Despite the best efforts of councils, the police and other agencies, many of our public facilities are still the target of wanton vandalism. More often than not the culprits are bored youngsters suffering an acute shortfall in social responsibility, who feel that public property is a fair target for their daily frustrations.

Getting to grips with vandalism is no easy matter, but the latest idea - asking youngsters to 'adopt' railway and bus stations - is an imaginative one which gives teenagers themselves the chance to take ownership of the problem. Just how effective the plan will prove to be remains to be seen but it's encouraging to see this kind of lateral approach to a situation which often seems to defy any kind of real solution.

The plan may even offer a few pointers to Holme Wood where hooliganism seems to have taken a more sinister turn with shoppers regularly being subjected to intimidation. Indeed the problem is so acute that the Co-op is threatening to pull out of the estate, a move which would represent a severe blow to local tenants.

Police have found it difficult to catch the young thugs responsible, but the menace must be stamped out. The principle of social responsibility may well be the way forward in the longer term to encourage youngsters to stay on the straight and narrow.

But that longer-term approach can only be part of the strategy. Holme Wood is facing a problem now and it's essential that the police, community leaders and residents get together immediately to thrash out an action plan which can at least deliver some assurances to the Co-op.

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