Every week our paper is reporting on another set of crimes or burglaries which have taken place in Halstead and the surrounding villages.

This week two families have been left terrified after their homes and businesses were targeted by crooks.

In Wethersfield a shocked seven-year-old boy was woken to the sound of thieves breaking down a post office door and stealing £1,500 worth of tobacco and alcohol.

In Halstead an Asian family was targeted in another burglary.

The crooks only stole a pair of children’s earrings but smashed up other items while ransacking the house.

The victim’s children have been left unable to sleep after the incident.

They fear that their home was targeted by criminals who may have been watching the house prior to the break-in.

The news of the burglary came as police in Braintree meet with Braintree Al Falah Islamic Centre to discuss how to tackle burglaries in the district.

Halstead and the wider Braintree district have some of the lowest crime levels and overall the area is thought to be one of the safest places to live in Essex.

But people are concerned about the number and type of crimes taking place in our towns and villages.

Numerous Asian families are being targeted by crooks looking for valuable gold and supermarkets are being hit by ram raiders and armed robbers.

It is a worrying sign these incidents are happening again and again.

Police say they are taking all of these incidents seriously and we as a community need to do everything we can to help them catch these criminals. Whether it be reporting suspicious behaviour or running a neighbourhood watch.

We must to be united in this quest to find those responsible.