Sure you go to the defence of a young woman apparently being assaulted by a yob. You get a torrent of foul abuse from her and broken ribs and severe facial damage from him. Turns out he's the boyfriend and its a "lovers' tiff" You dash out to protect your car from vandalism by hoodies and get a knife to the chest and its curtains. Makes good headlines mind you! In the first instance walk on by, in the second call the cops, they may take forever to arrive, they may not do much, your car may be damaged (you are insured no?) but at least you're not. As for meteing out summary punishment (even death) to intruders or trespassers - well police cells are not nice and prison even less so.

colin houlding, Bury, Lancs.

The Police Federation should remember who pays their wages and why. The current disgracefull missuse of authority and power by their members against the public who have been protecting themselves, and others, against criminal activity should be a matter of review. The respect for the police by the public has deteriorated over the years and this kind of nonsensical attitude is part of the reason. To leave these matters in police hands usually means minimum action (or even interest) and no certainty of aprehension of perpetrators. It would seem that the police are slowly but surely seeing themselves as the controllers of the public rather than their protectors.

mike gee, bournemouth, uk

A review on the 'self-defense' laws has already taken place.
Why doesn't Jack Straw get to the 'laws' which really need to be reviewed and reformed.
He could make a start by making a pledge to call A Government Lead 'Holistic' Examination of Family Law and tell us how he is going to bring all matters to do with child protection, child care and family justice out of the dark so that justice for children is enabled to be served and can be 'seen' to be being served!

Darnthesafetynet, London, W11 1NR

How often do any of us see a handbag snatched or a person beaten up? Very rarely. How often do we hear someone swear in front of children, spit in the street, scream and shout loudly at dead of night on their way back from the pub? Very often. These are the sorts of abuses that Straw should be attacking. Where are the public information films that go a long way to showing people how to react in these circumstances? People learn by example and it is time these public information films were brought back to show us how best to deal with these individuals. Use could be made of cameras these days, simply report the time the place and the incident and prosecute these people. Zero tolerance starts with ending swearing in public and such things and not chasing "granny bashers" down the streets.

John, Dundee, UK

This sounds to me like a vote winning soundbite designed to help win the next election but seeing as nothing has been done about this for the last ten years, are we all daft enough to believe that anything will actually happen?

Fred James, Worcester, UK

All very well for the different veiws, thing is if I see
an old person being mugged in the street, do I jump in and try to do something or stand back because.
1) He migt have a dagger and would probably use it because he will only get community service.
2)If I really clout him he can sue me for compensation.
Ahh bless I'll just give him a hug, providing of course he's wearing a hood!
Hobbit

Hobbit, Robertsbridge, East Sussex

The current law has been working fine.The streets have never been safer thanks to the liberalising of society a trend which doesn't tolerate citizens becoming judge and executioner. There seems to be a vocal group who will always rally to any suggestion that they can have greater freedom to bestow their perception of justice.

Brown's cynical ploy of attracting Tory voters by adopting Tory policies is very disappointing.

Russell, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

The arrogance of the current police forces in the UK seems unplumbable. The law is already in our own hands - we merely delegate our freedoms under the law to those whom we pay to enforce it. When the police fail to do what they are paid to do then every citizen has the freedom to do it for themselves and if a burglar fell off the roof or was shot by a householder every day for a month or so then the country would be better for it in every way. Better still if police officers were sacked for neglect of duty when they fail to behave properly.

Damocles, Exeter, UK

The arrogance of the current police forces in the UK seems boundless. The law is already in our own hands - we merely delegate our freedoms under the law to the police. When the police fail to do what they are paid to do then every citizen has the freedom to do it for themselves. If a burglar fell off the roof or was shot by a householder every day for a month or so then the country would be better in every way. Better still for us all if police officers were sacked for neglect of duty when they fail to behave properly or spouted the sort of arrogant nonsense reported here.

Damocles, Exeter, UK

Geoff, I don't think killing someone is "ok" in any country even if the person is a burglar. And where do you draw the line, do you have to catch them in the act or is it alright to hunt them down afterwards and then kill them??

Michael, Poole, Dorset,

The Police Federation will gain enough credibility to comment on this issue when their members actually show an interest in attending burglaries.

Everyone knows the Police are virtually useless in such circumstances and are keener on prosecuting victims (that is if they can tear themselves away from their favourite sport of persecuting motorists). Easy targets, every time.

That said, this is an utterly cynical bit of grandstanding by the Government who couldn't care less either.

Steve, Lincoln,

I agree with Straw's dabbles into intervention. BUT, all of the described incidnts were before Labour under his former boss had managed to politicise our police force and turn the police's agenda from one of protecting the public into achieving targets for political purposes.

Since then the police have become an organ of Labour, out to suppress free speech, enforce anti-discrimination laws ahead of crimes against the person and property.

Labour has uncorked the genie of a politically controlled law enforcement agency. It will be more than a struggle to get him back in.

Edwin Thornber, Bucharest,

The police chief is only interested in protecting her cushy job, until the police in the UK realise why they are employed by the public it will be necessary for the public to protect themselves. If Manchester police think that riding a bike is too dangerous for their officers what hope can the public have for a law abiding country.

Peter Fordham, Pego, Spain

this is simply 'good for conference' gets a rousing applause to show the public how tough labour is on crime etc etc
the timing is shameful, the content without substance.
the present laws allow self defense- it is the interpretation bythe police and courts which cause a few and only a few problems!

mike, oxford, england

So we're just supposed to sit quietly and let the criminals get on with it then, as the police sure won't do anything to help us.

Yes it's an election ploy of course, and they don't really want us to feel safe in our own homes.

If killing burglars is OK in the US, why not here?
It's all about the rights of the offender again, rather than of the honest citizen.

My view is if they choose to break into your house, they lose their right to not be attacked. Sounds fair to me. Nobody is asking them to break in.

Geoff, Pontefract,

Leave off Jack Straw as he is only saying what the vast majority of the public feel. As for the police not wanting people to take the law into their own hands - could it be that people no longer have any confidence in the police. The police in the UK are now isolated from the general public and I know of one case where an individual was assaulted by a bar bouncer and actually went to a policeman to complain and was locked up and charged because the bouncer and the copper were mates. The copper then lied in court about the circimstances. In another case a friends car was hit by a van and he called the police immediately on his nobile as the van sped off only to be told "just claim it on your insurance"

George, Glasgow, UK

Man's first law codes of Hammurabi were the first social compact in which society guaranteed protection and justice to the individual. When society abdicates its responsibilities under the social compact and either refuses or is incompetent to either protect OR provide the individual with justice, their responsibility reverts to the individual. What is seen today is simply the individual re-asserting his right of survival.

Bob Evans, Anaheim, California