Encounter with yobs on street 'left minister intimidated and fearful' Home Secretary dismisses talk of ivory towerexperience of fear and intimidation of yob culture

In a newspaper interview, he denied living in an ivory tower and being remote from ordinary people who were the victims of antisocial behaviour. He was confronted by a gang of yobs in Norwich, the city he represents in parliament.

"As a family, we have experienced crime and antisocial behaviour," he told the Daily Mirror. "I have had that fear and intimidation, no question."

"About nine or 10 months ago in Norwich, there was a direct experience for me of yob culture. I came across a group of people behaving in a way that left me intimidated and fearful."

Mr Clarke also disclosed that a family friend in London was stabbed to death a year ago. "It was a friend and neighbour of ours who lived about three doors away and was stabbed. It was a fatal stabbing," he said. "I am going to a memorial service for him soon. So I do know about pain and what people are feeling, absolutely, without any qualification."

This week, Downing Street dismissed speculation that Tony Blair was losing confidence in Mr Clarke because he was not sufficiently robust on crime or anti-terrorism laws.

Hitting back at critics who regard him as too "soft", the Home Secretary said: "I don't like liberals. I am not soft. I am neither woolly or liberal or a woolly liberal. I have never been a liberal in my life. I don't like liberal with a capital L or a small l."

In what will be seen as a coded criticism of his predecessor, David Blunkett, he said: "I don't believe it is enough to make a stirring speech about how terrible things are. You have to change the state of affairs. And that is what I am determined to do."

Mr Clarke admitted the Government still had "a long way to go" to combat violent crime. "I don't want people to be frightened in their own homes and, of course, it is the elderly who are the people most frightened to go out. I can't wave a magic wand but I will deliver," he said.