STUART Edmondson raises some interesting points in his letter (October 15) headed: "We can't choose what is crime."

As a priority, we need to clamp down harder on the anti-social behaviour that is evident in our town centres every weekend. An analysis of Home Office crime statistics has revealed that the number of offences of "violence against the person" across Bury have soared by 45 per cent since 1999, up from 2,095 to 3,032 a year - with alcohol being a key cause.

I am all in favour of people having a good time out. But in towns and cities across Britain today, we are creating not a cafe culture, but a yob culture. The right to have a drink brings with it a responsibility - the responsibility not to ruin everyone else's evening. I have lost count of the times that hard-working, law-abiding couples have told me that they feel intimidated by the growing levels of yob behaviour.

As well as giving local councils the powers to limit the number of late licences and all you can drink promotions, we need an increase in the number of police on our streets to ensure that anti-social behaviour is tackled head-on. Lack of funding and bureaucracy currently limits the police's ability to do their job in Greater Manchester.

ALEX WILLIAMS,

Conservative Parliamentary

spokesman for Bury South.