ONLY last week we had friends over from Holland and we live in the Bank Top area of Blackburn, so it was no surprise to hear of the disgust and shock comments of my Dutch friends about the area.

On the Sunday afternoon my mother and friend decided to walk in to town and as they were discussing this and that, my friend was hit on the back with a raw egg which was thrown by a passing motorist. Obviously teenagers let out for the day!

I felt nothing but embarrassment for my friend, but this is the level of unprovoked anti-social acts which occur every day.

Sunday morning you see teenagers in the streets drinking from the night before, shouting abuse at anybody they see and yet the government wants to ban smoking in public places!

There should be a zero tolerance on our streets with the youth of today. It worked in New York. Never mind their human rights, start showing your teeth Jack Straw instead of pussyfooting around the issue of teenage nuisance.

MR P SHUTTLEWORTH, Taylor Close, Blackburn.