure that incidents like this will be dealt with.

I am not having it.

These people are not going to throw stones at my officers."

Police were called to Sandylands just after midnight after residents complained of noise and disturbance near Crag View, on Jenkin Rise.

Nine officers searched for between ten and 20 youths, who had scattered throughout the estate and hidden in gardens

Residents, who did not wish to be named for fear of reprisals, spoke of rocks being thrown by drunken youths and bottles being smashed in an incident lasting about 20 minutes.

Police quashed any speculation about links with the Bradford race riots at the weekend, but stressed behaviour such as stone throwing would not be tolerated in South Lakeland.

Supt Mather insisted police maintained a grip on the situation throughout, making two arrests at the scene and patrolling the area afterwards.

At Ulverston, Saturday was described by police as one of the busiest and threatening nights in the town for many years.

Inspector Dave Spedding, of Ulverston police, said the carnival ran smoothly but, between 7pm and midnight, trouble erupted all around the town centre, mainly on the streets outside pubs.

Police were called to numerous reports of assaults on King Street, Queen Street and North Lonsdale Terrace, as well as reports of criminal damage to cars at Ford Park.

Four arrests were made.

Police blamed it on people drinking large amounts of alcohol and the hot weather.