RARELY can the adage "lies, damned lies and statistics" have been more pertinent than in relation to the crime figures released today.

Over the years, police forces - prompted by the political doctrine of the party in power - have urged the media to exercise care for fear of raising the perception of crime above the true level.

There's an element of common sense in such an approach, of course. But it's one that's open to allegations that the true picture of life in a community is being air-brushed.

The way today's figures have been compiled, regrettably, only serve to confuse a confusing picture even more, with the result that it's impossible to draw any conclusions or prove a social point at either end of the debate.

It's not just the public being short-changed by this statistical nightmare, however. So are the police.

As one national observer points out today, an efficient force that has won the confidence of its local area, will automatically record more crime.

The more officers in an area, the more likely it is that a higher slice of the crime which occurs will be recorded.

Good bobbies will also sniff out criminals which a poorly-led force will miss.

And a community that trusts its force will be more open in reporting crime.

Such distortions mean that some areas of Britain with the highest levels of recorded crime may actually be among the best policed.

And the only conclusion we can draw from that is that, at best, such unreliable figures serve little purpose at anyone.