Thick thugs post videoclip evidence online

Throwing a bicycle onto railway lines isn't the cleverest thing to do in the first place. However, three teenagers in Westhoughton, Bolton, have taken the concept of 'helping the police with their enquiries' one step further by filming the act then posting it on www.YouTube.com for all the world to see.

Police are 'worried' and 'shocked' by the incident, which could easily have derailed a train with tragic consequences, but tracking down the culprits will be made far easier since they have helpfully provided their own footage!

This fad for recording each other doing stupid things was also alive and well in Scotland this week, as police spotted a group of children running on both carriageways of the A9 near Dunblane on Sunday afternoon. The teenagers were filming themselves on their mobile phones while playing 'chicken' in the traffic.

Perhaps sites such as www.YouTube.com and www.myspace.com are actually providing a valuable public service. In April, Californian police arrested two teenage boys on charges of possessing 'destructive devices' after a video showing the pair firebombing an empty airplane hangar was posted online. Local police lieutenant Jim Laveroni said officers regularly surf the net for signs that local teenagers may be involved in criminal activity.

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