RECENTLY, my brother and I were attacked at the Interchange in Bury on our way home from school.

We were set upon by at least 20 boys and it was to my great disquiet that, while a number of pupils from our own school came to help us, hardly any of the people waiting for the bus came to see what the problem was, or tried to resolve it.

What sort of society are we living in where Brother will not help Brother in times of need? Not one person reading this could say that, should they be in a situation where they required the assistance of a stranger, they would not want it to be forthcoming. Clearly, many of us pay little heed to: "Love thy neighbour as thyself".

Some may not wish to approach young people creating a disturbance, and for older members of our community this is a valid excuse. I would not for one moment argue with that, but those teenagers and young adults who populate places such as the Interchange, Kay Gardens and the Mill Gate, can be very threatening indeed. We must nip that problem in the bud.

The police and Interchange management cannot solve this problem on their own; they need the vigilance of the whole community behind them. Together, we can make Bury a better place.

VICILINUS (aged 13)