YOUNGSTERS running wild are the bane of many communities.

And the scale of the problem is revealed today as nearly 200 youths in just one small East Lancashire town have had their names taken by police.

Reports of juvenile disorder in Oswaldtwistle occur every other day, according to officers running a scheme there to reduce it.

Their response entails making fathers and mothers aware of what their children are up to and bringing home to them the responsibility they have for their behaviour - through them writing to the parents of troublesome youngsters whose names they have taken. To many, this might seem a low-key, punishment-free adjunct to the criminal justice system that has a kid-glove smack to it. But if it alerts parents to what their children are getting up to and to their own duty to supervise them, then perhaps it will start to pay dividends.

For the 'frightener' aspect of a warning letter from the police might well shake many parents out of their ignorance or complacency - and also put the wind up nuisance youngsters.

Moreover, as it is only a first step - since the scheme also includes the potential for court orders to be made against parents and juveniles who disregard the warning - it is hardly a soft sop response to the problem, as is also demonstrated by the extent to which this first stage is being employed by police.

But its real essence, surely, is to nip trouble in the bud and prevent juveniles from causing trouble in their communities and getting themselves sucked deeper into the criminal justice system. And, quite rightly, it tackles the problem where it should be confronted in the first place - in the home.