A campaign being run by the Bolton Evening News has been praised by a Home Office minister in the Commons as the Government pledged to do all it could to curb hooliganism.

The anti-yob campaign is aiming to clear the town of young louts and has presented the Government with a petition signed by 4,000 Bolton residents.

The newspaper began the appeal after complaints from a local magistrate who said he had too few powers to adequately punish a gang of youths who terrorised one Bolton resident.

A 56-year old former firefighter, Ken Arrowsmith, had collapsed and died of a heart attack after pursuing youths who had thrown objects at the window of his home.

In an interview with the Bolton Evening News, minister Charles Clarke said new legislation was on the way to tackle gangs and he was aware of the problem with louts in Bolton.

He said: “There is no doubt there’s a real problem in Bolton. Your town’s MPs have raised the matter of the way in which certain relatively small groups of people make lives miserable for people in the community.

“I am not surprised so many people have signed the petition and on behalf of the Government, may I say we are trying to solve the problem, and although we are heading in the right direction there is a long way to go.”

The minister, who is responsible for police and crime reduction, explained the Bolton Evening News campaign to the House of Commons after Bolton West MP Ruth Kelly raised the problem of yobs in her constituency.

Mr. Clarke said: “May I take this opportunity to congratulate the Bolton Evening News and Labour members for Bolton who have campaigned energetically.

“The measures we have already put in place and which we are introducing in current legislation will make an impact on the issues that my honourable friend, her constituents and the local newspaper have forcefully raised.”

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