VIOLENCE came to the streets of Farnham on Saturday night only hours after crowds flocked to the annual carnival.

A policeman fell through a shop window in The Borough, badly hurting his arm while struggling to arrest a man suspected of a serious assault in the Coach and Horses pub in Castle Street.

On Folly Hill, a 39-year-old man leaving the fair at Farnham Park with his family was punched and kicked repeatedly by a gang of teenagers he tried to stop beating up a younger boy.

And two cars - and nearly at third - were set alight in the Hart car park in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Ironically, the policeman injured falling through Going Places window in The Borough, Farnham-based Sgt Adam Colewood (36), had helped the Farnham Lions organise their annual carnival in his post as carnival liaison officer.

A police spokesman said: "Police were called to deal with an alleged assault at the Coach and Horses. They went to the pub and were told the man had gone but was nearby. They found the alleged offender and reprimanded him and during a struggle a policeman fell against a window.

"He was taken to the Royal Surrey County Hospital with severe cuts to his upper right arm and has had an operation."

The spokesman added that a 40-year-old Farnham man had been arrested and bailed on a charge of grievous bodily harm in connection with the initial alleged attack in the Coach and Horses.

Police are appealing for witnesses. Anyone with any information should call Detective Constable Steve Whyte on 716262.

Meanwhile, just before 9 pm, a 39-year-old man, his wife and their seven-year-old son left the fair at Farnham Park and headed for the town centre, where they saw about eight young men aged about 19 repeatedly kicking and punching a 14 or 15-year-old boy in the head as he lay defenceless on the ground.

The boy's attackers only stopped when the man's wife intervened shouting "leave him alone, leave him alone". Neither the man or his family, or the police know what happened to the boy.

Meanwhile, the man, who describes himself as a committed Christian, pulled one of the ringleaders away from the group and threw him to one side.

He was then punched and repeatedly kicked in the chest, legs and face.

"One jumped on my back. I tried to scramble away begging them to stop and telling them that I had to get back to my seven-year-old child who had witnessed everything just 20 yards away.

"They ignored this appeal and attacked again. I then was able to scramble away and got to my child."

The family left the scene and called the police a few minutes later. The man described the police response as "excellent".

He said the three main attackers were all men aged 19-20.

The first was about 5ft 9in tall, had dark brown hair and was wearing a dark, probably blue T-shirt and jeans. He had very thick eyebrows and had a small gold hoop earring in his left ear.

The second was about 5ft 11in tall, with a very pale complexion and dirty blond hair. He was wearing a dark yellow T-shirt and dark trousers.

The third was about 5ft 10in tall with medium brown hair.

Anyone with information can call Farnham police on 716262.

The two cars set alight were in the Hart car park.

At about 3-30 am a white Ford Fiesta worth £5,000 and a green Fiat Cinquecento worth £4,000 were set alight and destroyed.

Half an hour later arsonists caused £1,000 damage when they smashed the window of a silver Peugeot 307 and tried to set the car alight with paper but firemen arrived just in time. No arrests were made.

The owner of the Cinquecento, Eileen Beeson complained that police took more than an hour to respond after being called.

But a police spokesman said they were on the scene within six minutes and when an officer called at Mrs Beeson's she was not in.