CASES of child abuse provoke not only anger and horror, but also add to public awareness -- and vigilance -- over the need for children to be protected.

Yet, disturbingly, we learn today that another form of abuse of equally vulnerable individuals often goes undetected -- because so many people are not aware that it is a problem in our community even though it is feared that the cases that are reported may be the tip of the iceberg.

Open to this vile and cruel abuse are the elderly, the disabled, the chronically-ill and those with learning difficulties -- all of them adults, but just as defenceless as children because of their condition.

And, says the recently-formed Adult Protection Committee created by Blackburn with Darwen Council to combat this kind of abuse, it is not just physical or mental maltreatment that adults dependent on care from others can be subjected to, but also the financial abuse of having their money or possessions stolen or misused.

Quite rightly, the committee is launching a new campaign to raise public awareness of adult abuse so that cases are detected and abusers punished -- it is a project that deserves widespread support and replication across East Lancashire.

Most of all, it requires each of us to speak out whenever we see or suspect this awful abuse is happening.