FIGURES released by the well respected Crime and Society Foundation reveal there were 954 homicides last year in England, Scotland and Wales and 250 more people were killed last year than in 1997 when this Government came to power.

The dramatic rise in homicide rates places in doubt the many pledges from this Government that levels of violence have been falling for years.

Mr Blair said in a recent speech that people in Britain now felt safer than when labour came to power in 1997.

Sorry Prime Minister but you are living in a fantasy world if you think that.

As Norman Brennan, Director of Victims of Crime Trust said: "For the murder rate to have increased like this makes it clear the criminal justice system is in crisis."

"But what are the Government and judiciary doing about it?

"Instead of making the public safer, they are too busy arguing with each other over who is to blame."

However, we need not worry in response to the latest figures showing violent crime is on the increase.

The Prime Minister will launch his 41st bill on law and order since coming to power.

You have to give due credit to Mr Blair.

He is ever the optimist. Forty bills have failed to do the trick so maybe the 41st will do.

We certainly do not need another law and order bill, we need the Prime Minister to take action and fulfil the pledges he made to the British people nearly a decade ago.

COUNCILLOR D PEARSON, St Michael's Court, Blackburn.