ALL of us know what sort of a world we are having to live our daily lives in. There are drunken drivers who moun the pavements and kill adults, also children.

Then there are the speed-mad drivers who treat our built-up areas and roads like race tracks causing death and leaving injury in their wake.

Most of the judges who are supposed to be highly specialised in dispensing justice to fit the crime fail us completely.

The fine and the driving ban imposed on the guilty person is meaningless to them and an insult to the grief-stricken relatives involved.

The driving ban for those causing death and sometimes crippling people for life should be a minimum of 10 years, and for people who cause motorway pile-ups which lead to many deaths and massive injuries, a life ban.

Youngsters' crimes such as wrecking cars, destroying utilities, phones, lighting and property then threatening the people who try to stop them leaving them feeling fear and frightened to venture out of their homes go relatively unpunished.

Then we move on to the mindless sadistic and most uncivilised evil acts in killings and life destroying injuries to all ages leaving a trail of sorrow, pain and loss to their families who are left behind.

We must be more harsh and determined to stop these lawless acts with a heavy, strong hand.

The attempts to try and bring law and order back into our society have completely failed, ASBOs, curfews, community service, talks by the police imposing fines or jail terms on parents have all been tried with no success so we must find another solution to this problem.

I do think that our new home secretary Jacqui Smith is a truly sincere person when she believes that voluntary coming together of all services plus parents, will control the violence which rules our towns and cities.

But I would like to remind her that desperate times call for desperate measures.

MR GEORGE WELSH, Stanhill Lane, Oswaldtwistle.