0THERE must be times when those who strive to keep our streets clean, tidy and free from vandalism feel full of despair.

They come up with imaginative ideas like talking litter bins to get youngsters into the habit of not trashing the streets and parks where they live.

So pleased was the residents' support group in the Queens Park area of Blackburn to get cash for the bins that they actually held a party for 150 children to launch them.

And then what happened?

Within 48 hours of becoming operational one of the two £500 bins was wrecked by yobs who tore out its voice box.

In the mind of a vandal that might be considered just another one of many daily acts which they will probably attribute to "boredom" claiming they have "nothing to do."

But to scores of decent youngsters and community-minded adults this act must illustrate quite starkly the war against mindless destruction that they have to wage day after day.

How to win the war is the problem.

We can't have a cctv camera trained on every litter bin and every other possible target for vandals.

But what we can do is attempt to make every parent in Queens Park - and the rest of East Lancashire - aware that they will be held responsible for the actions of their children.