A Borehamwood pensioner lives in fear after repeated break-ins to her car this summer.

She was just one of the victims of soaring crime figures in Hertsmere over the past five months.

Hertfordshire Constabulary has had to cope with limited police numbers and has done well to arrest a prolific burglar.

But, crimes up by 32 per cent and burglaries up by 83 per cent in just five months, are huge rises which have alarmed Hertsmere's MP James Clappison and councillors in Borehamwood, the worst hit town.

Hertfordshire police has attributed the rise to the alleged burglar and, predictably, to a new system of recording crime and improved communications with the public.

We have heard police blame rising crime on changed recording methods before, and no doubt this plays a part. But why did Hertfordshire police expect increases of up to 25 per cent, when the average expected nationally by the Home Office was two per cent?

Even if the prolific burglar and crime recording are taken out of the equation, the figures still indicate that crime committed against the residents of Hertsmere has increased dramatically.

October 2, 2002 16:30