WE do not believe that there is more crime in Bolton than anywhere else.

In fact recent crime figures showed that local incidences of burglary and violent crime were down on previous years.

But the experiences suffered by the Rev Andie Brown, Vicar of St Luke's Church, Bolton, illustrate graphically that the statistics can be misleading.

Mr Brown and his family have endured a horrible catalogue of crime in the five months they have been here, culminating in Mrs Brown being threatened and robbed in their vicarage.

The family lived for 10 years in one of the most deprived parishes in Greater Manchester and have never encountered such violence before. It's a terrible indictment of our town. But we want to assure Mr Brown that those who carried out these despicable offences are not typical of Bolton people.

Most of them are as sickened as he is at what has happened to him and his family.

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