Our tidal wave of youth terrorism

The tragic events in Crox-teth, Merseyside, and other incidents where people have been killed at the hands of youths, highlight this perfectly. Recently, a guy complains to kids vandalising a mechanical digger - he is beaten to death, allegedly by youths. The Government and police have been sleepwalking into this tidal wave of youth terrorism.

I’m not going to reel off the old ‘when I were a lad routine’ and blame the absent father. Suffice it to say there has been a distinct withdrawal of authority and a lack of effective policing on British streets over the past 10-15 years and all of a sudden a new youth crisis emerges. The great British disease of apathy wins again. Drug dealing is now condoned, with only token prosecutions occurring. Police now favour cautions to relieve prison overcrowding. Alcohol is rife - you can drink any time of day or night. It might sound daft, but youths listening to gangster rap advocating shooting and killing is not going to encourage kids to help old ladies across the road!

Kids have been drip fed all of this for many years and we wonder why we now have a problem. Could anyone not see this emerging? Chief constables, politicians, local councillors, armed with degrees in criminology and sociology, where were you? What were you thinking? Did not alarm bells at least tinkle when cannabis was downgraded and the pubs opened 24 hours?

I hate to say it but, to the police officers whose presence in Croxteth has been one of high visibility since last week’s tragic events, I pose this question: why did you wait till this young lad lost his life to police our streets? A zero tolerance approach is the only answer now.

R Marshall, Sycamore Avenue, Kiveton Park, S26.