Barely a week goes by now without news that another teenager has died on Britain’s streets, their killers armed with guns or knives.

Sometimes the victim was targeted because of gang rivalry. Often it was an argument that simply got out of hand. Or, as in the case of 16-year-old Jimmy Mizen, murdered in a London Baker’s shop, it was simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“We really, really, have to do something about carrying weapons on the streets of London,” said Assistant Commissioner Tim Godwin, who is in charge of territorial policing in the capital. “This is the time to say enough is enough.”

Godwin is planning to crack down on those carrying knives, with widespread use of stop and search powers targeted at areas where suspects are thought to be carrying weapons. He said it would be “in your face policing”.

Since the issue of youth violence became prominent last year, following the fatal shooting of 11-year-old schoolboy Rhys Jones, there have been many promises of action from polticians. But, if anything, the situation seems to be getting worse.

More police, tougher sentencing, better facilities for young people, and targeting vulnerable families have all been suggested as remedies.

What do you think is needed to stop the bloodshed?

Chef Gordon Ramsay is never shy of courting controversy and he is back in the headlines again calling for restaurants to be fined if they sell out-of-season vegetables or fruit.

You could forgive the public for being confused when it comes to knowing where to eat, where to shop and what to buy.

Almost daily we are bombarded with conflicting information about whether food is healthy or not, or good or bad for the environment. For example, some groups say supermarkets should not give out free plastic bags (this week Marks and Spencer brought in a 5p charge), while other stores, such as Sainsbury’s say that is not the answer and will not bring lasting benefit to the environment.

Ramsay’s latest target is food flown in from abroad. “I don’t want to see asparagus in the middle of December,” he says. Most people over 30 can probably remember when a strawberry would never have been seen except during the British summer and the celebrity chef would like to see a return to the culture of eating home-grown produce.

What’s more, environmentalists argue that it is better for the planet, as according to the Department for Food and Rural Affairs, air freight emits more greenhouse gases per food mile than any other form of transport.

Ah, but what about the farmers in some of the poorest countries in the world who are producing the food for our supermarkets? That trade is vital to their wellbeing, with a million farmers and their families in Africa depending on it, according to the Department for International Development.

What’s more DFID says driving six and half miles to buy your shopping emits more carbon than flying a pack of Kenyan green beans to the UK. “Do we, in rich countries, help poor countries to trade their way out of poverty by buying their exports, or do we say no to air-freighting and buy local produce instead?,” DFID asks.

But then the champions of organic food, the Soil Association, argue that DFID has got it wrong and the government is being irresponsible.

So, is Ramsay just serving up a hot topic to help publicise his new TV show? Or is he right, and restaurants should be forced to use local produce?
Send us your comments

The problem of yobs causing misery for their neighbours and local communities is a daily reality for many people.

Be it from gangs of drunken teenagers to more serious cases of vandalism, assaults or even murder, stories of problems involving young louts are rarely out of the newspapers.

However, coming up with an effective plan to deal with the troublemakers has proved difficult for politicians, police and local officials.

Anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) have probably been the best-known antidote the authorities have used. But experts say these have their limits and some serial offenders just view them as a “badge of honour”.

The latest initiative to get the backing of the government is a scheme to turn the tables on the yobs with the police hounding them to make their lives uncomfortable.

Residents in Essex, where the Operation Leopard idea was first introduced, say it was a great success.

But it is likely to alarm some civil rights groups, who have expressed concern about the use of ASBOs.

Is it time to get tough on those who refuse to abide by the rules the rest of us adhere to? Or is this just a headline-grabbing announcement? Send us your comments

A senior detective has questioned the effectiveness of CCTV, saying it helps solve only a tiny minority of street crimes and that its use has been an “utter fiasco”.

Detective Chief Inspector Mick Neville, head of the Metropolitan police’s division on visual images, identifications and detections, wants better training for police officers in using CCTV, more sophisticated technology and a national database to allow offenders to be tracked and identified.

Britain is the surveillance capital of the world, with one camera for every 14 people according to civil rights groups, and billions of pounds has been spent on setting up systems.

Last year the Home Office, which has ploughed millions into CCTV projects, itself questioned the effectiveness of some systems as the footage they provided was not good enough to be used as evidence in court.

CCTV has always proved to be a divisive issue with some people believing they represent the growth of a “Big Brother” society. However, many communities have welcomed them with open arms, hoping they will deter criminals and vandals.

Are the cameras a waste of money and an infringement of civil liberties? Or are they a vital deterrent? Send us your comments.

The Austrian abuse scandal continues to dominate most of the front pages, although the broadsheets have a range of lead stories varying from the Church of England to allegations that MI5 colluded in torture.

The Sun provide details of the room where Josef Fritzl is accused of holding his daughter captive for 24 years. Story here

The Times leads on an attempt by the Church of England to stave off the threat of a schism by creating dioceses based on gender rather than geography. Story here

The Independent leads on the Austrian abuse story, calling Fritzl “the man who haunts Austria”. Story here

The Guardian focuses on claims that MI5 officers had “outsourced” torture of terrorism suspects to the Pakistani intelligence service. Story here

The Daily Mail welcomed what it described as a U-turn by the government on the classification of cannabis, meaning the law governing the drug will be toughened. Story here

The abuse story dominated the front page of the Daily Mirror under the headline “The World’s Most Evil Dad”. Story here

The Financial Times reveals that retail developments across the country are being shelved amid a funding crisis for commercial property and concern over faltering consumer demand. Story here

The Daily Express leads on claims that British motorists are being ripped off by oil companies and the government who it says are benefiting from the soaring price of petrol and diesel. Story here

Thousands of schools are closing on Thursday as teachers hold their first national strike in more than two decades.

The members of the NUT, as many as 200,000 teachers, say the action is to teach the government a lesson for offering them an unacceptable, below-inflation three-year pay deal.

They say it will deter young graduates from joining their ranks in the future while sapping the morale of current staff.

But it is not only the government which disagrees with them. Other teaching unions, such as the NASUWT and ATL have, albeit reluctantly accepted the pay deal, which was recommended by an independent organisation, the School Teachers’ Review Body. They point out that teachers have fared better than other public sector workers such as the police.

So while the NUT says enough is enough, the government argues that it will be children who suffer in the run-up to the summer exams.

Do you think teachers are right to strike on principle or are they being selfish? Send us your comments

Immigration has long been a subject to inflame passions and the issue is back in the headlines again after a new report suggested migrants do not bring the economic benefit to the country that the government says they do.

Ministers argue that immigration is worth 6 billion pounds a year to Britain’s GDP and also helps to fill labour and skills shortages.

But the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee, whose members include two former Conservative Chancellors and a number of other leading economists and City figures, disputed this, saying the economic benefits are limited.

It has called for the government to review its policies and look at what impact the influx of 190,000 migrants a year is having on the country.

So is the government’s approach to immigration flawed as the committee says? Or are immigrants vital to Britain’s economic future?

Send us your comments

Crime is barely out of the headlines at the moment.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith says she does not feel safe walking around London on her own at night.

Schools may introduce metal detectors in a bid to cut knife crime after a spate of stabbings involving children.

The Sun newspaper dedicates its front page to the “scourge of feral youths” who are murdering innocent members of the public, such as Garry Newlove.

And in the background to all this is the growing row between the police and the government over pay. The Institute of Public Policy Research think tank has added to the debate by saying the police pay structure should be overhauled.

Officers shouldn’t just get more cash for their length of service, they should be judged on how well they are performing, the IPPR said. Although crime had fallen, detection rates had not improved despite a big increase in funding, it added.

Police say the job is too complicated to bring in performance-related pay, and that many of their vital duties, from tackling terrorism to helping those afflicted by events such as the recent flooding, cannot be quantified.

Should police be judged on their performance, or is the job so dangerous nowadays that they deserve to be a special case? Send us your comments.

The Queen becomes Britain's oldest monarch on Thursday beating the record set by her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria.

Despite being the ripe old age of 81, the monarch shows little sign of slowing down and there is no talk of an abdication.

However Republicans say it is time she hung up her crown and enjoyed her retirement.

What do you think? Should the Queen consider passing the mantle to Prince Charles now? Or, indeed, should the monarchy itself carry on after she dies?

Police Officers are meeting in London on Wednesday to consider what action, if any, they should take over their pay dispute with the government.

Last week Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said police would be given a 2.5 percent rise, as recommended by an independent arbitration panel, but this would not be backdated to September as expected. She said this was necessary to keep a lid on public spending.

The decision has infuriated police who say it means the rise is only worth 1.9 percent, lower than the rate of inflation.

The Police Federation, the body that represents rank and file officers, says the government is taking advantage of laws which make it illegal for the police to go on strike. It is now considering what industrial action it can and should take.

Should police be allowed to strike? Should Jacqui Smith reverse her decision? Or is she right to stick to government targets?

Let us know what you think