All change...but same old story? Your Say.

IT seems that if the Tories get into power next year we will have more or less the same pathetic sentences dished out as we have had for the last 12 years.

A Tory Government will give police powers to hand out on-the-spot hard labour punishments to street yobs. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling said they will deliver a sharp shock to tearaways Cops could make them dig up gardens, paint over graffiti and repair vandalism damage.

This is being done now, with community payback where offenders are wearing bright coloured jackets.

The Tories are also considering giving the police the power to make "grounding orders" to keep yobs indoors, but who will monitor this? The police have enough to do in our communities without having to check if little Johnny is in his house.

Mr Grayling says that to most people anti-social behaviour is the big issue that tops their list of law and order concerns but, with these measures, it looks as though the long suffering public will have much the same as we have had for the last 12 years.

Until we see a justice system that is set up to protect the innocent and not the guilty, nothing much will change whoever you vote for.

RON and VIV CARTER-BONSTEEL, Thorntree, Middlesbrough