FORTUNATELY in Penarth for the majority of us our only contact with crime was seeing the late Mr Cooper prostrate in the town centre.

Whatever latest methods the police use to compile figures doesn't really affect us as thankfully we live in a low crime area, but considering the latest explanation on how figures are arrived at I would think that a more accurate picture could be ascertained by totalling the square number of garden areas in Penarth dividing it by the number of crimes and then multiplying by the weight of an armadillo.

Crime coverage in "in the Courts" column in the Penarth times assures us crime is dealt with, but the recent coverage of a gang of itinerants using the name National Tarmac involved in crimes against vulnerable and elderly consumers, far more serious than other local offences according to the gaol sentence, had to be dealt with by the council, although the offences were criminal (Fraud Act).

A similar group from the travelling community roaming around Glamorgan targeting the elderly had to be rounded up by Newport Council for criminal offences. Meanwhile there’s no sign of the terror group ISIS appearing "in the courts" after their party in the park at Cosmeston.

Perhaps they don't fit into the new crime stats, which judging from the vandalised bench at Cosmeston in this week’s Penarth Times is alarming.

The only explanation offered for not rounding up the ISIS group was "it couldn't be ascertained" where the photos were taken, everybody in Penarth knows where they were taken, the last barbecue bench on the right, the one vandalised in this week’s PT.

The concern is that if the authorities think they are deluding us with their stats then this act of vandalism might have been someone taking the matter into their own hands to deter them from returning.

Alarmingly that area was a crime scene of a terrorist organisation and nothing was done.

Still order has been maintained by imposing the summer angling ban on the pier.

G Brookman

Westbourne Road

Penarth