Law and order is rapidly heading back up the pre-election political agenda, with the Home Secretary, Jack Straw, launching a new campaign against violent crime, and in particular the crime of choice among young people, the theft of mobile 'phones from other youngsters.

But even as he spoke, a survey by the Audit Commission indicated that public confidence in the police was declining, with only one-fifth of the population satisfied with the number of police on the beat, and satisfaction with response to 999 calls down from 85% to 82%.

The Home Secretary promoted his new anti-crime initiatives with local business and community leaders in the King's Cross district of London.

Mr Straw was anxious to rebut any suggestion that Labour were - the old accusation so often thown at them - soft on crime.

Jack Straw: More phones mean more 999 calls

But the Tory Home Affairs spokesman Ann Widdicombe was sceptical of the focus Mr Straw had chosen.

Funny figures?

Ann Widdecombe's scepticism is, perhaps, reflected in the Audit Commission's lengthy and detailed enquiry into the performance of police authorities in England and Wales.

That shows wide disparities from force to force - though the Commission does warn that it doesn't always compare like with like.

Big Metropolitan forces may face different challenges from small rural ones, and respond in different ways - which may be appropriate for their circumstances.

But more worrying for the government will be the measures of public satisfaction, which show a widespread unease at the lack of foot patrols - "bobbies on the beat" - as low as seven per cent satisfaction in Merseyside, and nine per cent in South Yorkshire.

Taking off the helmet for the last time?

Satisfaction with the response to 999 calls drops as low as 70% in Staffordshire...in Sussex they're unhappy with service at police enquiry counters - only 71% - though again there are wide regional differences in all these statistics.

Bill does better

The much-criticised Metropolitan police in London come out rather above average on most counts.

Mike Bennet is the former Chairman of the Met Police Federation and trustee of the Victim Crime Trust - he has strong views on how public confidence could be restored in the police.

It's a case of more bobbies on the beat - a strong reassurance to the law-abiding public.

The Liberal Democrat Home Affair spokesman, Simon Hughes, says the government's present focus shows it's tackling symptoms rather then causes.