Royston Community Team

Rural Watch

May 2008

Covering Arbury, Ermine, Weston & Sandon Wards.

There will be a Neighbourhood Watch and general police meeting at 8pm on Tuesday 20^th May 2008 at Rushden Village Hall.

There will be a Neighbourhood Watch and general police meeting at 8pm on Thursday 8^th May 2008 at The Parish Rooms Ashwell.

Many people ask me what numbers to call if they witness a crime or see a road traffic accident, below are a few points that may help you.

What should I do if I witness a crime?

If you see a crime being committed report it via 999 or ask someone else to report it if you can't leave the scene.
If the crime has happened and you do not think the offenders are not near by call 0845 33 00 222.
Don't intervene in a violent incident.
Pay attention to an offender's height, build, hair colour and length and in particular their clothes. You may be asked to describe them to police.
What will we want to know?

We will normally ask:

Your name and address
The telephone number you are calling from
A main contact number (mobile or home number)
The exact location of the incident you are reporting
The nature of the incident
Descriptions of the people involved
Whether you are a witness to the incident or reporting it on behalf of someone else
For you to stay on the line if you are still watching the incident

You can still report to the police anonymously through CrimeStoppers.

If you are reporting a road collision call 999 you may be asked:

About the vehicles involved
Who has been injured and what injuries they have
Whether the road is blocked
Whether there is any debris in the roadway

What is suspicious activity?

Well, anything out of the ordinary would be suspicious. It is important to report to the Police anything that is considered to be suspicious. It is these reports to Police that provide us with information, intelligence and evidence to pursue those committing crime and to prevent it from being committed. Recently criminal damage was caused to various people’s property in Mill Road, Stamford Avenue and Queens Road, Royston. The Perpetrators daubed green paint across cars, houses and roadside furniture.

It is estimated that using a four inch paint brush, and judging by the amount of paint, a two and a half litre tin full of paint they would have spent in the region of half an hour completing their “art work”.

Although overnight, someone somewhere must have seen something suspicious. Maybe someone was walking along the road with a paint brush or tin of paint at a strange time of night. Maybe some paint or a brush has gone missing form home. Maybe someone bought these items and their purchase seemed unusual.

If anyone has any information regarding this recent act of damage overnight on 9^th April 2008 to contact Police or Crimestoppers.

Over the last few months my team and I have been completing checks on parked vehicles and identifying whether valuables have been left on display. Letters are then sent to the owners of the vehicles informing them of when the car was seen and where and what property was seen on display. It is important that we all work together to try and prevent crime. When you leave car, please complete a final check to make sure you haven’t left anything valuable on display. It only takes a few minutes to smash a window and steal something left on a seat.

Royston and the Rural remains a low crime area and by working together we can ensure that it remains that way.

If any of you want to contact me, please do so on 01438 757926. or via e-mail at: peter.frost@herts.pnn.police.uk

Ashwell	West end / Newham way	29/04/08 1105 - 1135	27 veh / 30 mph / 25.4 mph
Ashwell	Station rd (40 limit)	30/04/08 12.40 - 1310	30 veh / 42 mph / 34.4 mph
Bygrave	Upper Bygrave	29/04/08 1030 - 1100	19 veh / 29 mph / 24.7 mph
Barley	London Road	29/04/08 1435 - 1500	37 veh / 38 mph / 27.1 mph
Barkway	Royston Road	29/04/08 1525 - 1550	26 veh / 33 mph / 25.2 mph
Therfield	The Causeway	30/04/08 1500 - 1524	18 veh / 29 mph / 23.3 mph
Newham	Ashwell road	29/04/08 1125 - 1150	20 veh / 29 mph / 26.6 mph
Weston	Damask Green Road	29/04/08 12.30 - 1255	16 veh / 27 mph / 23.2 mph
Rushden	Moon and Stars	29/04/08 1310 - 1335	22 veh / 35 mph / 28.2 mph
Hinxworth	High Street	29/04/08 0950 - 1015	26 veh / 26 mph / 25.4 mph

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

At 11am on Wednesday, 9^th, April a male approached a white ‘Mini Cooper’ which was undergoing a valet on a driveway in West End, Ashwell. The male calmly got into the drivers side and started in the engine with the key which had been left in the ignition. The male then drove away in the direction of Hinxworth. A resident in the area has since reported seeing a silver ‘Vauxhall Vectra’ in the area a short time before the theft occurred. (Crime no. G4/08/335).

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

Thieves driving a white open backed ‘Ford Transit’ stole a quantity of scrap metal from a driveway in Hay Green, Therfield at approximately 2.30pm on Thursday, 3^rd, April. (Crime no. G4/08/312).

An 18-year-old male received a Police caution after he threw a handful of gravel at a passing vehicle causing its windscreen to crack. The incident occurred in Baldock Road during the early hours of Friday, 4^th, April. (Crime no. G4/08/315).

A 58 year old female received a caution after Police were called to reports of an assault on her husband at an address in Nuthampstead during the evening of Saturday, 5^th, April. (Crime no. G4/08/322).

Overnight of Sunday, 6^th, April, thieves broke into a Garage in Barkway. Having located the ignition keys within the workshop, they then stole a ‘Ford Granada’ and ‘Ford Fiesta’ from the forecourt. (Crime no. G4/08/329).

A 52 year old female was arrested by patrolling Officers for failing to produce a specimen of breath when requested in Church End, Barley during the evening of Tuesday, 8^th, April. (Crime no. G4/08/333).

Two males attempted to access the home of an elderly lady in Meadow Way, Therfield under the pretence that they were searching for a lost ball. The occupant had been in her garden when a male approached and asked her if he could take a look around for his ball. She heard the sound of a door closing and noticed a second male at the entrance of her home. The lady challenged the strangers and they left the area in a hurry. A witness believes they may have been using a small red car as their mode of transport on this occasion. (Crime no. G4/08/364).

At 9pm on Sunday, 20^th, April an intruder entered via an insecure back door, a house situated in the High Street, Barley. Once inside, they helped themselves to a handbag, a mobile telephone and the keys to a ‘Volkswagen Golf.’ On leaving the property, the thief stole the vehicle from the driveway and made good their escape.

(Crime no. G4/08/387).

A brown and cream coloured ‘BMX’ bike was stolen from outside Barkway Social Club at approximately 6.15pm on Tuesday, 22^nd, April. (Crime no. G4/08/403).

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

A 3.5 tonne galvanised steel ‘Ifor Williams’ trailer loaded with sheets of plasterboard was stolen from Damask Green, Weston overnight of Monday, 31^st, March. Local residents have reported seeing an unfamiliar black Nissan Nirvana in the area around the time of the theft. (Crime no. G3/08/184).

Overnight of Thursday, 3^rd, April an unsuccessful attempt was made to steal a 4x4 ‘Mitsubishi’ from a workshop in Clothall. (Crime no. G3/08/188).

A ‘Volvo’ estate was damaged by youths throwing eggs in the Damask Green Road area of Weston between 7pm and 8.30pm on Sunday, 13^th, April.

(Crime no. G3/08/230).

A 61-year-old pedal cyclist was assaulted by the passenger of a passing car as he rode along Baldock Road, Weston on the afternoon of Monday, 14^th, April. As the car passed by the cyclist, the passenger leaned out of the car window and hit the cyclist over the head with a balloon. (Crime no. G3/08/217).

A 19-year-old male received a warning after patrolling Police Officers in Hatch Lane, Baldock stopped the car he was travelling in and found him to be in possession of cannabis. (Crime no. G3/08/241).

MAN SENTENCED FOLLOWING A SEXUAL ASSAULT IN ROYSTON

A FORTY-five-year-old man has today been sentenced to three years in prison at Luton Crown Court for sexually assaulting a woman in Royston in October 2006.

Robin Oakes from Swinburne Close in Royston was previously found guilty of the offence of the offence at Luton Crown Court following a trial.

Total for 2003 – 2004 = 80

Total for 2004 – 2005 = 26

Total for 2005 – 2006 = 6

Total for 2006 – 2007 = 17

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
07-08	3	10	4	6	9	2	4	3

Number of Hare Coursing and Nuisance Patrols Carried Out.
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	July	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
07								3	3	3	0	3
08	9	5	6	8

Last time we attended

RUSHDEN	20/02/07	SANDON	26/03/08
THERFIELD	26/03/08	REED	05/03/08
BARKWAY	16/05/07	BARLEY	04/02/08
KELSHALL	21/04/08	NUTHAMP	01/05/07
ASHWELL	06/02/08	BYGRAVE	04/02/08
CALDECOTE	05/01/07	WESTON	13/03/08
RADWELL	29/04/08	WALLINGTON	20/02/07
HINXWORT	14/02/08	CLOTHALL	09/05/07

Area	Last Meeting	Next Meeting	Location and Time
G4E	15^th August 2007	8^th May 2008	Parish Rooms, Ashwell.
G4D	12^th February	9^th October 2008	8pm Reed Village hall.
G3C	11^th October 2007	20^th May 2008	8pm Rushden Village Hall.

Locality

Members

Martin Dingemans, Eric Gurney, Howard Marshall, Simon Holtom, Robert Law, Teddy Faure-Walker, , Steve Jarvis, Andrew Young, Tony Hunter, Peter Shuttlewood, Keith Bone Christine Schwick, Janette Kingsley.

Meeting

22/12/07

Tasks set

1. High visibility patrols in daylight hours at weekend in a bid to Reduce Incidents of Hare coursing, Nusience Motor cycling and Nusience 4 X 4 use.

2. Continue with crime prevention and evidence gathering thus keeping crime as low as possible.

3. Continue with speed checks by PCSO’s to monitor vehicle speeds; enforcement was not considered a good use of resources.

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

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.