Papers shift focus to crime

With the England football team safely back home, the Sunday papers finally move away from World Cup hysteria, and turn to a more serious problem - crime.

The lead in the Observer says criminals stand a far higher chance of getting away with a wide range of serious offences than they did 20 years ago.

According to the paper, the criminal justice system has been particularly ineffective at convicting those responsible for crimes the public fears most.

The Sunday Telegraph reports on a new crime wave - the theft of car tax discs.

It says the discs can be sold on for about £30 after the handwritten registration number is wiped off.

Police say tax discs are overtaking stereos as the main targets for theft from cars.

'Sorry you were mugged'

And according to the Mail on Sunday victims of crime could start to receive special condolence cards.

It says the traditional sentiments, such as "get well soon" have been dragged into the 21st century and pictures a new range - on sale at London's Institute of the Arts - which offer sympathy for getting mugged, having your car stolen or being burgled.

A new initiative aimed at preventing young people from embarking on a life of crime provides the lead in the Sunday Times.

It says the Prince of Wales's charity, is to be given £50m a year by the government to provide thousands of work attachments with the police, fire service and charities for disadvantaged youngsters.

The scheme is part of Prince's Trust's wider brief to tackle urban deprivation, rural poverty and racial tension.

Al-Qaeda bomb link?

The bombing campaign affecting British tourists in Spain is also high on the papers' agendas.

Under the headline "Bombs hit holiday Britons" the Sunday Express reports that intelligence sources fear al-Qaeda may be linked to the explosions in Spain.

It says the network operating out of Morocco is believed to be encouraging ETA terrorists to target British holidaymakers in revenge for the bombing of Afghanistan.

According to the Independent on Sunday the blasts "brutally exposed the impotence of Spain's much vaunted security crackdown".

The Mail on Sunday believes the bombs may have hastened the end of plans to hand Gibraltar back to Spain.

It says Britain's insistence that any deal be put to the rock's inhabitants in a referendum could rebound on the Spanish Government - making it harder for it to resist the demands of the Basque separatists.

The Sunday Times claims Muslim communities in Britain are financing an alliance of Al-Qaeda commanders and Pakistani militants planning fresh attacks against the West.

The paper also says intelligence sources believe Osama Bin Laden is still hiding in Afghanistan.

All over? It is now

Despite England's unceremonious defeat at the hands, or feet, of the Brazilians, the tabloids couldn't resist just a little bit of World Cup fever.

Several express disappointment at the low-key arrival of the team back home late on Saturday night.

The News of The World believes they deserved a heroes' welcome, and says that along with the Golden Jubilee, the World Cup has given the country "a national momentum."

In the view of the Sunday Mirror England proved themselves ambassadors for the country as well as the game.

And, like their sister papers earlier in the week, there is much support for pilloried goalkeeper David Seaman.