Royston Community Team

Rural Watch

2008

November 2008

Covering Arbury, Ermine, Weston & Sandon Wards.

Rogue Traders

Hertfordshire Trading Standards and the Police are advising residents to always say no to traders that turn up uninvited on the doorstep. Rogue builders and gardeners often trick people into paying high prices for unnecessary or shoddy work and give false names and addresses. The following advice is given:

· Only deal with callers by appointment

· Always ask for ID and check it carefully

· Keep front and back doors locked

· Fit a door bar/chain and use it

· Do not keep large sums of money in the home

· Do not buy goods or services at the door

· Don’t be a victim – say NO to doorstep callers

· For the majority of contracts made at your home (both invited and uninvited visits) you will be entitled to a 7 day cooling off period.

The trader should give you a cancellation notice explaining your rights, and he must not start work within the 7 days without you requesting him to do so in writing. If the trader fails to comply then he is breaking the law and the contract is unenforceable against you – you don’t have to pay

· If you need to have home maintenance / improvement work carried out, consider using a Trustmark registered trader

· For advice and to report cold callers call Trading Standards (via Consumer Direct) on 0845 60 444 66

Ashwell	West end / Newham way	22/10/08 1450 - 1515	34 veh / 32 mph / 26.2 mph
Ashwell	Station rd (40 limit)	22/10/08 1520 - 1545	20 veh / 45 mph / 36.4 mph
Bygrave	Lower Bygrave	20/10/08 1100 - 1125	17 veh / 34 mph / 27.45 mph
Barley	Cambridge Road	21/10/08 1355 – 1425	30 veh / 32 mph / 27.2 mph
Barkway	Royston Road	21/10/08 1435 - 1505	26 veh / 29 mph / 25.7 mph
Therfield	The Causeway	20/10/08 1350 - 1415	15 veh / 31 mph / 24.8 mph
Newham	Ashwell road	22/10/08 1550 - 1525	19 veh / 33 mph / 25.67 mph
Weston	Damask Green Road	20/10/08 1000 - 1025	14 veh / 27 mph / 23.9 mph
Rushden	Moon and Stars	21/10/08 1530 - 1600	26 veh / 36 mph / 28.3 mph
Hinxworth	High Street	20/10/08 1545 - 1610	17 veh / 29 mph / 27.68 mph

MAN CHARGED FOR HARE COURSING OFFENCES, ROYSTON

POLICE in Royston arrested and charged a man from Redbourn yesterday, Tuesday (October 21) under the Hunting Act.

PC Paul Marina from Royston Neighbourhood Team was called to reports of hare coursing in the Kelshall and Therfield area of Royston at around 8am.

Jimmy Cash, 45 from Redbourn was arrested and later charged under the Hunting Act. A further three men were arrested but later released without charge. The vehicle, a Subaru estate, was seized for no insurance.

PC Paul Marina said: “We are working closely with local farmers to combat hare coursing in Royston. We have set up a scheme whereby any reports of hare coursing or suspicious activity can be sent out via text to the local farmers. This successful arrest and charge was largely down to this new scheme.”

If anyone sees any incidents of hare coursing or sees any suspicious activity report it to police. If the crime is in progress dial 999 or if you have any information about hare coursing call our non-emergency number on 0845 33 00 222.

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

A 21 year male has been arrested and released on bail following an incident whereby a Mercedes car was set alight and destroyed whilst parked in Back Street, Ashwell, overnight of Tuesday 30^th September. (Crime no. G4/08/1004).

A baby’s pushchair was stolen from the porch area of a house in Mill Street, Ashwell overnight of Saturday 4^th October. (Crime no. G4/08/1036).

Burglars broke into a house in Ashwell, whilst the occupants were out during the course of Wednesday 8^th October. Several items of jewellery were stolen along with a car which had been parked on the driveway.

(Crime no. G4/08/1032).

A shed in Newnham, was broken into during the course of Thursday 9^th October. Two padlocks were damaged however nothing was stolen from within. (Crime no. G4/08/1038).

Between Friday 10^th and Tuesday 14^th October, thieves smashed a window of an Iveco truck parked in Ashwell Road, Hinxworth and stole a large metal chain from within. (Crime no. G4/08/1066).

Thieves stole a Volkswagen Golf from Bygrave overnight of Sunday 12^th October. The vehicle was later found abandoned in Cambridgeshire. (Crime no. G4/08/1053). The following night, Monday 13^th October, an attempt was made to steal a BMW from Ashwell Road, Bygrave. Significant damage was caused to the vehicles cowling. (Crime no. G4/08/1055).

Thieves removed and stole two windows from a caravan situated in New Inn Road, Hinxworth, overnight of Wednesday 15^th October. (Crime no. G4/08/1065).

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

Between 6am and 2pm on Wednesday 1^st October, a Ford Mondeo parked at Royston Golf Club was broken into and a Satellite Navigation system was stolen along with an iPod. (Crime no. G4/08/1008).

Overnight of Sunday 5^th October, thieves broke into two portacabin based offices situated in The Moat, Buckland. A paving slab was used to shatter the windows to enable access to the cabins. A computer, three mobile telephones and a quantity of cash were stolen from within. (Crime no. G4/08/1021).

Thieves stole a grey coloured Daihatsu displaying a registration of G224PAV from Nuthampstead Airfield sometime between Sunday 5^th and Thursday 9^th October. (Crime no. G4/08/1033).

Sometime during the course of Thursday 9^th October, intruders broke into a house in Shaftenhoe End, Barley. Access was gained via a small ground floor window which was forced. Once inside, the thieves helped themselves to two lap top computers and Nikon camera, a man’s wrist watch and two sovereign rings.

(Crime no. G4/08/1039).

An outbuilding in Therfield, was targeted by thieves sometime between Sunday 12^th and Tuesday 14^th November. An extendable aluminium ladder was stolen from within. (Crime no. G4/08/1056).

Vandals targeted a Volkswagen Camper Van parked on a driveway in Windmill Close, Barkway, overnight of Tuesday 14^th October. The vehicle was sprayed with orange spray paint and had all four tyres deflated. (Crime no. G4/08/1061).

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

A quantity of power tools were stolen from the rear of a Citroen van parked in Hitchin Road, Weston between 2.10pm and 2.25pm on Friday 10^th October.

(Crime no. G3/08/553).

At 10.20pm on Saturday 11^th November, would be thieves, by unknown means, smashed a hole in the side wall of Sandon Village Hall. The impact caused the intruder alarm at the premises to activate and the offenders made good their escape.

(Crime no. G3/08/554).

A house in Wallington was broken into between 8am and 4pm on Friday 17^th October. The intruders entered the premises by forcing a ground floor kitchen window. Once inside, they locked the householders’ pet dogs in a separate ground floor room whilst they rummaged around in the bedrooms upstairs. They left the property empty handed. (Crime no. G3/08/564).

Just before 10pm on Friday 17^th October, thieves used a vehicle to reverse through the entrance door of Sandon Post Office. Once they had forced their way in, they used a sledgehammer in an attempt to break into the safe. Their attempts were unsuccessful although a considerable amount of damage was caused. The offenders were seen by witnesses to leave the area in a silver coloured car, possibly a Ford Fiesta.

(Crime no. G3/08/568).

Vandals snapped the passenger side wing mirror from a Vauxhall Vectra parked in Hitchin Road, Weston, overnight of Friday 17^th October. (Crime no. G3/08/571).

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

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

Last time we attended

RUSHDEN	02/07/08	SANDON	26/03/08
THERFIELD	26/03/08	REED	05/03/08
BARKWAY	15/07/08	BARLEY	04/02/08
KELSHALL	21/04/08	NUTHAMP	01/05/07
ASHWELL	01/10/08	BYGRAVE	04/02/08
CALDECOTE	05/05/08	WESTON	13/03/08
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	8^th May 2008	19th November 08	8pm Parish Rooms Ashwell
G4D	9^th October 08
G3C	23rd October 08

Locality

Members

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

Meeting

12/08/08

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. Enforcement was not considered a good use of resources.

4. Next meeting Tuesday 10^th march 2009.

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.