How upsetting to read this week of the nine-year-old Keighley girl who accidentally stabbed herself on a heroin addict’s discarded syringe as she played in Devonshire Park.

Her parents face an agonising wait to discover whether she has contracted a deadly disease, such as HIV-AIDs.

In the aftermath of this horrifying incident, it is easy to clamour for forceful action – more police patrols and a crackdown on addicts.

But proposals for a Friends group to ‘take back’ the park for the wider public will probably have a more lasting impact.

Reclaiming this space from criminals, who for too long have made it their private domain, will ensure a similar tragedy never happens again.