NOW, now, Mrs Kearns (Letters, November 15), you haven't been reading the newspapers.

According to Leyton and Wanstead MP Harry Cohen, "Labour's crime policies are working" and "the figures show that something can be done and we are making an impact".

The impact is such that we now don't even bother to report crime because we know the police service is so underfunded and so overstretched that, even if we do get through on the telephone, they will not have the resources to deal with the problem.

The worrying part is that the criminals and vandals know that too. Perhaps someone should tell Harry Cohen.

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