THERE is no doubt that the horror of St Luke's Church of England School in Wolverhampton could have been another Dunblane.

Had the madman who attacked those innocent, bright-eyed children had a gun instead of a machete, today the school gates would have been once more overflowing with wreaths.

If there was ever any doubt that things need to be done right now to improve school security, then that doubt disappeared at St Luke's.

And yet the Government once more seems to be dragging its heels, complaining that making schools secure will take too long and be too expensive. Firstly, there's the question of money.

If the Government says there is not enough money in the education budget for more security then why not take it out of the bulging National Lottery coffers.

Most people in this country would much rather see Lottery money spent protecting our nation's future than paying to subsidise rich Londoners going to the opera or boosting the bank balance of the Churchill family.

Secondly, there are the security measures themselves.

No-one is saying that schools can be turned overnight into fortresses or that a determined madman can always be stopped.

But simple, practical measures can reduce the risk. These include closed circuit cameras, higher perimeter fences, better monitoring of visitors and limited access points for people coming into schools.

Finally, and most important of all, we need to have the outcome of the Dunblane Report as soon as possible and a total ban on handguns.

Only by stopping madmen getting their hands on weapons can we stop more innocents dying.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.