IN a concerted move Home Secretary Michael Howard, Home Office Minister Tom Sackville and National Heritage Secretary Virginia Bottomley are tackling the problem of TV and video violence.

The Government crackdown comes in the wake of growing concern about the breakdown in respect for law and order among young people.

And Michael Howard's demand for a report from the British Board of Film Classification about its plans to cut video violence is believed to have been prompted by the recent appeal for Mrs Frances Lawrence for national debate on violence and good citizenship.

Mr Sackville's call for significant cuts in the level of TV and video violence is timely. The level of ugly brutality shown in many programmes offends many people. And Mrs Bottomley is right to be concerned about the effect on children and vulnerable groups.

It hardly seems necessary for Mr Howard to take steps to gauge the level of public concern over the issue of violence. He should know already that most people are sick of the diet of gratuitous savagery which is churned out on videos and television and believe it should be reduced drastically.

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