Astley & Dunley Neighbourhood Watch – Message from Sarah Beard

Hello
I have been co-ordinator of Astley & Dunley neighbourhood watch for several years. The organisation has changed a lot and is now predominantly online, with a national organisation supporting local areas.

Local residents can join the Astley & Dunley NHW by registering online.
www.ourwatch.org.uk

The West Mercia local police team Martley and Tenbury cover our patch and communicate any local issues or events.

I report yearly to the Parish council , at the AGM, as they support NHW and other local groups and services . The council members get a brief overview of the NHW year from myself, in the form of a report. This mentions local issues, any crime trends and news the local police team also provide the parish council members with the police perspective.

I shall be retiring in the spring from my full time job and be looking to move to the next chapter in my life. With this move I am hoping that someone will take on the overview of NHW for the area.

The role is flexible as in you can decide how much time you invest in it. Access to the Internet is a must, along with basic emailing skills and being able to read and amend a spreadsheet of members. It would be an advantage to be aware and keep abreast of local issues and be accessible to be contacted with any issues, in order to pass on information if necessary, to prevent or detect crime.

I would love to hand over the details to someone to continue in what I feel is an important local asset to those living in this area.

Kind regards

Sarah Beard sarahlbeardlll@hotmail.com

Break in and theft

Mt5P3

We have received reports this morning that an outbuilding at an address on the Stourport Road Great Witley was broken into last night. The homeowners believe that this may have been between 8pm and 10.15pm where there was a power outage in the area.

Items that we stolen include Makita power tools, socket and spanner sets. The gates to the property were damaged.

If anyone saw anything suspicious in the area around this time you can contact us on 101 quoting incident number 00643_I_28012023

Kind Regards PCSO 40528 Deb Abbott

Incidents and news from the area.

We received a report of two burglaries on a building site at Abberley, one occurred between
the 23 and 24 November. The compound was broken into and building supplies were
stolen.
In unrelated news, there are a number of suspicious vehicles spotted for awareness. In
Sugars Lane Far Forrest a silver Ford Tourneo registration 09 MN 831 was spotted looking
around farm outbuildings. When challenged as to why they were there, the occupants
drove straight towards the reporter.
At Wichenford we have received reports of a
At Holt Heath a white Ford transit van reg HJ 05 SYW was spotted at Broomfields Farm Shop
driving in areas where there is no public access. When challenged the occupants did not
appear to understand English and left the area.
And finally…….
And finally…..for many of the residents of the Martley and Tenbury SNT patch, PCSO Ness
Snape will have been a welcome and familiar sight for the past 17 years whilst serving with
West Mercia. At the end of October, Ness decided that it was time for a new adventure and
has hung up her hat and taken early retirement. It is a loss to the team and keenly felt but
we wish her all the best for a very happy retirement.
PCSO Deb Abbott

NHW Report 2021/22

Below is my annual report which I presented last night at the main yearly Parish Council meeting, attended by the County councillor, the local councillor, interested residents and PCSO Vanessa Snape.

Please can you consider registering for the messaging system – Neighbourhood matters-  if you haven’t already and this can be shared widely too. Web site details below…

Home Page – Neighbourhood Matters

Thank you all for your continued support  – any issues or questions please ask me and I will endeavour to help

 

Neighbourhood Watch report for 2021/22 , quiet over last year due to Covid and the extraordinary lifestyle we all found ourselves in. Luckily the benefit of more people at home was increased security and less crime.

 

Part of the Astley Burf area welcomed a new co- ordinator Alan Whiteley who has settled in well and is helping pass messages on , my thanks to him and all the other people that support NHW locally. I do receive messages and information which i forward on and circulate as appropriate.

 

West Mercia police introduced a new messaging system in July 2021, for passing on information regarding all things policing. This is open to all, and you can select specific message headers, to just get relevant information for yourself- so  your area, your interests etc

 

The local police team  Martley and Tenbury –have some  new faces but luckily we have continuity with PCSO  Vanessa Snape whom knows the patch very well.

 

Crime Issues over the past 12 months:-

Theft of trailers –  especially those towed behind vehicles,

Theft of garden/ outdoor equipment

Internet scams, fraud / money issues online

 

Future issues, value of heating oil, fuel, diesel , theft from tanks, vehicles , please secure your supplies.

 

Continued Internet scams- please invest in online  protection- Firewall/Norton consider adding extra security levels to online dealings & payments,, such as two-step security.

 

No current expenditure for NHW – just requires time and internet access/usage

 

Sarah Beard

Increase in shed beak ins and trailer thefts

There has been an increase in reports of shed break ins and trailer thefts across the Tenbury and Martley SNT area. We have recieved reports of trailer thefts in Wichenford, Hallow, Astley and Great Witley. The thefts have taken place over the past few weeks between the hours of 6pm and 6am.

Trailer security

Where possible park your trailer where it cannot be seen from the road or surrounding fields or rights of way.

Park where there is good lighting with secure locks and gates.

When not in use, park or place something in front of the trailer so it cannot be moved.

Secure the trailer with a chain or steel cable to a strong anchor point.

Consider a cable alarm where an alarm will go off if the cable is cut.

Use a wheel lock/and or a hitch lock.

Record all relevant numbers e.g. chassis, hitch, body etc.

Make the trailer unique to you so it will stand out, this can be done by putting the farm, stable or your name or postcode on the side or using a motif or logo, this will act as a deterrent and make it easily identifiable.

Take photographs of the trailer from all angles, include close ups of scratches, dents scuff and any security markings and keep them in a safe place to give to the police to help them identify the vehicle if it is stolen.

Consider fitting a tracker that will notify you if the trailer is moved and allow you to track it and pass the information to the police.

 

Securing a shed

Fit a strong hasp and padlock to your shed door. Make sure the door is strong enough to resist being kicked or pushed in.

Replace standard hinges with strap hinges secured by coach bolts or use security screws on existing hinges.

Consider fitting a battery operated shed alarm.

Visibly mark the property you keep in your shed and garage and use anchor points to secure larger tools and equipment.

 

Securing your garden

Your front garden should not provide cover for a burglar. Hedges or fences at the front of your home should be limited to 1 metre high.

At the rear of your property, hedges, fences or walls should be at least 1.8 metres high. Gates leading to the rear of your property should be the same height and padlocked.

Move ladders, tables, chairs and wheelie bins so that they cannot be used to climb on. If possible, chain and padlock them to a strong anchor point.

Fit lighting in your garden. The most appropriate form of lighting for the back yard would be high-efficiency low-energy lighting, controlled by dusk-to-dawn switch so that it comes on only when it’s dark. This provides a constant and uniform level of light. It costs very little to run and helps create a more reassuring environment.

For further advice on Crime Prevention please contact us on the below link and scroll down for “Crime prevention” information box.

https://www.westmercia.police.uk/

 

Kind regards

PCSO Deb Abbott 40528

Tenbury and Martley SNT

On the beat in Martley and Tenbury Safer Neighbourhood Team Newsletter

Please click on the link below for the On the beat in Martley and Tenbury Safer Neighbourhood Team Newsletter

January newsletter

Thefts in Great Witley and Wichenford

Incident Number 00080_I_22012022

The first trailer was stolen from a yard in Great Witley on 22nd January at approx 5am – Twin axle Ivor Williams trailer.

 Incident Number 00531_I_24012022

The second trailer was stolen from the drive in Wichenford on 24th January at approx 6.30pm – Ivor Williams P7E trailer complete with mesh sides the back drops down to become a ramp and spare wheel.

The Police are keen to hear from anyone who may have any information relating to these thefts or that may have been in the areas around the time of the incidents and heard or seen anything suspicious.

If you have information this, please call the Police on 101, quoting incident reference numbers 00080_I_22012022 or 00531_I_24012022.

Please see below advice provided by the Crime Prevention Officer.

In light of several trailer thefts in the area 

Where possible park the trailer where it cannot be seen from the road, public rights of way and when you come onto the yard or drive.

 Ensure there is good lighting and the area is secure with gates and locks.

When not in use, park or place something in front of the trailer so it cannot be moved.

Secure the trailer with a chain or steel cable to a strong anchor point.

Consider a cable alarm where an alarm will go off if the cable is cut.

Use a wheel lock and/or hitch lock.

Record all relevant numbers, e.g. chassis, body, hitch numbers etc.

Make the trailer unique to you so it stands out, this can be done by putting the farm/stable name on the side or using a motif or logo

This will act as a deterrent and make it easily identifiable..

If appropriate mark your vehicle registration on the roof of your vehicle, this can be done by oil based paint or there are kits you can buy with vinyl lettering.

Take photographs of the trailer from all angles, include close ups of any unique markings such as scratches, dents, scuffs and any security markings and keep them in a safe place to give to the police to help them identify the vehicle if it is stolen.

Consider fitting a tracker that will notify you if the trailer is moved and allow you to track it and pass the information to the police

St Michael’s Church Abberley

Due to Covid restrictions and Omicron, St Michael’s Church (Grade II listed) in Abberley is locked 48 hours before and 48 hours after each service to ensure the safety of the people who visit the Church. During the 48 hours that the Church was locked after the service on Sunday 23 January 2022 and Wednesday 26 January 2022, someone broke the chain on the hasp on the front door and gained entry to the Church.  15 chairs and one of the stones on the floor are now damaged.  The incident will be reported to the Police.

If you have any information regarding this vandalism, please call the Police on 101.

Potential incident in Astley.

Please be aware when de-icing your car on a cold frosty morning.

I received the following from one of our residents.

  • At approximately 7:30am (14/1/22) I went out to the garage and immediately saw a male walking past the entrance to our property as if walking up towards the school. He was looking into our access way as if passing, and seemed to be jingling something in his hand. All I can say is that he was in his 20’s, tall, dark hair and wore dark clothing.
  • He may have been totally innocent but he just seemed out of place given the time of day and how cold/frosty  it was. His clothing was lightweight/ athletic and not attire as if out for a walk.
  • Again, he may have been totally innocent however, his demeanour was similar to that of a person looking for an opportunity to take a vehicle which had been intentionally left unattended with the engine running to defrost etc..
  • If he was up to no good then the chances are he’ll be in a vehicle with one or maybe two others.. The car will be used to survey the lanes and look into properties where there are lights on, and signs of youngsters living there suggesting there are children about to be conveyed to school.
  • If there is a vehicle(s) at the same location which looks of value, then they’ll usually drop one of the occupants off so as to casually walk past the property, and then the same occupant will be picked up by the the said vehicle further away. They can  repeat this process a number of times until they get a strike! They work so quickly the vehicle’s gone in seconds and the worst of it is the insurance company won’t pay out!

Neighbourhood Watch – 2 burglaries in Astley Burf and Martley

  1. Burglary in Astley Burf

Incident number 00353_I_05012022

A  burglary happened sometime between 18th December 2021 to 2nd January 2022 at a property in Astley Burf. The unknown person/s have broken a glass panel in the back door and entered the property and taken some money.

If you have information that you believe may be in connection to the above  please call the Police on 101 quoting incident number 00353_I_05012022

  1. Burglary in Martley

Incident number 00374_I_05012022

The burglary happened sometime in the evening of 4th January 2022 at a property on Horne Lane, Martley.  The offender or offenders walked into an unlocked utility room.. Items taken from within include a Husqvarna Chainsaw, 2 x Holland and Holland coats, 1 pair of ladies leather wellies, 1 pair of camel wellies, ski jacket, Apple i-pad and some food from the freezer.

If you have information that you believe may be in connection to the above,  please call the Police on 101 quoting incident number 00374_I_05012022

Please remain vigilant around your area and report suspicious persons, vehicles or activity to the Police.