'My 79-year-old mum was robbed at knifepoint in a park at Sunday lunchtime - enough is enough': NationalWorld Silent Crime campaign will give victims a voice

She's almost 80 and walks with a crutch due to a recent knee replacement operation. He pointed a knife at her chest and took her bag. He picked the most vulnerable person in the park and escaped with less than £20 cash.

My mum was not injured but such a terrifying crime always has a mental impact. In fact, every crime makes us feel different - unsafe and violated. When I tell people what happened to my family, the first reaction is always horror and the second is to tell me their own story. I now know that almost everyone has a horrific tale of crime to tell.

One colleague's husband was punched by a stranger while out for a walk. His lip was split and, despite police saying they knew the perpetrator from the very clear photo he managed to take, they decided it wasn't worth pursuing.

My friend's car was parked outside her house. A man, who police knew from the CCTV she provided, climbed onto the car and kicked the windscreen through. He did it to two other cars on the road before smashing a terrified family's front window. She was told that the man had mental health issues and no action would be taken.

Another had his house burgled and a laptop with university work stolen. He couldn't provide the serial number to officers so was told it wasn't worth reporting as a crime. Yet another had his work van targeted and his tools taken. He was unable to work for days. You guessed it, nothing happened.

These are just the tip of the iceberg because they are the ones that were reported. I could tell you hundreds of stories about shoplifting, abuse in the street, threats made, small items being stolen... that the police aren't even aware of because nobody tells them.

We are calling this epidemic of violence, theft and anti-social behaviour, Silent Crime - and we are campaigning for the voices of victims to be heard.

We want you to tell us incidents that have happened to you, your family or your friends in your neighbourhood; how it impacted you and what justice was served - or not.

To tell us your story click here

The truth about how few crimes end with somebody being held to account is staggering. An offender was brought to justice in only 10% of reported crimes in 2023. That's bad enough but the key phrase there is 'reported crimes'.

Research shows that we only bother to tell police about four out of ten crimes. Add those two figures together and it is clear that the vast majority happen with absolutely no repercussions. And so they continue.

Why don't we report every crime and why isn't the criminal justice system better at making criminals pay? It would seem to me that faith in the systems that should keep us safe is at rock bottom.

Most of this isn't the police's fault, a lot comes down to a social care system that has collapsed and politicians who have turned a blind eye for decades. That doesn't mean that urgent action couldn't and shouldn't be taken. It doesn't have to be this way.

To force change, we need to unite and remind ourselves that these 'little' crimes are not acceptable. You should be safe and feel safe at work, at home, in the park and in our own neighbourhoods. We need you to tell us your stories and we, on your behalf, will take them to Downing Street. We need to stop being silent and we need you to help us.