A crime wave is sweeping Oslo, one of the world's safest cities with almost zero unemployment, high wages and a clean Nordic environment. Police say Norwegians, while enjoying one of the highest standards of living in the world, have become soft targets a

“The main thing we are talking about is pick-pocketing in the day and one of worst areas is by a train station. Then it is at restaurants in the night,” Björn Hansen, Assistant Chief of Oslo Police, says.

Pick-pocketing and car theft has risen by 20% with 10,600 crimes reported in public places in 2007 compared to 8,000 the year before.

This has been causing alarm among police who’ve hit the streets of Oslo to crack down on crime and advise people on how best to keep safe.

“I always felt so safe in Norway but now it is changing it’s kind of sad. I never had to worry about crime or anything before,” says Birgitte Glad Fordelle, whose purse was stolen twice during the last year.

According to police it’s an increase in immigration from Eastern Europe.

Norway has had more Eastern Europeans cross its border than all the other Scandinavian countries put together.

A total of 60,000 are now registered compared with 10,000 before 2004.

“The borders are open and people from Eastern European countries are new members to the EU and have an opportunity to come here. Norway is a rich country, and we need their work but they know we have something to steal here,” says the Head of Norway’s Police, Ingelin Killengreen.

Norway is in a sticky situation. It has high demand for labour and so relies heavily on workers coming over from abroad.

Immigration authorities are keen to stress this fact and the need to be cautious in assigning criminal blame.

“Obviously there are some groups coming from certain countries that pose a problem when it comes to crime but our experience is that those coming here with the main purpose to work are not criminals,” Frode Forfang from Norwegian Directorate Of Immigration.