IT is right that the events in Paris over the past week have refocused minds on whether we are adequately equipped to deal with terror attacks in this country.

Do we have the resources in our hospitals, our police forces and security services to deal with the kind of atrocity which took place in the French capital on Friday night?

With austerity measures shrinking public sector budgets, can we cope with the increased threat of a major strike by terrorists?

We welcome Government promises of extra resources for the SAS and the National Security Services, and we have no doubt that we would already have faced a Paris-style attack in this country in the past few years had it not been for the often unseen work of those public servants.

But Durham's Chief Constable, Mike Barton, has today written for The Northern Echo about the importance of grass roots policing in the fight against terrorism and we support his view.

Fighting crime effectively will always depend on a partnership between the police and the public. It must be based on high visibility, strong relationships and trust.

It is the beat bobby who is best placed to nip problems in the bud. That style of policing takes time, patience and resource but it pays off in the long-term.

It is heartening to know that we have highly skilled intelligence officers using the latest technology to intercept terror plots before they come to fruition. The SAS is already the envy of the world so making it even stronger is another source of reassurance for an understandably jittery country.

But Mike Barton is right. We must never underestimate the value of those neighbourhood coppers, gathering grass roots intelligence, building relationships, restoring confidence and snuffing out the first sparks of danger.