ANGER over youth crime in Blackburn has helped to mould Labour's policies to tackle the problem nationally, Blackburn MP Jack Straw has revealed.

The Shadow Home Secretary said at yesterday's launch of their draft manifesto: "This is the direct result of my experience in Blackburn.

"Constituents were coming to me one after the other to express their concern.

"I realised something had to be done and we put a year's hard work into trying to solve this issue.

"The key thing is intervening early. Now young offenders think they can get away with it and suddenly all too often it is true. The youth justice system is in disarray and effective intervention comes too late. "We need to act early to try and stop young people getting into a cycle of offending that sometimes lasts a lifetime or in many cases may last only a few years but can still blight their lives."

In the document, Mr Blair says Labour can easily answer its critics over proposals to deal with bad neighbours, truants, vandals and young children on the streets.

He said: "If your life is being made hell by unreasonable neighbours or young children out of control, your rights are being infringed.

"The principle of tolerance should be based on mutual respect, not doing what you like irrespective of its effect on others."

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