Worcestershire’s cabinet member for highways, Councillor John Smith, has announced that the council has decided to turn off street lights after midnight to save money.

Councillor McDonald (Labour): "They're bonkers. Without street lighting... people will not feel safe.”

Do we now, with lights on?

Despite West Mercia Police advising us to “provide sufficient light to illuminate any suspicious activity”, they apparently approve of the switch-off.

It seems a bizarre contradiction. In light of a spate of burglaries reported across the Vale, the timing couldn’t be worse.

Burglary aside, for months this newspaper has contained reports of anti-social behaviour, violence, sexual offences, theft of catalytic converters, domestic heating oil, bicycles and mountains of metal, including car number plates.

The Chief Inspector of Constabulary reports that police crime statistics may be skewed (fiddled?) by "perverse incentives" (bonuses) around government performance targets.

Whatever the truth, the local figures still look shocking.

If thugs and thieves are actually caught, what happens? Repeated cautions. No further action at this time. Bail conditions ignored. Halved custodial sentences.

Foreign criminals know about easy pickings here, judging by newspaper reports.

Frank Leigh-D’Ismay

Evesham