FAMILIES living close to former Army homes in Acomb, York, are unlikely to have slept well last night.

Their peace of mind has been shattered by young hooligans who use the derelict estate as their playground.

Residents have long endured regular volleys of abuse from the youths. That is unpleasant and intimidating. But yesterday's arson attack takes the fear to a new level.

As local people gathered to watch firefighters tackle a fierce blaze in two boarded-up houses, they must have wondered what will happen next.

The fire, started in broad daylight, could easily have claimed the life of a firefighter. A repeat at night, and the consequences could be devastating. The empty properties are only a spark's flight away from family homes.

The fire brigade and residents deserve protection from these mindless vandals. The council and the police have been working to tackle the problems, but this incident proves more needs to be done.

The owner of the site has a clear responsibility to its neighbours. To its credit, S Harrison has recognised that, and employed a permanent security guard. We urge the developer to step up security measures, while doing all in its power to bring forward demolition day.

Unfortunately, the problem of vandalism is less easy to obliterate than old housing. The hooligans will still be here when the old homes have gone.

As juvenile crime rises, here and across the country, tonight's confessions of a York teenager make provocative reading. This 17-year-old tells us how he is "addicted" to crime, and is amazed at how lenient the law has been with him.

Tellingly, now he is on the brink of a custodial sentence, he is striving to keep out of trouble. In this case at least, tagging and curfews appear to be working.

But his assertion that teenagers know they can "get away" with quite serious crimes confirms the need for a radical rethink of our juvenile justice system.

Updated: 10:45 Monday, September 22, 2003