WE have already praised the initiative of police who went in loud and strong to pick up suspected teenage hooligans on Blackburn's Fishmoor estate last week.

Their action was deliberately designed to shake up the youngsters and send out a no-nonsense message that unruly thugs will not be tolerated.

In week two of their high profile complain police have stopped people in the street and knocked on the front door of every resident of the large estate to seek out information about yobbish behaviour.

Many people complain that they only ever see a police officer after they become victims of crime - and that's not good enough.

This sort of pro-active approach is an excellent way of building better relationships with the vast majority of residents who are ordinary, law-abiding folk.

And it will also arm them with extra information to catch criminals like the intelligence they have already gained about drug dealers in the area.

The officer in charge of the operation says he has been thanked by about 20 people for their actions during the last week.

What a good example of real community policing. Let's see it taken up right across East Lancashire so that ordinary people and police can work together to beat the yobs.