RESIDENTS of a Kendal estate which was rocked by two reported knife attacks in less than 48 hours have come together to say: “This does not represent Sandylands”.

An air ambulance was seen landing at Sandylands Park at lunchtime on Monday, with a 17-year-old boy from Kendal being airlifted to the Royal Lancaster Infirmary with injuries "not believed to be life-threatening".

A Cumbria Police spokesman said police attended the estate following an alleged ‘assault’ involving a knife on Sandylands Road which occurred at around 1.15pm. The play area was cordoned off with police tape. The constabulary later revealed that two 18-year-old men had been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm.

The spokesman said the parties involved in the incident were believed to have known each other.

It is also understood that the teenager who was injured managed to get himself to Sandgate Hydrotherapy Pool on Sandylands Road, where he was bandaged by a member of staff prior to being taken to hospital.

This was the second knife incident reported on the estate in less than 48 hours, with a 22-year-old suffering “a stab wound to his back” in “the area of Whinfell Drive” in the early hours of Sunday morning.

A spokesman for Cumbria Constabulary said the man was walking from the direction of the town centre when he received the injury, adding he was treated by paramedics at the scene but did not attend hospital.

Despite being left reeling by the pair of incidents which left people “shocked and upset”, the message coming from the estate in the aftermath was clear, with one resident telling the Gazette yesterday: “This does not represent the Sandylands we know.”

Cllr Shirley Evans, who represents the Nether ward (incorporating Sandylands) on Kendal Town Council, said: “This is not in any way what Sandylands is about.

“Sandylands has got a lovely community. Sandylands Residents’ Association has done an awful lot to bring that community together and to help people.”

Despite being “shocked and surprised” by recent events, Cllr Evans, who runs a bed and breakfast just outside the estate, said she felt “totally safe” when on Sandylands and would “in no way” change her routine because of the attacks.

“I walk into town at night-time for (council) meetings. I take different routes, I cut down ginnels. I never feel that I have to change my route for any reason,” she added.

Likewise, Sandylands resident Steph Cheeseman said: “My husband actually grew up just around the corner from where we have bought our house and his parents still live there.

“We have brilliant neighbours and find we have moved to a warm and friendly area.

“The people I know who also live around the Sandylands area have, as well as myself, been shocked by the recent events.

“For us this does not represent the Sandylands we know.”

Kendal town councillor Adam Edwards, who lives on the estate, said the residents’ association, which he runs, was planning to set up a youth group early this year which would offer activities for young people to take part in.

He added that representatives of Cumbria Police as well as healthcare professionals would be visiting the youth group to interact with young people and discuss any concerns they might have.

And, like Cllr Evans and Mrs Cheeseman, Cllr Edwards was keen to stress that the reported assaults appeared to be “isolated incidents”.

“This will have unnerved a lot of kids. They want to hang out with their friends. They want to feel safe,” he said.

“A lot of parents were very shocked and very upset.

“It’s an area that’s not seen many problems. (Now) it’s a case of what has happened and why it’s happened.”

The Rev Tricia Rogers, of Sandylands Methodist Church, said: “I’m shocked really - that something could happen in a residential area like that, and very sad. We don’t want to see an incident like that happening to people. It does affect people - their feelings about where they live.”

Peter McCall, Cumbria's Police and Crime Commisioner, said: "Obviously any kind of violent crime is a real worry.

"I am generally assured that here in the county we have not witnessed the scale of violence and knife crime that we see in big cities."

He added: "(However) we can't be complacent about these things and actually we don't them to be happening in the first place. 

"It's why we run things like knife amnesties. It's why I do expect the force to be using reinforced stop-and-search powers and that's also why we are focusing more and more attention on neighbourhood watch."

- Cumbria Constabulary said, following the knife incident on Monday, 18-year-old Lucas Calvert, from Kirkby Lonsdale, was charged with “unlawful and malicious wounding and having an offensive weapon in public.”

Calvert appeared at South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court, Barrow-in-Furness, yesterday. He was remanded in custody and will appear at Carlisle Crown Court on February 19. Another 18-year-old has been released.

- Anyone with information about either incident should contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.