DESPITE the revulsion that we feel for the wrong-doers and the sympathy we have for his family, what happened to Garry Newlove, who died confronting hooligans outside his home, is an aberration.

It is not the norm in any town. It is unlikely to happen to any of us. Most of us are safe most of the time in our homes and on the streets. Most young people are not yobs.

Nevertheless, this incident should become a watershed in tackling anti-social behaviour. Politicians, police and parents must resolve to give this issue greater priority. That is because anti-social behaviour exercises a wholly disproportionate and malign influence on our lives.

When you leave home this morning to go to work, the shops or the park, you won't be worried about being blown up by a terrorist's bomb, or knocked down by a speeding car, or returning to a burgled house.

But you may be thinking about using another route, because of the aggressive, foul-mouthed individuals you met yesterday. Even if you avoid them in person, you'll probably see their calling cards - the vandalism and vomit which disfigure shopping parades, bus stops and public places.

Anti-social behaviour rarely manifests itself in the terrifying way that brave, decent Mr Newlove experienced. It is society's equivalent of toothache - something that starts as an irritation and then slowly grinds you down, making life unbearable. It makes decent people feel afraid. I want that fear to be transferred to the people who should feel it - the perpetrators.

Until recently, anti-social behaviour was confined to the streets and estates where policy-shapers and opinion-formers never went. Its victims were voiceless. Now, the problem is overflowing into our urban centres and suburbs and they are finally taking note. Any government which fails to do so will lose the confidence of electors - and lose elections.

It must also become a police priority. The police have more than 50 key performance requirements by which they are judged. None relate to anti-social behaviour. Police forces must be given proper incentives to meet the yobs head-on, on the streets with sufficient resources and powers to deal with them.

Finally, this is an issue for parents. The links between family breakdown and crime and vandalism are clear. Councils, health trusts and voluntary groups are queuing up to help parents. We must encourage them, particularly those with children at risk of offending to use their support. If they don't accept help, there must be sanctions.

They must learn that they are as responsible as their children for their misdemeanours, just as a dog owner is responsible if their pet bites someone. I am sorry if some of you find the comparison offensive, but frankly when I see the misery caused by ungovernable youths and their uncaring parents, it is the one that most readily springs to mind.

You will notice that I haven't mentioned drinking, despite the debate about raising price and age limits and restricting availability.

Drink fuels much anti-social behaviour. But why should a responsible 20-year-old on a night out, or a family sharing a bottle of wine at an open-air concert have their enjoyment curtailed? Reasonable people shouldn't have to suffer to appease the irresponsible. This, by the way, is from someone who would not be inconvenienced if every pub and off-licence closed tomorrow.

The laws and resources we have are mostly sufficient to deal with yobs. What we need is a determination to use them in an effective, no-nonsense way that once again gives decent people the support and confidence they need to reclaim their streets and neighbourhoods.