COURTS have been praised for getting people to pay their fines - but victim of crime Steve George is less than impressed.

Last June Mr George, a facilities manager in Swindon, chased after a thief who stole his caravan and managed to retrieve his property.

Last October the thief was ordered to pay £585 compensation at £10 a fortnight, but to date Mr George has received just £43.

West Mercia Magistrates Court, handling the compensation after the penalty was transferred from Swindon magistrates, said: "Enforcement is in hand".

But 43-year-old Mr George, of Abbey Meads, said: "I'm not impressed with the system one bit. I'm the victim of the crime and now I feel I am the victim of the system following the crime."

It was in the early hours of last June when Mr George awoke to an engine running outside his home.

Swindon magistrates heard how, when he saw his caravan being towed away from his drive, Mr George rang the police before giving chase managing to bring the thief to a standstill himself as he headed north on the A419.

A 25-year-old Hereford man admitted theft, driving otherwise than accordance with his licence and without insurance. As well as compensation he was given a year's community rehabilitation order.

Last week the Evening Advertiser reported how figures revealed that 74 per cent of fines imposed by Wiltshire magistrates were collected last year, a sharp rise on the figure of 67 per cent in the year to last March.

Mr George's compensation payment, however, has proved to be a slow process.

He said: "In November I received a £15 cheque for the two instalments made out to a 'Steve Gaeogre'. I sent it back, pointing out the mistake and asking why I'd been sent £15 and not £20. After getting no reply to the letter I phoned up Kidderminster Magistrates Court and they told me Swindon Magistrates Court had printed my name wrong and the man had only paid £5 because it was Christmas. They said he would be given the chance to bring his fine up to date."

At the end of January Mr George got a cheque for £43, well short of compensation owed to him, and 10 months to the day after his caravan was stolen. He is disillusioned with the court process.

"I would rather see him sent down, at this rate compensation will end up taking about 10 years," he said. "If he does not pay he should go to prison. I can see I will end up getting hardly a penny and I feel totally let down. My whole life has changed because of this and I'm the one having to fight for my rights. The compensation was £585 yet the real cost because of all my resulting security expenses runs to over £1,000. And I've lost two years' no claims bonus on my insurance on my car, which the thief damaged when he stole my van."

Jeanette Peplow, court business manager for West Mercia Magistrates Court Service, said it was the court's job to ensure compensation was made and she would be happy to discuss intricacies of the case with Mr George.

She said: "I can confirm the man was behind with his payments.

"We have issued a summons and he has almost brought his payments up to date, which will be paid to Mr George once a month. Enforcement is in hand."