In praise of the police

Outside London, at least, there are still officers who have their priorities right – as I discovered when my home was burgled

The moment we stepped through the front door we knew that something was wrong. There was a bitter coldness in the hallway, accompanied by a faint sighing of the wind. On walking into the dining room, my wife and I found the cause of the chill. The main back window had been broken and opened, and shattered glass left across the floor. Immediately, we made a quick search of the rest of the house, which only confirmed our fears: we had been burgled. Almost every room showed signs of the break-in. Drawers and cupboards lay open, clothes and other possessions had been flung to the ground. Fortunately not much seemed to have been stolen, except for my laptop and its leather case. Strangely, the thief had ignored several obvious items like a television, DVD player and camera.