WE'VE all heard politicians talking about tackling not just crime itself but crucially "the causes of crime".

But many have a cynical view of the statement.

They would say that, whatever our elected leaders claim, their personal experience is that crime is getting worse not better.

Only last week we heard that Britain has more people, and especially young people, in prison than almost anywhere else in Europe.

Locking people up cannot be the only answer because jail on its own does not stop many from re-offending or deter many others from beginning a life of crime. What's needed is practical new thinking like the project planned by Lancashire Police.

Officers are to launch a five-year study of more than 2,000 schoolchildren and follow them through their teens with twice-a-year interviews.

They will be questioned about their lifestyle, family and friends so that police can try to get a picture of why some fall into crime and drugs while others don't.

It's unlikely they will find a miracle cure for rising crime.

But if it provides an insight and information that can be acted upon to cut even a small amount of youth crime, the effort will have been worthwhile.