It has previously been dubbed the catapult crime capital of Kent, and yet again the number of attacks in Ashford is on the rise.

In just one weekend several people have reported having their cars damaged on a 100-metre stretch of ring-road - despite police introducing a dispersal order to try and stop trouble.

Kabi Cazal was driving along Somerset Road, Ashford, when her front passenger window violently shattered.

Police investigating the incident, which happened at 12.45pm on Sunday, later informed her a similar report had been made shortly afterwards.

Posting about the experience on social media, a number of people described being recently targeted by catapults - a prolific crime in the town.

One woman, Paulina Jesiołowska, was targeted when crossing the same road with her daughters, who are aged just three and four.

"It happened at the traffic lights opposite Domino's Pizza, when I was crossing the road with my two daughters and their auntie," she recalled.

"They only hit me, but if they hurt my children I don’t know what I would of done.

"I noticed a boy hiding behind the curtain in one window. I've seen the boys shouting and showing middle fingers to passers by in the past so I knew it must have been them.

"I asked my friend to take the children away to safety and I went in to speak to the boys.

"I reported it to the police but clearly they didn’t take it seriously enough."

The annoyed mother lives nearby and has to walk past the spot "almost every day".

She says she is "worried now to walk there with my kids, they were terrified... how sick one has to be to shoot at three and four-year-old children".

A further incident, which happened at about 1pm on Monday saw a bus, being hit by a catapulted projectile on the same road.

One passenger recounted: "Something hit the window and shattered it. We had no clue what the hell it was, but it hit it hard.

"Luckily the window didn't fall out on to the old lady sat right by it. This was around 1pm today. What is wrong with people?"

And just last month, a cat was left with a shattered nose and a hole in it's face after being hit with a catapulted ball bearing in the town.

This spree comes on the second weekend in which a dispersal order has been in force across South Ashford.

Implemented between Victoria Park and Stanhope, police had increased powers to direct anyone found causing harassment, alarm or distress to leave.

If those people returned, they could be arrested - and Police Inspector Katie Reed says action was taken over the weekend.

"Following reports of anti-social behaviour linked to catapults, a 48-hour dispersal order was put in place in the South Ashford area starting from 5pm on Friday," she said.

"Patrols were carried out and people were stopped and searched during that time, leading to three dispersal notices issued.

"Officers also attended the Charing area of the district following a report of young people seen with catapults during the afternoon of Sunday, which led to the search of six people and two catapults being recovered.

"Police will be speaking to the parents of the children regarding the incident.

"Dispersal orders are just one of the tools we use to tackle certain issues in an area and deter those responsible from continuing with the nuisance behaviour.

"The flexibility of an order means that the streets included within a particular dispersal order can reviewed and assessed each time, using reports of previous incidents among other factors for guidance.

"So we continue to ask that people report any incidents to us to ensure any measures we take are done so as effectively as possible.

"We would also like to urge parents and guardians to speak to their children about the serious repercussions of carrying and using a catapult.

"Aside from damaging property and potentially injuring themselves and other people, anyone found with such a weapon by an officer in a public place could find themselves at risk of prosecution."

Police declined to comment on whether a dispersal order will be in place this weekend.

Reacting to the wave of recent catapult incidents, and the resultant dispersal order, Ashford MP Damian Green came out strong against catapult users.

He said: "It's a great shame that the police have to use dispersal orders, but they are quite right to do so.

"It's an unpleasant crime, it's the worst kind of anti-social behaviour. The more the police can do, the better.

"It tends to be done by children and teens, and if any parent thinks their children might be involved in this sort of activity, they should stop them right away."

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