Blair wants to get tough on crime - again: Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime. Prime Minister Tony Blair didn't exactly say those words yesterday as he launched another action plan to tackle anti-social behaviour, but we suspect he wanted to.

He couldn't, of course, because he'd said it before - but nothing really happened and such things do tend to come back to haunt one in his line of work.

Which is sad really - because what he had to say made a great deal of sense.

The "yob culture" is slowly but surely draining both the quality of life and character from our society and it is about time someone got to grips with it.

Since April 1999 only 1,400 of the anti-social behaviour orders introduced by the Government as a way of tackling the problem have been handed out.

Yet on just one day last month, 66,107 incidents of anti-social behaviour were reported to the police, councils and other agencies - or one every two seconds.

These figures tell a depressing story.

Namely, the laws are there to deal with such behaviour but - for whatever reason - they are simply not being used.

That cannot be right.

As Mr Blair said: "We owe it to the victims of anti-social behaviour to get our act together."

Crime reduction partnerships are already in place in eight areas in the North-East.

They will now receive extra cash - and, hopefully some political impetus - to attack the problem.

Not before time.

The situation has already been reached where what used to be an inner city problem has now become a feature in rural communities.

Look at recent events in Allendale of all places.

Yesterday Tony Blair said he was taking a stand against those who have caused this steady erosion of standards.

It is to be hoped he will deliver this time.

To read the full story, click here Arsonists wreak havoc in village

Region at forefront of inventions: It is good to see that the North-East - which gave the world some of its greatest engineering gems - can still do the business.

Scientist John Simnett is getting a £10,000 grant from the Department of Trade and Industry to develop a wind turbine to generate electricity for developing countries.

It may not be on quite the same scale as an Armstrong or a Stephenson, but more power to Mr Simnett - and the Third World.

To read the full story, click here Andes trip sparks a powerful idea