THIS week the Gazette covered the stories of two shocking crimes.

The first was the mugging of Heather Darling, 71, in Dursley, that left her with a dislocated shoulder and broken arm.

The second was an incident in Wotton-under-Edge involving a man from Bristol who “may have been thrown out of a van” in a life-threatening condition.

Most troubling about both of the crimes is the violence involved. Regardless of whether or not it is a self-involved attitude to have, nobody likes the idea of violence carried out close to home.

The crimes may even alter peoples’ view of the area, making them question whether it is, as it always has been, a place of little crime.

The truth, however, is equally comforting and concerning: sometimes events like this can only be put down to chance.

Mrs Darling said that she was simply very unfortunate. Local police couldn’t think of a similar incident that had occurred within their memory.

Ironically, she had moved to Dursley in October, 2013, from Newent, near Gloucester, following an increasing number of crimes in her neighbourhood.

Crime can affect us all, wherever it is we may live. Somebody could spend their whole life in London and see no crime; conversely, somebody could live in Dursley for less than a year and fall prey to a violent mugging.

In light of the situation it is important to remember that we live in a peaceful community here; don’t allow the vicious acts of the few to affect your perception of the many.