THERE'S nothing new about groups of youngsters hanging around on street corners at night.

But the crimes they often commit these days are much more serious than those of past generations when youths did little more than kick balls about and indulge in, by today's standards, fairly minor vandalism.

Drink and drug abuse, muggings, car crime, major damage and serious assaults all intimidate local residents, especially the elderly who feel themselves terrorised and are afraid to go out alone at night.

They complain that police seem to do nothing to break up groups of troublemakers and stop all kinds of crimes being committed.

In East Lancashire an emphasis on community policing in the past few years seems to be an attempt to tackle the problem at street level with officers who know their beats and the people on them.

But residents in the Pemberton Street area of Blackburn, for example, are unimpressed and say they have seen little evidence of police action to halt escalating trouble.

Now we are told patrols will be stepped up and police are urging residents to report problems.

They both have vital roles to play. Police need to be more pro-active in breaking up these gangs - and more parents need to take responsibility for what their children are doing in the evenings.