A GROUP dedicated to reducing burglaries in Sedgefield borough has criticised comments made by the Lord Chief Justice.

Guidelines from Lord Chief Justice Woolf said that first-time burglars should be given community sentences rather than jail terms.

But the Sedgefield Burglary Action Group, which met yesterday, has come out strongly against the comments.

Chairman of the group, Detective Chief Inspector Colin Pearson, said: "I totally disagree with that, I think they should go to prison.

"I've spoken to villains on the ground and the feeling is the wrong message is going out to these people. To turn around and say people are not going to go to prison for committing burglary is a very dangerous step to take."

His comments were backed up by other members of the group, which included Sedgefield Borough Council, Neighbourhood Watch, Youth Offending Teams, Victim Support, Three Rivers Housing, Disc and The Northern Echo.

Allan Blakemore, the council's community safety manager, said: "We've done a crime survey and in amongst that is that people's greatest fear of crime is to be burgled. Effectively people stay in their houses because they are frightened they're going to get burgled."