A warning from another victim - lock all your doors!

I seem to remember reading a report a few months ago that the recession would lead to an increase in crime levels as more people were forced to thieve to survive. Well, it seems to be true.

Last Thursday morning at about 5.40am a little toe rag tried our front door and found it unlocked - don't ask why but both Mrs Ted and I thought we had locked it - and walked off with our laptop and many precious photos that had been carefully copied to CDs but stupidly stored in the same bag. A few other items of minor value went too but fortunately the thief missed my car keys, wallet (containing my credit/debit cards and various other invaluable items) which I keep (or used to keep, conveniently) in a drawer in the kitchen.

The local police were very quick and efficient in collecting all the details and examining the "crime scene", as well as giving us a pack of information about how to improve our home security. (We have already had new locks fitted, marked everything with our post code and house number and taken to removing our valuables to our bedroom every night.)

The worst aspect of this experience though is, as those of you who have suffered something similar will know, the feeling that you somehow want revenge on the individual that has violated your home. My wife is finding it difficult to sleep - not because she is afraid of it happening again - but because of the loss of our precious photographs. That CD was probably thrown in a skip by the evil little specimen who committed this crime without any thought for his victims.

"Tough on crime: tough on the causes of crime." Yeah!