IT was good to read that Bury police were going to "get tough on louts" this Christmas. But why just at Christmas? Why not all year round?

It was not that long ago that Tony Blair was blaming the increase in crime on the liberal 1960s. He now says that society needs "rules, order and proper behaviour" as though this eye-opener has only just dawned on him. Mr Blair has had seven years to make an impact on rising crime and if the best he can offer is to say that society needs rules and proper behaviour, then that it as good an admission as any that the time has been wasted.

However hard the Government insists that crime is under control, in most people's perception, the very opposite is the case. In fact, with violent crime figures increasing over the past year in Greater Manchester, much of it caused by binge drinking and drugs, the reality now matches the perception.

While the Government says the number of police has increased, the perception of many is that entire areas of our towns and cities have been handed over to the lawless. International databases, facial recognition systems, CCTV, satellite tagging and passive wave imagers are all very well, but all most people want to see is more bobbies on the beat. If police numbers are up, is it not the reality that too much of their time is spent at desks?

In reality, an increased police presence on the streets is a must for tackling vandalism, binge drinking and anti-social behaviour. I will look out for the December/January crime figures; it will be interesting to see if Bury police's newly-found "get tough" approach is the success that I, for one, hope it's going to be.

JEAN ALLISON (Mrs),

Ramsbottom.