AN ANGRY ex-serviceman has called forthe return of corporal punishment after vandals desecrated a warmemorial.

Jim Dodds, who is chairman of the Kendalbranch of the Royal British Legion, said "the scum" who carved chunks ofwood out of the frame around the Romney Gardens memorial ought to bebirched.

"This was an act of sheer wanton vandalism,"said Mr Dodds, who was wounded by shrapnel from a hand grenade whileserving with the 6th King's Own Scottish Borderers, inFrance.

"There are the names of 167 men and womenkilled in the Second World War on that memorial.

"Theygave their lives so that the country was a fit place to live in and not beruled by a tyrant.

It did not include such scum asthose who would desecrate their memorial.

Such actsdeserve the return of use of the birch and if that did not deter suchmorons then bring back the lunatic asylums."

Appealingfor anyone who witnessed the desecration to contact Kendal police, MrDodds added: "Who knows.

Maybe the names of those bravemen and women may even include the forefathers of the scum who did thisvile act."

Jim Major, who is secretary of the KendalWar Memorial Trust, said: "I think what has happened is absolutelydisgusting.

It's absolute sacrilege which shows norespect for the war dead."

Meanwhile, the war memorialin Market Place has been damaged by a vehicle which has run into one ofthe metal posts around the cenotaph.

The post hasknocked a chunk out of one of the sandstone steps which Kendal towncouncillors heard will cost £622 to repair.

The councilrecently spent £1,850 repairing the steps.