DECENT people who work hard and obey the law, are outraged that criminals seem free to make our lives a misery.

Crime was falling under the Conservatives, but with Labour that reduction has virtually stopped. Violent crime has risen 15 per cent since 1997, yet there are 2,500 fewer police officers - 137 fewer in West Mercia. There are also 5,000 fewer Special Constables.

Labour's early release scheme has allowed 35,000 convicts back onto the streets after serving less than half their sentence. Over 5,000 were drug offenders - yet we're all aware of the drugs situation in Wyre Forest.

Police are hampered by political correctness and paperwork. Morale is at an all-time low and police resignations are up 60 per cent since Labour took office. In addition, 250 of Labour's 35,000 early released convicts had assaulted a police officer. No wonder Home Secretary Jack Straw was slow hand-clapped at the Police Federation conference last week!

By contrast, Conservatives believe in supporting the police and in tougher sentencing. We would fully restore police numbers, increase police powers and free the police from bureaucracy. Our "Cops in Shops" initiative would allow the police to carry out routine paperwork in shops and premises on the beat rather than back in the station, as a visible presence reassures the public and deters criminals.

With the Conservatives, parish councils would have a "parish constable" and our aim would be that every such community would have a beat officer.

We would ensure honesty in sentencing, so that the sentence handed out in court is the sentence served by the criminal. Labour's early release scheme has allowed convicts back onto the streets to re-offend - so we would abolish it.

With the Conservatives, prisoners would do a full day's work with earnings contributing to reparations for their victims and to the upkeep of their families.

We would give more rights to the victims, who have been cruelly ignored by Labour and the current legal system.

I believe most right-thinking people were concerned at the Tony Martin case. We would overhaul the law on self-defence so that it is on the side of the victim and not the criminal.

The Conservatives are the only party in Wyre Forest which can deliver an effective approach to law and order, and an alternative to Labour's failure.