OVERWHELMING community support has meant police are a step closer to catching vandals who targeted a Carlisle nursery.

Staff at Yewkids Nursery, based at Yewdale Community Centre, were devastated to find their outdoor area had been trashed.

They called on members of the public to be their eyes and ears in a bid identify those responsible.

Childcare manager Jude Coupland said: "The support has been unbelievable."

A Facebook post shared by the nursery has reached more than 80,000 people since Monday. It was shared 361 times. The nursery has had numerous messages, phone calls and people turning up at the door with offers of help.

"That has meant a lot to us but I think it's through those actions that we are closer to finding out who it was," said Jude. "By Monday night we realised there was much more going on in the wider community."

Police tweeted to say offenders had left a packet of cookies at the scene and were traced on CCTV in a nearby Spar store making the purchase.

“We now have some positive lines of enquiry in relation to the damage at Yewdale Community Centre," said a spokesman for Cumbria Police. “Investigations are continuing and we still need the public’s help so we are appealing for information.”

It comes after residents in nearby Richmond Green were subjected to anti-social behaviour.

Suzanne Watson, 45, said her son was left terrified after a group of youths, aged 12 to 15, pounded her front door.

She's had fruit and footballs thrown at the house but she said last week "they hammered on the door and opened it when I was upstairs putting my twins to bed."

Suzanne's seven-year-old son though was downstairs. "He was on his way to answer the door when it opened. He was terrified," she said. "It's awful. They think that it's okay to terrify people in their house and terrify children.

"It's getting to that point where it's going to build up and up. In previous years there has been five of them, then 12, then 20 of them."

On hearing the news that her children's former nursery had been targeted, she added: "It's just disgusting. They have go no respect at all for anybody else's stuff or feelings."

In recent months police have received reports of antisocial behaviour in the west of Carlisle and has utilised extra resources to tackle the issue.

Sergeant Scott Adams: “As a result overall reports have dropped in recent weeks. We have also dealt with groups of youths in the west of the city, carrying out action which leads to letters being sent to parents.

“We will continue to challenge antisocial behaviour.”

Yewdale's city and county councillors Robert Currie and Stephen Haraldsen agreed to fund the cost of repairs and new fencing, while many others have also reached out to the nursery.

Mr Haraldsen who sits on the centre's management committee, will also support an application for further funding to have coloured banners made which can be attached to the inside of the fencing.

"For the nursery to be the subject of vandalism. It's really demoralising for the community and staff and the people who support what goes on there," he said. "I think we are badly served by the police. I think their focus in Carlisle is elsewhere," he said.

It's believed offenders scaled a near 9ft fence to access the area and left through two gates which can only be opened from the inside. It happened sometime between 4pm on Saturday and 8am on Monday.

Anyone with information should contact police on 101 or email 101@cumbria.police.uk.