The fact no-one living on Wood Farm reported the police “burglars” as they prowled around houses after dark offers little hope for the Big Society.

We often hear about the strength of community spirit on Oxford estates but this exercise seems to raise critical questions. Officers posing as thieves tried car doors, peered through windows and rattled windows.

They admit they looked suspicious, so why did no-one report them?

Last year, student Chris Graham was so fed up with having his bike pinched in the city centre he “stole” it himself nine times in broad daylight to prove a point – that no-one seems to bat an eyelid when a crime is taking place.

Perhaps there is a lack of community spirit or it’s an unfortunate manfestation of that British desire “not to cause a scene”.

The police must ensure this silence is not connected to a lack of faith in their ability to respond. Whatever the reason, the failure to act exposes a fragility at the heart of the Big Society concept.

What will happen if we all simply “leave it to someone else” and how many vulnerable people could be failed by a system built on the assumption that the community can, and will, pick up the slack.