THERE is a misguided tendency to believe that society's ills can be cured at a stroke by new legislation, even when there are perfectly adequate laws already available.

It is not the legislation that is the key.

Rather it is the ability of the authorities to enforce it.

Many a survey, including one conducted by this newspaper on behalf of Cumbria police, confirms the view that aggressive-looking teenagers hanging around in groups ought to be the top priority for officers.

This ties in with modern attempts to reduce fear of crime, which many believe is disproportionate to the real risk of becoming a victim.

In South Lakeland there is a specific perception that such gangs are abusing the district's play areas.

The proffered solution, inevitably, is to introduce a new bylaw that would ban over-14s from the council's 52 playgrounds, unless they are supervising younger children.

It is not clear if there is an upper age limit.

But the thinking behind making such use of the government's new fast track byelaws does not stand up to scrutiny.

Youths are allegedly: breaking equipment, in which case they can be charged with criminal damage; being abusive, in which case they can be prosecuted for threatening behaviour; have left a trail of graffiti, again criminal damage; used play areas as drink and drug dens, also against existing laws.

If police resources are so stretched that they cannot act on louts carrying out blatantly illegal activities, we should have little confidence that they will be effective in implementing a bylaw which tries to protect playgrounds with a curfew.

In fact, a tough enforcement of the far more serious laws being broken, by police and even more importantly the courts, would give out a mUCH more effective message.

It might even force parents to face their responsibilities of knowing where their teenage children are in the evenings and control their behaviour.

If the teenagers are doing no more than using the play areas as a meeting place, then society needs to ask more fundamental questions about what facilities are available for their future citizens.

There are communities where youth workers, priests, police officers and others provide youth clubs and other activities for teenagers.

This, of course, takes commitment.

In the long term, though, it will be far more effective than sticking up signs which demonstrate negative hostility to the next generation.

In fact, the signs themselves will probably become an irresistible, and understandable, target.