ONE reads that, on occasions, it could be a lack of tolerance on the part of people ringing the police to report nuisance or similar behaviour.

Over the last four years our MP Jack Straw, who was Home Secretary at the time, has promised various measures to give the police wider scope to deal with persistent youths who run wild, particularly at evenings and weekends.

Damage to garage sites, cars, fences and property has certainly escalated dramatically in recent times. No new measures have had any effect to date as far as one can gather.

When a person requests a group to refrain from nuisance or damage, they can normally expect verbal abuse at least.

Bad language in some homes is the norm, so is it any wonder that the children respond as some do?

Until a Home Secretary gets a Bill through that gives the police the authority to use the teeth they already have, things could only get worse on all crime. Police resources are stretched, yet we see at major conferences hundreds of extra officers drafted in - really amazing.

Maybe the nation's police divisions would yield more response to cries for help from Joe Public if they had less paperwork to deal with like the bobbies of yesterday.

A KAY, West View, Tockholes.