Review of 'have-a-go heroes' law

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He told the Labour Party conference that the current law is not working as well as it should.

Mr Straw also signalled plans to give more crime victims the right to tell a court about the impact an offence had on their lives.

The victims' advocate scheme already allows bereaved relatives to tell a judge how they have been affected by losing a loved one in a homicide or a death-by-driving case.

Mr Straw said: "We will be looking to extend this."

He revealed that his move on "have-a-go heroes" was inspired by his own experiences, having stepped in to apprehend offenders on four occasions in the last 25 years.

"I know from personal experience that you have all of a millisecond to make the judgment about whether to intervene," he said.

"In such a situation, the law on self-defence works much better than most people think, but not as well as it could or should.

"The justice system must not only work on the side of people who do the right thing as good citizens but also be seen to work on their side."

Ministry of Justice officials will be asked to devise ways of reassuring people who are victims of crime or who witnessed an offence that they can use reasonable force to stop and detain criminals, he said.