AN undercover group's call for the public to join its Worcester street patrols is a worrying move in the never-ending fight against crime and anti-social behaviour.

It's not surprising that, at some time or other, someone would step beyond the occasional cry for community action and actually hit the streets.

The last time such a stance was suggested - in April, last year - parish council members in Warndon and Warndon Villages were expressing the frustration felt by thousands of residents that their lives were being made a misery by yobs and vandals.

Their criticism was that, by the time police responded, the thugs were long gone.

The day after that "let's retake the streets" rallying cry, we expressed our own view - that it was knee-jerk reaction and would come nowhere near reality. We're pleased to say that it didn't.

But, it had to be admitted that, in the months prior, Ronkswood, St John's and Brickfields had faced the same kind of misery. The list went on.

One worrying aspect for police regarding such calls to action, we suggested, was if it went beyond talk. They wouldn't want the public - untrained, unequipped but on a mission - to try patrolling the streets.

Neither would they wish to see the same feeling surface in other parts of the Faithful City.

Organisers of the new group insist they aren't vigilantes - they simply want make it obvious to troublemakers that someone's watching them.

That cuts no ice with the police, and they sound vigilante to us.

Such matters must be left to professionals, police say. How right they are.