CRIME seems to be a major feature in the newspaper this week.

Generally it is what would be described as petty crime, although none the less upsetting for that.

The one exception was the burglar confronted during a night-time break-in at the Yew Tree Inn, in Colwall, a particularly nasty incident and quite a coincidence in a week when there has been so much press coverage about Tony Martin and what householders are allowed to do to protect their own homes.

In Bromyard, residents want a parish warden to patrol the streets; in Upton, they want more police on the beat; in Ledbury, there is a crackdown on drug use; and in Malvern, rowdy youths have been causing real upset to people trying to enjoy the peace and beauty of Priory Park.

These problems tend to be worse in the summer month when the school holidays begin. It may be that some youngsters just get bored but rowdyism and anti-social behaviour should not be ignored or tolerated.

In many major American cities it has been found that adopting zero tolerance to things like graffiti and vandalism has led to a reduction in more serious crime.

Sometimes the same people can be involved in both, more often one can lead to the other, or perhaps it's just society collectively saying 'we are not prepared to put up with this' that makes a difference.

Anti-social behaviour needs to be taken more seriously not just by the police and the council, but by all of us.