The recent heart rending cries from the children at St Andrew's School to end the violence on our streets have fallen on deaf ears - or have they?

There's no doubting that the latest brutal death has sent shockwaves rippling through the area and will have dented efforts to build greater confidence in the town.

Indeed a number of people have contacted this newspaper to tell of their concerns. No matter what assurances are being given they are fearful of going out and about at certain times and into certain places.

Regrettably there are also those who have unfairly knocked the police for what they see as a lack of action.

For legal reasons we cannot go into too many details, but the public must not forget the number of arrests which have been made after these dreadful incidents. People have been held in connection with every one of the murders in Keighley.

In our comment on the views of the children of St Andrew's, who will have shed more heartbreaking tears, we said a beacon of hope could be seen. The light may have dimmed, but it is far from being extinguished.

For as the reports in today's issue clearly show, there's a number of people with influence who are prepared to act on their views to end the rising cycle of violence.

Within the Asian community there are even more signs of a willingness to face up to the situation and take positive action. The community has a pivotal role to play in this issue and must reject any sense of misguided loyalty.

It will not be an easy task for all concerned, with numerous obstacles to overcome, and no quick-fix answers. But it should be clearly understood that anyone who thinks they can hold this town to ransom through fear should think again.

The children of St Andrew's put a new item on the agenda for community action. Their calls to stop the killings and violence still have top priority.

We must hold firm and be steadfast in our resolution to continue working together to make the wishes of the children of St Andrew's a reality.