LAST week it was Sky News filming in Bridge Street and yesterday morning GMTV was showing footage it had filmed over the weekend featuring the town's young boozers.

Since the tragic death of Garry Newlove it seems that Warrington is now the focus of media attention for all the wrong reasons.

Add to that the tabloids' obsession with Kerry Katona and husband Mark - not exactly the best ambassadors for the town - and people could be forgiven for thinking that Warrington really is the pimple on the face of humanity.

But is our town really so different from others?

GMTV went on to the streets of Warrington to have a look at our "yob culture" and the reporter told viewers it is the estates and suburbs that are the problem.

They could tell that from one visit could they?

Although they acknowledged that there is a visible police presence in the town centre, they still showed lots of footage of drunken people being hauled away by police.

Then they went back to the "suburbs" where they interviewed a 16-year-old who said he had drunk 12 or 13 cans of lager. The boy openly admitted he had "robbed" them from a local shop.

So a typical 16-year-old then? Or was he just bragging in front of the cameras?

Let's hope so.

It's easy to target Warrington after the horrific murder of Mr Newlove.

But I believe it could have happened anywhere.

The problem is much more widespread than just Warrington and far more complicated than saying it's down to booze.

Certainly, I agree that we are breeding some directionless youngsters without parents who give a damn. Parents who are just happy to have the kids out of their hair and out of the house.

Like one of Garry Newlove's killers, Jordan Cunliffe, whose dad wasn't around and whose mum works as an ice cream wrestler - a job that involves writhing in ice cream in pubs and nightclubs for the titillation of a minority.

The breakdown of family life is certainly one disturbing aspect of today's society.

Parents who have given up, teachers who have no power to exert any real authority.

An education system that has failed many of our young people meaning they leave school with little prospects.

Yes we can tick a few boxes to say we've achieved something in the latest league tables, but does that really reflect what's going on?

Police who are bogged down by paperwork and are caught up in a tangle of legislation like the Human Rights Act.

Magistrates who are completely out of touch.

Probation officers who allow criminals to make excuses for not turning up for community service, because they've overslept or they don't feel well.

Useless ASBOs that youths think are cool and earn them a few brownie points with their mates.

More and more drugs on our streets, now much cheaper than ever they were.

Oblivion comes at a price, but a more affordable one nowadays.

So point the finger at Warrington if you want, but we're no different from most towns - none of us can be complacent.