Papers mull price of law and order

The issue of law and order is never far from the news these days and several of the papers highlight new Home Office figures which suggest crime in England and Wales is costing the country £60bn a year.

The Times says the total is more than the amount spent on defending and running the country.

The Independent is in no doubt that the size of the bill has re-opened the political dispute over the resources allocated to the police.

The Daily Mail, which describes the cost as staggering, believes the sums will make uncomfortable reading for the government, especially since official figures earlier this year showed crime was rising.

Terrace row

The sports minister Kate Hoey may have - as the Guardian puts it - "inflamed opinion" within football by suggesting the return of standing terraces at Premiership grounds, but her idea is welcomed by the Express.

The paper argues that it deserves serious consideration, provided the areas can be created without compromising safety.

But Jeff Powell in the Mail dismisses her as misguided, saying she needs to be stopped in her tracks.

He argues terraces are death traps and that rows of seats have prevented the mass movement which can end in crushes against barriers or people being trampled underfoot.

Princely controversy

The controversy over the plans for the European Rapid Reaction force continues.

The Daily Telegraph reports that Prince Charles has expressed regret to the government that his private worries on the issue were leaked and appeared in Friday's edition of the Mail.

According to the Telegraph, the Prince has assured ministers that while he feels entitled to his opinions, he has no intention of airing them in public or adding to the political controversy.

Post haste

The Express urges the government to resist European Commission plans that would erode the Royal Mail's monopoly on letter deliveries.

The paper thinks the proposal is driven by nothing more than the desire to allow private companies to line their pockets.

But the Independent disagrees, saying the Post Office could do with some healthy competition.

'Wedding of the year'

Inevitably, there is widespread coverage about what the Guardian dubs the celebrity wedding of the year.

The press may not have been invited to Madonna's wedding to the film producer, Guy Ritchie, at Skibo Castle in the Highlands, but there are plenty of graphic accounts of the event.

The Sun describes how the pop star looked sensational in her wedding gown, while the Mail tells how there were gasps of admiration when the guests got their first glimpse of her dress.

The Daily Record has a detailed description of the service.

Madonna is said to have wept as she took her wedding vows.

The Scotsman reports that the event ended with a spectacular fireworks display.

For the Mirror, it was a far cry from her first wedding to the actor, Sean Penn, in 1985, when the ceremony was drowned out by television helicopters.

With Friday's event shrouded in secrecy, the reporters waiting outside the castle had to rely on the odd scrap of information.

In the end, says the Independent, collective desperation was confirmed when the hacks started interviewing each other.

Christ at Christmas

As people across the country continue their preparations for Christmas, the Daily Mail considers the relevance of religion at this time of year.

The paper predicts that more people will go shopping at supermarkets tomorrow than attend a Church of England service.

Despite this, the Mail believes the great majority, even though they may not regularly go to church, subscribe to traditional Christian teaching.

The Mirror argues that the teachings of Jesus are as relevant as ever.

"They are timeless ideals providing the blueprint by which we should spend our lives," it says.

The Times - which acknowledges that there is continuing criticism of the institutional church - suggests that the only way to recover its credibility is through loving service to others.