Royston Community Team

Rural Watch

June 2007

Covering Arbury, Ermine, Weston & Sandon Wards.

There will be a Neighbourhood Watch Meeting for ‘G4E’ that is Ashwell, Hinxworth, Bygrave, Newnham & Caldecote the meeting starts at 8pm on the15^th August 2007 in the Parish Rooms Ashwell.

DISTRACTION BURGLARIES

Protect Those Most at Risk

Unfortunately, those at greatest risk from a bogus caller are the most vulnerable in our communities, such as the very elderly, women and those who live on their own. That is what makes bogus caller crime such a despicable offence.

You can help prevent bogus callers from operating in your area by looking out for potential victims and protecting them. Could I ask all neighbourhood watch members and other members of the public to call on the vulnerable, elderly and neighbours, particularly those who live on there own, go round and talk to them. Make sure that they have a door chain fitted and that they check on the identity of any callers they do not know. Also let them know they can ask you for help if they are in any doubt and keep and eye out yourself for strangers knocking at their door.

If we all looked out for our neighbours in this way, we could greatly reduce the number of vulnerable people who become victims of this very distressing offence.

If you suspect bogus callers are operating in your area then contact us via 999 to report information on suspected criminal activities.

Here is some simple advice to follow to help you make sure that your caller

Is genuine.

· STOP – think before you open your door. Are you expecting anyone? Do they have an appointment? If you can, look/talk to them through your door or a window.

· CHAIN – secure the door bar or chain before opening the door.

· CHECK – use a door viewer if you have one to see the caller – ask the caller for proof of identity or identity card. Check it carefully, but keep the chain on.

· If the caller doesn’t have an appointment, tell them to wait outside while you ring their office to confirm their identity. Use the number from the phone book and not a number on any ID card provided by the caller. If the caller is legitimate then you can ask them to call back when you can have a friend or family member with you. Remember – genuine callers will not mind if you check. If you have any suspicions at all – do not let the caller into your home. If you think you may be at risk then call us – dial 999.

· Some service companies operate a password system to verify the caller's status. Contact your local Water / Gas / Electricity company to find out more.

If you don’t have a chain or viewer then you should try to have them fitted – contact your PCSO for advice.

Ashwell	West end / Newham way	29/05/07 1245 - 1315	22 veh / 27 mph / 19.9 mph
Ashwell	Station rd (40 limit)	29/05/07 1215 - 1230	16 veh / 50 mph / 35.6 mph
Bygrave	Upper Bygrave	10/05/07 1540 - 1605	15 veh / 43 mph / 29.9 mph
Barley	London Road	30/05/07 1735 - 1805	28 veh / 32 mph / 22.9 mph
Barkway	Royston Road	30/05/07 1640 - 1700	33 veh / 46 mph / 29.4 mph
Therfield	Hay Green	30/05/07 1705 - 1730	17 veh / 39 mph / 27.4 mph
Newham	Ashwell road	29/05/07 1310 - 1340	15 veh / 32 mph / 26.1 mph

Other locations could not be checked as the speed device needed to be calibrated.

Issued on behalf of Warwickshire Police - Romany Caravans Stolen

Traditional caravans stolen from Mary Arden’s House Museum, Wilmcote near Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire.

Two traditional Romany caravans, valued at around £50,000, have been stolen from a barn at Mary Arden’s House in Wilmcote, near Stratford upon Avon, which is part of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

The decorated caravans were taken from an open barn within the museum compound some time between 6pm on Thursday evening May 10 and 5.30am on Friday May 11. The thieves cut through a metal chain securing a wooden farm gate to gain access to area where the wagons were on display. They would then have had to man handle them out of the gate and onto the road to load them on to a low loader or trailer in order to take them away.

It is believed that they were taken out of the village of Wilmcote along Station Road towards the A3400 Birmingham Road.

The caravans, which have a high historical value, are described as follows.

One was a Romany Ledge top caravan, made by Bill Wright of Leeds in 1900. The caravan is predominantly dark red in colour and is decorated with horses and scrollwork in gold. The caravan also has its original cartwheels which are painted yellow. Only two of the four wheels have the original brass hubs caps.

The second caravan is a Romany bow-top wagon, also made by Bill Wright of Leeds in 1900. This one has a green canvas canopy. The body of the caravan is painted green and has decorations of horses and scrollwork in gold. The caravan has four original cart wheels, which are painted yellow. Only two of the wheels have the original brass hub caps.

Anyone who has any information about the theft of these valuable and historically important vehicles is asked to contact PC Sue Neville at Alcester Police Station on 01926 415000, voicemail 10472, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 where the information can be given anonymously.

G4D; - Barkway, Barley, Reed, Nuthampstead, Newsells, Kelshall & Therfield

A 45-year-old male was issued with a £80 fixed fine for using insulting words and behaviour after a lady spoke with him regarding the speed that he drove in Church lane, Therfield on Tuesday 1^st May. (Crime no. G4/07/523).

At 11.45am on Friday 11^th May, three males were disturbed as they attempted to steal diesel from a tank in Mill Lane, Therfield. The landowner was alerted to a small white van being driven onto his property and saw three white males aged in there 20’s attempt to steal the fuel. One of the males is described as being fat and another had short hair and a beard. (Crime no. G4/07/538).

G4E; - Ashwell, Hinxworth, Bygrave, Newnham & Caldecote

A boy’s black BMX bike was stolen from Station Road, Ashwell at 4.15pm on Sunday 6^th May. (Crime no. G4/07/524).

Another male punched a 15-year-old male in the face as he walked in Ashwell High Street at 5.30pm on Sunday 6^th May. The victim described his attacker as a white male 5ft10” tall, athletic build; he had a shaved head and was wearing a white T-shirt and green trousers. (Crime no. G4/07/526).

Thieves, who smashed the window of a Mitsubishi parked in Station Road, Ashwell during the course of Friday 11th May stole a ‘Dayton’ car stereo.

(Crime no. G4/07/543).

Vandals damaged two vehicles, which had been parked in Silver Street, Ashwell overnight of Saturday 19^th May. Local residents have reported hearing a drunken disturbance at approximately midnight. A Volkswagen people carrier had a light damaged and an Audi had its roof damaged. (Crime no.’s G4/07/574 & G4/07/577).

A porta-cabin situated in Station Road, Ashwell was broken into sometime overnight from Saturday 26^th May. A considerable amount of damage was caused to the interior however nothing appeared to have been stolen. (Crime no. G4/07/606).

G3C; - Sandon, Wallington, Rushden, Clothal & Weston

Between 8pm and midnight on Tuesday 1^st May, a strimmer was stolen from the rear of a flat bed vehicle which had been parked on a driveway in Sandon.

(Crime no. G3/07/454).

A 27-year-old male from Weston was arrested during the afternoon of Tuesday 8^th May following a report from his partner that he had assaulted her causing facial injuries. (Crime no. G3/07/456).

A 27-year-old male was arrested for assault and criminal damage after Police were called to reports of a disturbance at an address in Friars Road, Weston during the morning of Sunday 27^th May. The male concerned had assaulted a female at the address and whilst awaiting transport to a Police Station, the male caused damage to the Police vehicle. (Crime no’s G3/07/599 & G3/07/500).

An off road motor cycle was stolen from a shed which was broken into in Damask Green Road, Weston overnight on Saturday 26^th May. (Crime no. G3/07/501).

WITNESS APPEAL FOLLOWING ROAD DEATH IN ASHWELL

POLICE are appealing for witnesses and information following a road traffic collision in Ashwell on Tuesday (May 29) in which a woman sadly died.
The 46-year-old cyclist, who is from Ashwell, had been waiting on Lucas Lane at its junction with station road. The collision happened at 5.38pm when a silver Seat Ibiza, driven by a man from Cambridgeshire turned into Lucas Lane.
The woman was taken to Addenbrookes Hospital with severe head injuries, but sadly died.
PC Ruth Catchpole from the Eastern Area Road Policing unit is investigating and said: “Investigations into this incident are currently ongoing but I would like to appeal for any witnesses to the collision. I would also appeal to anyone who was in the area at the time and believes they may have information which would assist us with our inquiries to contact police.”
Anyone with information should call PC Ruth Catchpole on 0845 3300 222. Alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111

EIGHT PEOPLE SENTENCED AS PART OF OPERATION SELENITE – ROYSTON

Eight men who pleaded guilty to offences in connection with an incident in Royston last year have been sentenced at Luton Crown Court.
The incident took place outside the Nu Bar Market Hill, Royston on September 29, 2006.
All eight men pleaded guilty to the charges at a hearing in April.

Bradley Noades, 21, of Shakespeare Road, Royston pleaded guilty to causing Grievous Bodily Harm and affray and was sentenced to two years imprisonment for GBH and 1 year for affray.

Matthew Hurst, 25, of Moor Road, Orwell, Wigan, Lancs pleaded guilty to affray and was sentenced to four months in custody suspended for one year and was ordered to carry out unpaid work for 100 hours within a twelve month period. He was also ordered to pay costs.

Gary Fishburn, 26, of Ince Green Lane, Wigan has pleaded guilty to a public order offence and was sentenced to 120 hours unpaid work to be completed within a year and was ordered to pay costs.

Callum Bristow, 22, of Overhill Way, Wigan pleaded guilty to affray and was given a four month custodial sentence, suspended for one year and was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work within a twelve month period. He was also ordered to pay costs.

Daniel Bristow, 25, of Browning Grove, Wigan, has pleaded guilty to affray and was given a four month custodial sentence, suspended for one year and was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work within a twelve month period. He was also ordered to pay costs.

Paul Bristow, 23, of Lessingham Avenue, Wigan pleaded guilty to affray and was given an eight month custodial sentence, suspended for one year and was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work within twelve months. He was also ordered to pay costs.

Carlin Blows, 22, of Woodcock Road, Royston, pleaded guilty to affray and was given a six month suspended sentence and was ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work within twelve months. He was also ordered to pay costs.

Robbie Davis, 24, of High Street Melbourne, Cambridgeshire pleaded guilty to affray and was sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for one year, and was ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work within a twelve month period. He was also ordered to pay costs.

A ninth man, Paul Payne, 22, of Days Close Royston, also pleaded guilty to affray and will be sentenced at a later date.

Total for 2003 – 2004 = 80

Total for 2004 – 2005 = 26

Total for 2005 – 2006 = 6

Reported Hare coursing Incidents in our area.

	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	April
03-04	3	13	28	3	8	13	9	3
04-05	4	13	4	0	4	0	1	0
05-06	0	3	0	0	1	1	1	0
06-07	0	4	4	6	1	0	2	0

Last time we attended

RUSHDEN	20/02/07	SANDON	08/02/06
THERFIELD	25/04/07	REED	07/03/07
BARKWAY	16/05/07	BARLEY	08/01/07
KELSHALL	16/04/07	NUTHAMP	01/05/07
ASHWELL	06/12/06	BYGRAVE	08/01/07
CALDECOTE	05/01/07	WESTON	08/03/07
RADWELL	24/04/07	WALLIGTON	20/02/07
HINXWORT	01/03/07	CLOTHALL	09/05/07

Area	Last Meeting	Next Meeting	Location and Time
G4E	31^st January 2007	15^th August 2007	Parish Rooms Ashwell
G4D	7^th December 2006	18th July 2007	Fordham Hall, Therfield, 8pm.
G3C	27^th March 2007

Our first Locality Panel Meeting took place at kelshall Village Hall on the 19th April, we had a very interesting meeting and my first tasks were set.

Locality

Members

Martin Dingemans, Eric Gurney, Howard Marshall, Simon Holtom, Robert Law, Teddy Faure-Walker, Michael Meredith-Hardy, Steve Jarvis, Andrew Young, Tony Hunter, Gill Renison, Peter Shuttlewood, Keith Bone.

Meeting

19/04/07

Tasks set

1. Reducing Incidents of Nusience Motor cycling and Nusience 4 X 4 use, by increasing weekend patrols.

2. Supply uncorrupted data of the true speed of vehicles travelling on, A507 Radwell, London Road Barley, Causeway Therfield, Damask Green, Station Road, Newnham Road & Mill Street Ashwell, Mill Street Rushden and the A507 Clothall on Wednesdays.

Please click on the below link to meet some of the people we wish to becomes friends with.

http://www.herts.police.uk/CCTV/gallery.htm

Rural Watch

DISTRACTION BURGLARIES

G4E; - Ashwell, Hinxworth, Bygrave, Newnham & Caldecote

G3C; - Sandon, Wallington, Rushden, Clothal & Weston

Jan

RUSHDEN

SANDON

THERFIELD

ASHWELL

BYGRAVE

CALDECOTE

Please click on the below link to meet some of the people we wish to becomes friends with.