Anti-social behaviour has prompted calls for officers to patrol a fishing lake.

Kemsley Community Angling Preservation claims anglers are being attacked, fires started and fish poached from the back lake which is situated in Milton Creek Country Park behind Walsby Drive, Kemsley.

Members are demanding police action after they were left counting the cost after an arson attack on its only disabled-friendly angling jetty.

An appliance from Sittingbourne fire station was sent to the incident just before 4.15am on Sunday after it was called in by a fisherman who saw the flames.

The crew used a submersible pump to tackle the blaze as the engine was unable to reach the location.

It will cost between £500 and £800 to replace the plastic equipment which was installed five years ago.

Vice chairman Karen Groombridge said: “I found out about the arson attack when I got a call from our water watcher.

“I was gobsmacked when he told me. We’ve got a few disabled people that use the lake and this one had a kick board so wheelchair users can’t roll into the water.

“They can use the other jetties but they’re not as safe as this one. We will have to replace it eventually unless we can repair it ourselves.

“We’ve had quite a lot of problems round there. A hedge we built was burned down recently.

“In the last six months I’d say we’ve had about £2,000 worth of damage which we’ve got to pay for out of day tickets and membership fees.

“A man in his early 30s was attacked there recently but he didn’t report it to the police. I would urge everyone to report all incidents to the police by calling 101.

“We’ve tried to get the police to walk around it, or even the PCSOs, but they don’t do anything.”

Angler Lee Cordingley, 25, who uses the lake regularly, said: “You don’t feel safe fishing at night because of all the problems.

“It’s dark and it’s in the middle of the marsh and it’s quite big, so night fishing has dipped off as a result. I’d like to see the police take things a bit more seriously down there.”

Police visited the site on Monday. Witnesses or anyone with information is asked to phone 101 and quote crime reference XY/029485/14.