VICTIMS of crime should not be afraid to defend themselves or their property according to Jack Straw.

The Justice Secretary used his speech yesterday to the Labour Party conference in Bournemouth to announce plans to review and clarify self-defence laws.

The announcement was welcomed by a senior Bournemouth councillor who has himself been a "have-a-go-hero" three times.

Mr Straw stressed that victims and witnesses should be reassured that they can use "reasonable force" to stop and detain offenders.

He said self-defence laws work "much better than most people think, but not as well as they could or should".

The Justice Secretary added that he knew "from personal experience that you have all of a millisecond to make the judgement about whether to intervene" in a crime.

Cllr David Smith told the Daily Echo: "I fully support people having a go in their homes or in their neighbourhood to apprehend criminals.

"I think the force of the law should be on the side of the citizen as opposed to the side of the criminal, as it is at the moment."

Cllr Smith stressed that the law needs to be clarified so people are not afraid they will be "hauled before magistrates" for protecting their homes, families or property.

The civic leader chased shoplifters from a supermarket and detained them.

After arming himself with a spear gun, he caught two youths trying to break into his car.

Despite being punched around the head, he also detained an attacker.

Of the four times when Mr Straw has intervened to stop criminals, he managed to detain the offender on three occasions.