THE savage murder of yet another teenager on London’s streets leads us to one inescapable conclusion: Britain is facing a grave national crisis and the Government must take radical action.

It has been in denial about Broken Britain for far too long.

All it seems to do is parrot statistics purporting to show crime has improved since it took office.

It must wake up.

Knife murders by gangs in the capital are now a daily occurrence.

A nation still reeling from the killing of Ben Kinsella already has another young lad to mourn: Shakilus Townsend — ambushed, beaten and butchered in the street by masked savages.

When Helen Newlove, widowed by feral youths, confronted Justice Secretary Jack Straw about this anarchy he said the Government “learned” from every tragedy.

Really, Jack? What are you learning? And when will you put it into practice?

The country is sick of being told how much safer we are than back in 1997.

Our daily experience tells us a different story.

Knives must be taken off the streets, and it is good news that the Met Police has set up a 75-strong squad specifically to tackle them.

But as Helen points out, her husband Garry was killed by fists and feet, not a blade.

The problem runs far deeper than merely eliminating the thugs’ murderous hardware. It is the root cause, their lack of respect for life, that must be tackled.

The remedies are obvious and often-repeated: Better education, more discipline in schools. A crackdown on teenage boozing. More police on the streets. Tougher sentencing.

And, crucially, parents taking responsibility for their teenagers.

“Parenting is the key,” Helen said, after travelling up and down Britain studying the problem. “Parents need to be hauled into courts with their children and made accountable.”

Sun readers can play a part too. There are some suggestions on Page 5. We must all become more involved in our communities, talk frankly to our kids, steer them away from danger.

As for the Government, it is time for radical thinking.

Helen, like Ben Kinsella’s sister Brooke, suggests a new, modern National Service scheme to drum old-fashioned discipline and respect into school-leavers.

That may be the right move. It may not. But the Government should consider it.

It needs to recognise the scale of this crisis and produce a big idea to match.