EVERY burglary victim will tell you the same: the knowledge that a stranger has entered the place where you and your loved ones should be safest, with the sole intent of stealing your most valuable or treasured possessions, provokes feelings of shock, violation and even revulsion.

Therefore, domestic burglary figures are very much used as a barometer by residents of how crime-affected their neighbourhood is.

That’s why it is so disconcerting that the latest crime figures for the Bradford district show that household break-ins have risen by 13.3 per cent between April and June this year compared to the same period last year, with overall crime rising only slightly less.

The report, compiled by Bradford Council using figures produced by police analysts, even goes so far as to name the ten wards which are burglary hotspots.

And it warns that we are now in the period of year where burglars annually tend to be at their most active as nights draw in.

Some councillors in those affected areas have now spoken of their concern over the effectiveness of policing strategies and whether enough resources are being committed to where they are needed.

The Council report also questions whether a change in crime-recording practices - which West Yorkshire Police, in line with other forces, have for some time maintained was among the reasons behind any increases in crime figures - still rings true.

Of course, we all need to to do all we can to ensure our property is protected but we also need to have confidence that crime is both being properly recorded and addressed.