BURGLARY may not be the worst of crimes, but it is an all-too-common curse on countless lives that leaves victims not just deprived of their property, but can also expose them to violence and often leaves them with a deep sense of violation and lasting fear.

And people are angry at its epidemic extent.

Even if they have not been burgled themselves, everyone knows someone who has.

It is not before time, then, that tough-on-crime Home Secretary cracks down on the persistent offenders, threatening those convicted of a third offence with a minimum prison sentence of three years.

And, quite rightly, Mr Straw has not been deterred by the prospect of Britain's already-overcrowded jails been swollen by another 4,000 prisoners as a result. For the message has got to be got through to the criminal community that burglary does not pay.

It is the fact that, so often, it does - either as a result of perfunctory investigation by the stretched police service, poor detection rates and slap-on-the-wrist sentences in the courts - that makes it such a widespread bane in our society.

And, indeed, if this three-strikes-and-you're-out crackdown quickly impresses itself on criminals, Mr Straw might find the benefit of its deterrence appearing in the form of a falling, rather than rising, prison population.

But one vital point is that it must really be seen to work - and being tough on crime requires not just a strict sentencing policy but sufficient police and the correct targeting of police resources to make sure that more burglars are caught.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.