Too often nowadays, it seems, we find ourselves lamenting appalling behaviour by young people as "a sign of the times". The latest example of this is the situation at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Thornton where private security guards have had to be employed to protect the building and the cars of people attending events there.

Stained glass windows have been smashed repeatedly. Cars have been broken into and, in one instance at least, driven away. The church now faces the appalling prospect of having security guards patrolling outside while people are worshipping. That will be the situation tonight when past priests of the church are reunited for a celebration mass.

There is something seriously wrong with the state of society when special patrols have to be set up outside a sacred place where a number of priests and the rest of the congregation are praying. We live in a world in which the agenda is increasingly being set by barbarians.

The trouble is being blamed on bored local teenagers who, typical of so many members of their generation, are so lacking in imagination that the only way they can think of to alleviate their boredom is to cause damage.

The police say they are "aware of the ongoing problem" at the church and are "hoping to work constructively" with the teenagers to try to end it. The beleaguered people of Thornton might well think that the most constructive thing the police could do would be catch some of the vandals and take them to court.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.