Many congratulations to the young people of Bradford whose achievements have earned them recognition in an awards event organised by the Council's Youth Service. The fact that so many of them - 150 - were at the ceremony at Valley Parade is an encouraging sign that there are enthusiastic, responsible hands ready to look after the Bradford of tomorrow.

We carry many stories showing the other side of the younger generation: the loutishness, violence and vandalism, the drug abuse and drunkenness. Youngsters sometimes seem to be causing trouble everywhere, from the inner-city streets to the centres of villages where they hang about in disruptive gangs.

It is all too easy to come to believe that young people in general are represented by this anti-social element and that if the future belongs to them, then it must be bleak.

Events like this awards ceremony show the other side of the coin and serve as a reminder that the troublemakers who cause so much concern are a minority whose influence on public morale is out of all proportion to their numbers.

Right across every generation there are a lot of unsung heroes and heroines around, quietly going about the business of helping others and having a positive influence within the community. The T&A's Bradford's Best awards last year turned the spotlight on many of these people, whose stories inspired and uplifted the city.

The Youth Service awards do a similar job, helping to set the record straight about a much-maligned generation and, in the process, giving the rest of us something to feel upbeat about.