IT made me laugh -- the landlord's petrol-crisis sign outside the Robin Hood Inn, Helmshore, as hoarders hit the filling stations and supermarkets . . . "Panic drinkers welcome."

Short of marshals, the organisers of next Sunday's annual Rossendale Motorbike Show, which last year drew 35,000 people to Rawtenstall, are appealing for volunteers. But considering that the main purpose of these marshals is to stop law-abiding people making use of the roads while they are commandeered by hordes of bikers selfishly foisting their noisy and often anti-social minority hobby on other road users and the townsfolk as the traders' tills trill and the rest of us are expected to believe everyone benefits, it might be better if gridlock chaos prevailed -- in order to get this hellish event banned in future.

Did you see that survey which said that 75 per cent of people in the North West had no faith in the police to protect their homes, catch burglars and recover stolen goods? It is a reflection, surely, of how much property crime is still rife. But should not police chiefs also ask whether it shows that people think not enough effort goes into detecting it -- while too much is spent on hounding the soft-target motorists?