A "disheartened" community has hit out at yobs who targeted a much-loved church at the heart of a Whitehaven estate.

Hooligans smashed a window in St Andrew's Church in Mirehouse on Thursday night.

Councillor Carl Walmsley, who represents Whitehaven South on Copeland Council and runs the Mirehouse Matters group, has slammed the vandals' behaviour, branding it "inexcusable".

He says the area around the church is becoming a hotspot for anti-social behaviour, with youths both on and off the estate gathering there.

"It's inexcusable behaviour, it really is," he said. "It is so disheartening after all the hard work going into cleaning up the estate.

"We are overrun with kids of all ages in that area. Not all kids are from Mirehouse - it's becoming a hang out for kids from all estates.

"I have done nothing but defend these kids but this can not be defended."

The damage to the holy building comes just a day after police dealt with a series of alleged assaults at Whinlatter Road on the estate.

The incident involved four teenagers and a 24-year-old man, who was arrested on suspicion of two counts of common assault, two counts of actual bodily harm and affray.

Coun Walmsley now hopes to increase police presence on the estate in a bid to stamp out the anti-social behaviour.

"I am going to speak with Sergeant Macdonald early next week hopefully to arrange regular walks around the estate with a PCSO.

"Hopefully a police presence will limit the amount of kids hanging around in the problem areas.

"May I add there is a tiny minority causing all this disruption. The majority of the kids are pleasant and a credit to the estate. I really feel for these guys as they get tarred with the same brush."

Peter Tyson, who also represents Copeland South on Copeland Council added: "I know there's a lot of vandalism going on around there with the old people's home. Someone's bound to have seen or heard them.

"It's just kids that have got nothing to do. They get bored and that's what they do. That's no excuse, of course. It's not serious but it's bad enough to be kept an eye on."

A spokesman for Cumbria Police said: "Police were called at around 6:15pm on Thursday to the report of criminal damage at St Andrew's Church, Meadow Road, Whitehaven.

"Damage has been cause to a window of the building.

"Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 101, email 101@cumbria.police.uk, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, quoting log 177 of October 10."