SUSAN Smith is an unusual victim of crime.

The mother-of-five has been burgled three times in five months at her home in Malvern.

During those incidents, burglars have defiled her home and stolen her jewellery and household goods.

But 34-year-old Mrs Smith obviously hasn't lost her common sense when it comes to doing something about these systematic raids.

For Mrs Smith has decided to do something about crime.

She refuses to be a victim. She decided to install a domestic CCTV system to deter burglars and perhaps provide some vital information should they return.

Now Mrs Smith has become a victim of something else -- red tape.

The CCTV cameras have attracted the attention of the housing association responsible for her home.

Elgar Housing Association says that it sent staff to visit Mrs Smith's home in Malvern to inspect the cameras and security lighting.

Mrs Smith says that she is surrounded by properties with plastic squirrels and butterflies adorning the walls.

The erection of cameras and lighting, to stop people breaking into your home, obviously comes under a different category.

Malvern Hills District Council says planning permission is not normally needed for such equipment though that depends on the size and how high up the system is installed.

Certainly, you would not want to see anything obtrusive just prominent enough for the burglars to see!

One home in four has a burglar alarm (50 per cent up on 1992) according to Social Trends issued by the Office for National Statistics yesterday.

Has this proliferation incurred the same amount of scrutiny as Mrs Smith?

It's time for some common sense to prevail in this matter and for burglars to get the picture that they won't win.