EVERYONE should be willing to do their public duty and help the police tackle crime.But, as this paper has reported this week, people often feel they have good reason not to do the right thing when they see a crime being committed.

So the police should be applauded for their latest scheme to give them a nudge.

They are already issuing residents in Clitheroe with police radios after a spate of vandalism in the Primrose and Woone Lane areas of town.

Now they are considering giving mobile phones to milkmen before they go out on their early morning rounds to help them tackle car crime in two rural villages.

They hit upon the idea after 18 vehicles were broken into in just one night in Read and Simonstone this week.

With many of the break-ins occurring in the early hours of the morning, officers reckon milkmen are one of the few people up and about and able to report crime.

Of course, it would be nice (and very reassuring) if the police had the resources to catch these early morning crooks themselves.

What is wrong with deploying a few officers to this early morning task?

In fairness to Lancashire Police, that is something they are well aware off.

They have long argued the case for more officers.

But, in the mean time, all help is welcome, especially when it comes via a mobile phone provided by local officers.