Burglary – Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford

Overnight between 11^th and 12^th March, a property in Newnham Green, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, was burgled. Offender(s) reached through a cat flap then used an implement to pull out items. A handbag and jacket were stolen.

Suspicious Peugeot

Police advise us that a a white panel van Y992KCJ, (registered as a Peugeot Expert), has been seen in the South Oxfordshire area acting in a suspicious manner and is possibly linked to a number of thefts and barn breaks.

If you see this vehicle please call the Police Enquiry Centre on 101

Warm Homes, Healthy People

A local Oxfordshire project to help people keep warm and well.

You may have heard or read about Oxfordshire Warm Homes Healthy People. It is a Partnership of many local organisations working together to get help to people suffering from fuel poverty in Oxfordshire. Money has been received from the Department of Health to help vulnerable residents keep warm and well this winter.

If you or you know anyone who may have contact with elderly or vulnerable neighbours please make them aware of this project.

Further details are available by clicking on the following link:

https://www.tvpcommunitymessaging.org/rmwebportal/rm_desktop/files/attachments/Abingdon_WHHP_briefing_final.pdf

White Transit PE51 NJK

At about 3:00 p.m. today 20 February at least two men in a white Transit, PE51 NJK, broke into a farmyard at Cookley Green near Henley.

They cut the chain on the gate and smashed the padlocks on at least four buildings. It is not known how much was stolen at this stage.

Police and the police helicopter attended.

 Ford Transit PE51 NJK with 3 male occupants, entered a dairy farm in Compton, it drove through the farm with the occupants having a good look around and tried to exit through one of the back gates. When approached by the farm manager the vehicle made a speedy exit.

This is the same vehicle that was sighted earlier in the afternoon at Cookley Green.

The same vehicle was seen at Woodcote at about 3:30 p.m. on the same day where it was responsible for a smashed padlock. It was also seen at Fingest, near High Wycombe at around 4:00 p.m. If you see this vehicle, please notify the police at once.

Sheep Slaughtered

Five sheep were slaughtered and professionally butchered in a field at Aston Rowant Nature Reserve in the last two weeks. The villains left behind only the skins, feet and internal organs which had been thrown into bushes. Farmers are being advised to be extra vigilant of their livestock.

Cash-point Scam

Police are warning about a cash machine scam that sees criminals placing sticky strips in the mechanism to stop money coming out.

Users then believe that the machine has not dispensed the cash and when they go into the bank to complain the watching thieves take the cash.

Email scam

Police are aware that an email entitled 'Population Census: a message to everyone - act now' is being circulated, allegedly in the name of National Statistician, Jil Matheson. This email demands individuals provide further personal information, supposedly for the Census and threatens fines for non-compliance.

This email is a scam and a hoax. It has no connection whatsoever with the National Statistician, the 2011 Census or the Office for National Statistics.

They believe the links in the email could download malware to any computer where the user clicks on the links. This could put your personal data, including financial information, at risk.

Anyone receiving this, or similar emails, should delete them, not open any links and certainly not provide any information.

For more information on how to protect yourself from this type of threat, please see www.getsafeonline.org

If you wish to, please report receipt of any such suspicious emails to www.actionfraud.org.uk

ONS takes the protection of personal census information extremely seriously. Collection of census data was completed last year and no further requests will be forthcoming from the Office for National Statistics relating to the 2011 Census.

Dogs in the village

I’ve been in the village now for over six months and have spoken too many of you. One of the biggest concerns people have is over dogs. Out of control dogs to be exact.

I walk my two Staffordshire Bull Terriers at least twice a day using both roads and footpath/bridal ways, I’m sure you have seen me. If you have you will notice they are both on leads and under my full control. The only time they are off the lead is when at home, in my garden or individually when away from built up areas. If I see someone approaching, with or without a dog they go straight back on the lead. Now that’s not because of the breed of dogs they are it’s because I am a responsible owner. There are people within the village who, in my opinion do not fall into the same category.

·         My wife and I were walking our dogs, both on leads, along The Street when a large Labrador type dog came charging out of an adjacent field. It ran straight at my dogs barking and snarling. Lucky I was there and I got between my dogs and the approaching aggressive dog grabbing it before it could attack them. It had neither lead nor any collar, its owner appeared, made no apology for his dog and just walked past as if nothing was happening. I kept hold of the struggling dog until it was safe to release it.

·         Again walking both my dogs I entered the Meer close to the playground only to be confronted by a loose Springer Spaniel. It made toward me so I walked the opposite way. A few moments later I continued up the Meer as the dog had disappeared. When I got to the top I could see the same dog by the War Memorial, it again came towards me. I turned right and followed the fence into the wooded area. It was then I was aware of who I assume was the owner near the church using a whistle to get the dog to return, which it didn’t. In any event the church to the playground is some 500 yds and out of line of site.

That’s just two incidents that I can think of that has happened to me and I don’t consider the owners of the dogs to have been in proper control of their animals. There are many more including persons being bitten, knocked over and dog against dog attacks. There are people who will not walk their dogs in certain parts of the village because of this.

We all live in a rural community and there are a lot of dog owners, nobody is saying you shouldn’t have a dog but what is required is for a dog owner to be responsible for the actions of their dog.