Violent Britain

Such an assault is bad enough at any time, but to turn it into a kind of spectator sport is unbelievable.

Sadly, incidents of anti-social behaviour in the village are not new which is why we have been working for some time with the parish council, the community association, youth workers and individual parents to provide facilities for young people to combat such behaviour.

While we may be forced to accept that the best facilities in Darlington may not have prevented such a sickening assault, we must remind ourselves that the majority of our young people deserve good facilities and we will continue working towards our goal.

However, our aims would probably be more easily achieved if we had the support of other people. Parents must take responsibility for the actions of their children. We hope the young people involved in this incident and their parents are ashamed and that they, and others see this as a wake up call.

Residents must not be afraid to speak out against anti-social behaviour; it is not something that we have to put up with.

But above all we must have better support from our local police. Our ONE rural beat officer simply isn't enough to cope. Our Community Support Officer may be wellintentioned but does not have the powers to be effective.

We are calling on the chief constable to reinstate the rural beat team, particularly when our regular officers are away. And since our offer of a base for the police in the village has constantly been rejected, we are asking for the introduction of a mobile police office at busy times to provide a regular presence, which we believe, will deter such behaviour.

Councillors Doris Jones and Steve York, Middleton St George ward, Darlington Borough Council.

I DOUBT whether many people now believe the Government spin reeled out telling us that crime rates are going down.

More likely, the police are so overburdened by their workload that now most crime, even serious crime, goes unreported.

We now have a whole generation of youth where the no' word has never ever been used in their most formative years. Far too late to use it in their teens.

There was a time when, if I saw a street crime being committed, I would have stepped in to try and prevent it. Now, when I consider my life would be in danger, I would think twice.

Anybody wishing to know how kids will behave when civilised order and parental society are removed from their shoulders should read William Golding's 1954 novel, Lord of the Flies. A group of well mannered kids is marooned on a desert island without grown-ups.

Civilised behaviour soon degenerates into barbarism and savagery as a result of the group forming into two gangs.

In 1987, Margaret Thatcher famously remarked: "There is no such thing as society." Twenty years later, she has tragically been proved correct.

Peter Hill, School Aycliffe.

THE thought of a young boy, wearing the shirt of his heroes, playing football on the street close to home, being shot dead by a teenage assailant is something we wouldn't have contemplated five years ago.

Such an incident would have been associated with a country like the United States of America where there is a gun culture, or indeed countries where law and order is out of control and anarchy rules.

We cannot allow the trend to continue. Young Rhys Jones was an innocent child who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Such a statement suggests that there is nowhere that provides a safe haven.

Shootings as well as incidents involving knives have become a very worrying feature of British society.

Respect for life and for each other is a philosophy and belief we foster in a responsible society, but it has little meaning to those who believe that having a gun or a knife gives them credibility. We cannot accept that where those who feel excluded, lack inspiration or ambition and feel devalued have to resort to violence.

Violence is no excuse and cannot be tolerated.

We must reverse the trend and foster the belief that they have a contribution to make that is constructive, rather than destructive.

Bernie Walsh, Coxhoe.

THERE has been an emotive reaction to the decision not to deport the killer of the head teacher in London and the murder of an 11- year-old boy in Liverpool, Obscured in the way things are reported is that the decision of the parole panel concerning the young man with an Italian background who killed Philip Lawrence is subject to appeal and some water has to pass under the bridge before he is released.

The reason given by the media for the decision not to deport him is the Human Rights legislation emanating from Europe, but there is the material question as to whether the Italian authorities would be able to resist his arrival in their country.

He does not speak the language and may not be able to settle in their country.

As to the murder of the youngster in Liverpool, it would be wise for us to rely on the operation of the law, and not think of vigilante activity.

I sometimes despair of the way many people allow the mass media to successfully stoke up feelings and suggest that the courts are not severe enough, when it is their function to dispense justice.

Geoffrey Bulmer, Billingham.

LIB DEM Durham City Councillor Mark Wilkes (HAS, Aug 27) writes that "teenagers need to be asked what they want" but has he now read your account on the front of the same day's paper of the attack upon a schoolgirl by people posing as her friends?

So many offences appear to have been committed. Certainly there would be conspiracy to cause an affray and breach of the peace. The breaking of the alleged victim's nose is grievous bodily harm. She has also allegedly suffered loss of earnings by not being able to take up a new job.

If these allegations are proved, will the parents of the feral youth have the decency to have a whipround to replace the girl's loss of earnings?

Unlike Coun Wilkes, I ask whether we are, in fact, asking far too little of today's youth. I also believe that GCSEs etc should not be awarded unless a school record of good behaviour is also appended.

E Turnbull, Gosforth.

I HAVE been a reader of The Northern Echo for several years and never once have I felt it necessary to write in regarding an article.

However, your front page of August 23 headlined "Stun gun use tops national figures" disgusted me.

On the same day that an 11-yearold was shot dead by youths, knife crime and violence against the public is at an all time high and police officers seem to be dropping like flies due to an uncontrollable and violent society, you find it necessary to criticise the very people - the police - who put themselves forward to tackle our spiralling out of control anti-social culture.

Why criticise our police for using a tool that they have been issued with? We should be pleased that our nanny state has the ability to use force against those who threaten the lives of others or carry weapons themselves.

What is the alternative? Police that carry guns like the rest of the world?

Dixon of Dock Green does not exist any more. The series finished when he was shot dead. If only he had had a stun gun.

Peter Calvert, Hurworth Place, Darlington.