IT IS outrageous and incredible that a family is forced to live in virtual darkness for almost two years, with the windows of their home boarded up because they are plagued by brick-throwing thugs.

Yet that is the terrible situation of the Baker family of Darwen - victims of young louts who scoff at the law.

Surely, they deserve better protection from the police, their council landlord and the law generally.

The crux of this problem, it seems, is of these window-smashing terrors being too young to be dealt with effectively by the law - and of them knowing and exploiting that fact.

First, then, the law must be changed so that malevolent young menaces can be put in custody.

What happened to the approved schools we once had?

Additionally, why cannot an injunction be taken out against the parents of these young thugs, making them responsible for the behaviour of their children and punishing them severely if they offend?

Furthermore, while the council may now at last be fitting the Bakers' windows with toughened glass panes instead of boards, should it not also be asking if the brick-throwers' families are among its tenants - and evicting them if they are?

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.