HOSPITALS used to be places where people went to be made better.

Although they obviously still are, these days -- and especially on a Saturday night -- they are increasingly becoming the scene of violent incidents.

Health chiefs in Bolton have already been forced to install security measures to protect staff. Now, security is to be improved, with plans for a full-time police room if the funding can be found.

Spy cameras and security men on patrol are already the norm at the sprawling Royal Bolton Hospital complex in Farnworth.

Unfortunately, this is for a good reason. There have been serious attacks on staff, and last November, a patient was jailed for 18 months after punching a doctor at the A & E Department.

Lengthy waits for patients on trolleys have also fuelled frustrated individuals to violence towards staff, so there are also calls to speed up treatment to help diffuse the situation.

A place where the sick are healed is really no place for heavy security, but, unfortunately, it is completely necessary.

Far from having respect for those who try to treat them, some people feel that medical staff are fair game for their fists.

Extreme behaviour may call for extreme measures, however. And people who are violent to hospital staff do not deserve treatment.

Banning those who injure or abuse medics from hospital treatment may not be within the realms of the Hippocratic Oath, but it does make sense. Action on litter NOTHING lets a town down like loads of litter scarring its streets.

And, while Bolton Council cleaning staff currently do a valiant job, there are now suggestions that "litter police" are necessary to clean up the town's streets.

Certainly, anybody witnessing the town centre before Saturday or Sunday morning cleaning takes place would be horrified at the disgusting mess left.

Bottles and food cartons are thrown about, along with more unsavoury items.

Litter wardens to patrol the streets, enforcing fines on those who dirty the streets sounds like a first-class idea.

The more law-abiding members of the Bolton public -- or anyone who cares about civic pride -- would probably welcome more such cases brought to court. And a short, sharp shock to prevent uncaring individuals turning local streets into rubbish dumps.