I FEEL I must respond to recent inaccurate comments made by the Labour MP for the Forest of Dean, which were reported in other local papers, regarding the sharp rise in reported crime in this area.

The local crime figures used in a recent Conservative newsletter were official Home Office figures. If the Labour MP believes them to be inaccurate I suggest she take it up with the Labour Home Secretary rather than me. She may not like the figures but she shouldn't try to pretend that they are not true.

I note that the Labour MP does accept that Labour have cut the number of police officers since they have been in office. A Conservative government would reverse that cut and put more police back in our villages and towns.

One final thought. If the Labour MP really does believe that the Forest of Dean is a very safe place to live why doesn't she live here? I do. – Mark Harper, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, Forest of Dean Conservative Association.