Would you challenge a vandal?

IN modern Britain, we often hear stories of plucky people who stand up to yobs and bullies and end up getting battered or even killed as a result.

Parents defending children, homeowners protecting property, people refusing to be cowed - such cases are admirable but, in some cases, risky.

Only this week, a man attacked without cause on Weston seafront told how he believed a gang who stamped on his head had set out to kill him.

Why? He'll probably never know. And it's that sort of extreme violence - often without provocation, always without justification - which makes standing up to yobs and criminals so difficult.

That is why two friends from Hutton deserve special praise, after their quick-thinking and bravery this week helped apprehend a potentially-dangerous drink-driver.

Mark Creamer and Luke Jones didn't have time to weigh up the personal perils - instead, they understood the potential risk to others and acted, giving chase and making a citizens' arrest.

"It's probably just as well we caught him because he could have done some serious damage," said Luke.

And therein lies the rub. The duo believed the need to protect their community outweighed the risk of harm to themselves - but how many of us would have made the same decision?

Would you step in to apprehend a drink-driver? Would you have the confidence to challenge a vandal? Would you be brave enough to intervene in a violent street attack?

Previous incidents where heroism has been met with a forceful rebuke make us all a little more reluctant to act.

However, our reticence in the face of crime and antisocial behaviour is tantamount to acceptance.

It's easy to grumble about declining standards and moral decay, but the simple answer is that nothing will change until we all find that bit of courage needed to take a stand.