A lot of effort and cash is being put into making the Buttershaw estate a better place for the residents and to turn around its reputation. Most of them appreciate it but unfortunately a small minority seem determined to spoil things for the rest.

Vandals have been going on what has been described as a "smashing spree," their latest target being St Aidan's Church on The Crescent where mourners arrived for a funeral to discovered that glass panels on the doors had been wrecked by stones.

It is a sad reflection of the state of society that a church official has found it necessary to call for a "church watch" to be set up to protect the premises. However, it makes a lot of sense.

As Councillor Ralph Berry rightly points out, vandalism can knock the heart out of a community. At a time when so much is being done to boost the morale of Buttershaw people and transform the way they feel about the estate on which they live, this sort of destruction - which has also involved attacks on bus shelters and telephone boxes - can be very counter-productive.

If law-abiding, caring residents can organise themselves to keep their eyes open and report any acts of vandalism at least they will be able to feel they are doing something to fight this yobbish behaviour.

However, to avoid any risk of vigilante action they will need to work closely with the police. And for that to happen, they must be able to be confident that the police will take their concerns seriously and deal promptly with any incidents they report.