The latest crime figures make depressing reading.

The Home Office reports that violent crime in Thames Valley has risen 14 per cent, burglaries are up by 17 per cent and gun crime by 36 per cent

Of course, the figures do not show whether Oxfordshire is better or worse than other parts of the region.

It is probable that we are a much lower crime area than places like Reading and Slough.

The police play down some of the statistics, arguing that they are out of date and that crime has since dropped.

But they show that the force has still much to do to convince us that the fight against crime is being won.