LEIGH'S Prospective Conservative candidate is backing long suffering families affected by years of anti-social behaviour in Sandersons Croft.

Laurance Wedderburn has promised to work with residents to resolve the issue of gangs wrecking neighbouring Bedford Park.

And he has held up Westleigh's crime fighting mum Deborah Murphy as a shining example of how people like her can make a difference in a community.

Laurance said: "The trouble at Sandersons Croft is precisely the kind of issue where politicians, the local council and anti social behaviour units must work together. Local people must not give up heart because they have tried in the past and have not yet been totally successful. It's a case if at first you don't succeed."

"Deborah Murphy, highlighted in last week's Journal, is a great example of how a devoted mum can make a difference in a difficult area. I have nothing but respect and admiration for people like Deborah and Wigan Council can do something positive right now by awarding her a civic award for her bravery.

"I will be hoping to contact Deborah and ask if she will accompany me on a tour of the area. People might not listen to a politician waffling on but they will certainly take note of a local activist that has been there, seen it and done it. I will also be contacting the safer neighbourhood unit and asking them to target this area."

"My advice to local residents is firstly to report crimes. That is crucial. I know that reporting a crime is a frightening business. I get scared doing it and I'm a young man of 34. But not reporting crime is a frightening business too, because the problem becomes cancerous. The second vital step is to get a crime number. That way that crime becomes an unwelcome statistic for the local police commander."

"That said I will never fall into the trap of blame culture. I instinctively don't like the idea of picking on children and labelling them all as a bunch of yobs. They are our future the best resource we have and it has not been children that have let us down but adults that have let them down. As adults we all have our parts to play. I spoke to some lovely children and they were hanging around' in the area but their behaviour on that bowling green was no different to what I got up to as a kid."

"The difference is that in the short space of 20 years we have all sat back and let councils deprive these children of park keepers. It was park keepers that taught me to respect the area when I was a child. We seem to think that green spaces can be self policed or that roving patrols will be a good replacement for a local person with links and a local pride in the area."