RESIDENTS of west York should be congratulated for taking the first steps towards reclaiming their streets from yob rule.

Our news pages have charted a succession of incidents in the area, from vandalism and verbal abuse through to serious assaults. Friendly, family neighbourhoods are now blighted by the hooligan menace.

One of the most high profile victims, Doug Unwin, said on Saturday that little was being done to stop gangs of youths terrorising young and old.

That was possibly true before the weekend. But the public meeting which cheered Mr Unwin's words can be - and should be - the beginning of a community fight back.

Residents expressed anger and frustration at the declining situation. Yet the fact that so many people turned up to join this debate indicated a new determination to tackle such problems.

The criminal element can only be subdued by a united community effort. Shame on the Liberal Democrat councillors, then, for shunning the meeting.

Council leader Steve Galloway tried to excuse his mistake by saying it was a Labour event. What nonsense. Those who have suffered at the hands of the yobs are not interested in party politics, but in restoring their quality of life.

York MP Hugh Bayley was there, the police were there, other councillors were there and the Liberal Democrat ward members should have been there too.

It was pleasing to note that the meeting did not condemn young people wholesale for the actions of a lawless minority of their peer group. Children need support, not blanket condemnation.

With that in mind, we are delighted that the Molys Kitchen dispute is close to being resolved. No one will be happier than the young people who saw the club as a second home.

Updated: 10:20 Monday, February 23, 2004