Our way of life in the developed world tends to rely on trust - trust in our democracy and trust in the rule of law.

It is a shame then, particularly on the latter point, to discover that only one in ten crimes in Cumbria lead to charges.

And the crime rate has risen on last year in Barrow and nationally.

Cumbria Constabulary recorded 2,979 incidents of violent crime in Barrow in the 12 months to March.

That was an increase of six per cent compared to the previous year.

At 44.4 crimes per 1,000 people, that was far higher than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 29.9.

One of the main factors behind the increase in Barrow was the rise in stalking and harassment, which rose by 45 per cent, from 635 incidents to 923.

One of the reasons of this, police have suggested, is improved reporting and recording of the offences.

Peaceful, law-abiding citizens will now look to the police to keep them safe - but if just ten percent of reported crimes result in criminal charges, how can there be any faith in the law?

Police said some crimes, such as damage to cars, are almost impossible to prosecute because of lack of CCTV and evidence.

People need to have confidence in the law in order to uphold it - let’s hope the criminal charges rate improves over the next 12 months.