Royston Community Team

Rural Watch

May 2009

Covering Arbury, Ermine, Weston & Sandon Wards.

We have recently had a recently had a number of incidents where farmers have been reporting that they have found evidence that vehicles have been driving over their crops at night time. If you see odd looking 4X4 vehicles about at night time please report them to us, one of the vehicles that is responsible is a dark coloured ‘L’ registration Landrover Discovery.

Can all farmers please report immediately when they find evidence of such incidents.

Please use 0845 33 00 222 for suspicious incidents or 999 if you see people committing an offence.

The Hare Coursing battle still continues we have recently had a good result at North Herts Magistrate Court (please see press release below).

A few weeks ago I found a vehicle driving on a Road near Sandon which contained a few odd looking characters and a couple of Lurchers (neither were local). On examination I found a number of faults on the vehicle which I reported the driver for; if the offences are taken to Court the driver will receive at least six penalty points on his licence plus a fine. I told the driver I will draw the summonses for the outlined offences and if he or any of his friends returns the matter will result in a Court appearance for him.

Ashwell	West end / Newham way	28/04/09 1130 - 1155	22 veh / 30 mph / 23.9 mph
Ashwell	Station rd (40 limit)	22/04/09 1730 - 1800	22 veh / 46 mph / 37.3 mph
Bygrave	Lower Bygrave	27/04/09 1215 - 1245	15 veh / 33 mph / 26.3 mph
Barley	London Road	23/04/09 1630 - 1700	24 veh / 35 mph / 28.1 mph
Barkway	Cambridge Road	23/04/09 1600 - 1625	37 veh / 37 mph / 28.7 mph
Therfield	Hay Green	30/04/09 1000 – 1030	23 veh / 26 mph / 22.8 mph
Newham	Ashwell road	28/04/09 1210 - 1235	32 veh / 36 mph / 26.7 mph
Weston	Damask Green Road	30/04/09 1200 - 1230	13 veh / 27 mph / 24.8 mph
Rushden	Moon and Stars	22/04/09 1650 - 1715	17 veh / 47 mph / 28.6 mph
Hinxworth	High Street	27/04/09 1300 - 1325	19 veh / 38 veh / 26.9 mph

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

Crime No.	Offence	Location	Time & Date
G4/09/305	Theft	Hinxworth	03/04/09
Removed The Front And The Rear Number Plates From Vehicle

Crime No.	Offence	Location	Time & Date
G4/09/308	Theft	Hinxworth	03 – 04/04/09
Offender cut lock to storage container, have made an untidy search and stolen various items.

Crime No.	Offence	Location	Time & Date
G4/09/310	Theft	Hinxworth	05/04/09
Offender smashed rear passenger window to vehicle and have taken a box from vehicle.

Crime No.	Offence	Location	Time & Date
G4/09/311	Burglary-(Outbuilding)	Hinxworth	04 – 05/04/09
Offender has broken locks off to wooden shed and stole property offender has gone to a second shed and again cut the locks.

Crime No.	Offence	Location	Time & Date
G4/09/312	Theft	Hinxworth	05/04/09
Offender has smashed the offside read door window to vehicle reached in and removed property.

Crime no.	Offence	Location	Time & date
G4/09/313	Theft	Hinxworth	04 – 05/04/09
Offender has punched lock on passenger door of vehicle and removed property.

Crime No.	Offence	Location	Time & Date
G4/09/316	Burglary-(Outbuilding)	Hinxworth	03 – 04/04/09
Offenders have broken door and not stolen any property.

Crime No.	Offence	Location	Time & Date
G4/09/329	Burglary-(Outbuilding)	Ashwell	07 – 08/04/09
Offenders have broken door and not stolen any property.

Crime No.	Offence	Location	Time & Date
G4/09/333	Damage	Hinxworth	04 – 08/04/09
Offender went to rear of garden and cut two bits of wire from fencing.

Crime No.	Offence	Location	Time & Date
G4/09/335	Offensive weapon in public	Hinxworth	09/04/09
Officer has arrested the offender for being possession of offensive weapon.

Crime No.	Offence	Location	Time & Date
G4/09/350	Burglary-(Outbuilding)	Newnham	11 – 12/04/09
Offenders have broken door and not stolen any property.

Crime No.	Offence	Location	Time & Date
G4/09/363	Theft	Bygrave	05 – 06/04/09
Offenders have removed quad bike which was later found.

Crime No.	Offence	Location	Time & Date
G4/09/388	Burglary-(Outbuilding)	Ashwell	27/04/09
Offender has entered unlocked barn removing property.

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

Crime No.	Offence	Location	Time & Date
G4/09/349	Theft-From Motor Vehicle	Therfield	11 – 12/04/09
Theft of index plates.

Crime No.	Offence	Location	Time & Date
G4/09/357	Theft-From Motor Vehicle	Therfield	13 – 14/04/09
Theft of index plates.

Crime No.	Offence	Location	Time & Date
G4/09/370	Theft-From Motor Vehicle	Therfield	11 – 14/04/09
Theft of index plates.

Crime No.	Offence	Location	Time & Date
G4/09/379	Theft	Kelshall	24/04/09
Offenders stole farm rolls.

Crime No.	Offence	Location	Time & Date
G4/09/387	Theft	Shaftenhoe End	26/04/09
Offenders have sold goods and failed to deliver.

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

Crime No.	Offence	Location	Time & Date
G3/09/183	Burglary-(outbuilding)	Rushden	04/09
Offenders have entered Outbuilding and not stolen any property.

Crime No.	Offence	Location	Time & Date
G3/09/185	Theft-From Motor Vehicle	Clothall	05/04/09
Offenders have entered vehicle and stolen property.

Crime No.	Offence	Location	Time & Date
G3/09/189	Burglary-(Outbuilding)	Rushden	04 - 05/04/09
Offender has entered locked garage and stolen beer and food from fridge

Crime No.	Offence	Location	Time & Date
G3/09/208	Burglary-(Outbuilding)	Weston	15 – 16/04/09
Offenders have removed approx 60 - 70 gallons of oil from the tank.

HARE COURSING CONVICTION FOLLOWING INCIDENT IN NORTH HERTS

A MAN from Redbourn pleaded guilty (April 8) at Stevenage Magistrates Court of two offences relating to an incident of hare coursing in what is believed to be the first conviction of its kind under the Hunting Act in relation to hare coursing in the UK.

Jimmy Cash, who is 45 years old and is from Lybury Lane in Redbourn was convicted of an offence contrary to the New Hunting Act 2004 and another contrary to poaching in connection with an incident which occurred at around 8am on October 21, 2008, on Sandon Road in Therfield. He was find £350 for each offence, £400 cost and £15 compensation.

PC Paul Marina Royston's Rural officer said: “I saw Jimmy Cash walk to an area of farm land and then release his dog that coursed but never caught a hare. The lurcher then ran to the officer who seized the dog whilst other offices arrested Mr Cash.

“Hare coursing has a very negative effect on our rural communities and it is important we target those responsible. We carry out proactive patrols in our rural communities to combat these crimes and positive results such as these are hugely important to deter others from committing similar offences. I hope this sends a clear message to criminals that we take hare coursing seriously and will take action against offenders.”

PC Marina has reduced incidents of Hare coursing in North Hertfordshire since he joined the Rural Royston team in 2003. He is considered as one of the country's top authorities in preventing hare coursing and frequently uses his knowledge of traffic legislation and the illegal use of red diesel to deter offenders from hare coursing.

Reported Hare coursing Incidents in our area.

	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	April	Total
03-04	3	13	28	3	8	13	9	3	80
04-05	4	13	4	0	4	0	1	0	26
05-06	0	3	0	0	1	1	1	0	6
06-07	0	4	4	6	1	0	2	0	17
07-08	3	10	4	6	9	2	4	3	43
08-09	7	5	2	4	4	4	2	1	29

Number of Sunday Hare Coursing and Nuisance Vehicle Patrols Carried Out to Reduce. coursing Nusience Motor cycling and Nusience 4 X 4 use, patrols per months, early start preferred, 7am or 8am.
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	July	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
07								3	3	3	0	3
08	9	5	6	8	8	2	2	2	2	3	1	4
09	1	1	3	2

Last time we attended

RUSHDEN	02/07/08	SANDON	22/04/09
THERFIELD	21/04/09	REED	04/03/09
BARKWAY	15/07/08	BARLEY	04/02/08
KELSHALL	20/04/09	NUTHAMP	01/05/07
ASHWELL	01/10/08	BYGRAVE	14/01/09
CALDECOTE	05/05/08	WESTON	12/03/09
RADWELL	29/04/08	WALLINGTON	02/07/08
HINXWORT	14/02/08	CLOTHALL	02/07/08

Area	Last Meeting	Next Meeting	Location and Time
G4E	Tue 7th April 8pm
G4D	Tue 21st April 8pm
G3C	Tue 2nd June 8pm

Locality

Members

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

Meeting

10/03/09

Tasks set

1. High visibility patrols in daylight hours in a bid to Reduce Incidents of hare coursing, Nusience Motor cycling and Nusience 4 X 4 use. Three Sunday Hare coursing Nusience Motor cycling and Nusience 4 X 4 use patrols per months, early start preferred, 7am or 8pm. Log to be published each month.

2. Continue with crime prevention and evidence gathering securing evidence in relation to suspicious vehicles. All suspicious vehicles that appear in rural locations to be full checked and information forwarded to police information systems.

3. Continue with speed checks by PCSO’s to monitor vehicle speeds. Details of locations to be taken from Parish Councils and details published each month.

10 Speed checks a month 3 enforceable.

Surgeries all times 10.30 – 12.00
Barley, St Mary s Church. Barkway, St Mary Church	Rushden, Mill End Nursery Sandon, Cecil Sale Weston Village shop	Ashwell URC Hall
Thur 5th March - Barley	Tues 3rd March - Rushden	Fri 6^th March
Thurs 2nd April - Barkway	Weds 1^st April- Weston	Fri 3^rd April
Thurs 14th May - Barley	Weds 13th May - Sandon	1^st May
Thurs 25th June - Barkway	Weds 24th June - Rushden	5^th June
Thurs 9th July - Barley	Weds 22 July - Weston	3^rd July
Thurs 6th August - Barkway	Weds 5th August - Sandon	7^th August
Thurs 3rd September -Barley	Weds 2nd Sept Rushden	4^th September
Thurs 15th October -Barkway	Weds 14th October - Sandon	2^nd October
Thurs 12th November -Barley	Weds 11th Nov - Rushden	6^th November
Thurs 10th Dec Barkway	Weds 9^th Dec - Weston	4^th December

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.