IT was Mark Twain who popularised Benjamin Disraeli's famous phrase: "There are three kinds of lies - lies, damn lies and statistics."

Which, of course, is as true today as it was when it was first uttered more than 150 years ago.

The row which has erupted over the use by the Conservative Party of comparative crime statistics for West Mercia is a case in point.

The Tories used figures in an advertisement - which ran in the Worcester News - suggesting violent crime in the area had seen a dramatic increase.

Naturally, the Labour Party - and the police - refuted the statistics. They say their figures paint an entirely different picture.

So, who do you believe?

We all know there will be a General Election within the next few weeks. So, politicians - of whatever hue - are the last people we should believe right now.

It would be far better to trust the evidence of our own eyes and ears - and the stories of those people in our community.

Stories like that told by 22-year-old Matthew Lewis.

Mr Lewis has moved to Worcester after suffering a savage beating at the hands of a gang of youths in Leicester.

He came to the Faithful City because, as he put it: "I feel much safer here."

We're not pretending there's no crime in the West Mercia region. But as long as we all remain committed to ensuring our community is a safe, pleasant place to live, people will want to come and live here - whatever the statistics say.