How many more times will we see New Labour announce headline-grabbing initiatives to deal with antisocial behaviour in the run-up to forthcoming elections?

Your article, Now it's time to shop the yobs (Oxford Mail, February 28) features Labour city councillor Susan Brown, but when trouble occurs, as so often happens in Wood Farm, the ward she is supposed to represent, she is likely to be safely tucked up at home, miles from harm's way, while Independent Working Class Association councillor Claire Kent is left to pick up the pieces.

We have contributions from Home Office Minister Hazel Blears imploring people to play their part and take some responsibility, yet when the IWCA puts this into practice, we are accused by the local Labour Party of being vigilantes.

The minister seeks to 'tackle the thugs who can destroy people's quality of life', yet recently in Oxford, the main targets in yet more high profile initiatives have instead been street drinkers and prostitutes.

While these groups are scapegoated, then exploited to provide the illusion of genuine action, Labour councillors pose for photo-opportunities -- a case of fiddling while Rome (indeed Wood Farm) burns.

I doubt whether New Labour will be quite so quick to publicise the recent Government cuts to the Supporting People budget which provides support to these groups and helps keep them off the streets. It is my guess that this will have a far more drastic effect -- for the worse -- than the constant announcements we keep hearing about antisocial behaviour. MAURICE LEEN, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Oxford East, Independent Working Class Association