THE news that four nine-year-old boys have been suspended from their primary school because they had cannabis is truly shocking.

The pupils at Cherry Fold Community Primary School, Burnley, have been spoken to by police and issued with youth referral orders.

And an investigation has been launched at the school into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The mother of one of the boys involved has said she cannot defend her son because in her eyes he was “doing wrong”.

But she also makes the point that she is worried about the decline which appears to be happening in that area of town.

In August, children as young as eight were questioned when a block of under-construction homes were torched just a stone’s throw from the school.

And last week the Lancashire Telegraph reported how 20 youngsters were taken to a nearby Sure Start Centre during an operation on under-age drinking.

During the patrols, officers spoke to nearly 100 children, including two who were fined for throwing fireworks.

All these problems are very worrying for people in the area, some of whom have said they do not feel safe in their homes.

What needs to be done is for community leaders, police and all relevant bodies to come together to discuss the issues and come up with solutions.

Our young people also need support to lead them away from crime and anti-social behaviour to ensure they lead law-abiding and positive lives in the future.