Christmas is coming and so are unwanted visiters.

Christmas will soon be here, time to buy your presents and get them wrapped for santa.

It’s also the time unscrupulous burglars are at their most active.

On Monday 28^th November, between 14:50hrs and 17:00hrs, a property in Station Road, Cholsey, was burgled. Offender(s) gained entry and stole a laptop computer. Keys were found outside the properties which were believed to have been used to try to gain entry to the garage via a side door, no entry was gained.

Overnight between 28^th to 29^th November, a property in Reading Road, Wallingford, was burgled and two laptop computers stolen. It is not known at this time how entry was gained.

It’s rich pickings in most households from now until the New Year so pay extra attention to your home security.

Males arrested in connection with burglary in Crowmarsh Hill, Wallingford

On Wednesday 23^rd November, a property in Crowmarsh Hill, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, was burgled. Offender(s) used a stone to smash a glass panel on a front door and then reached through to gain entry. A safe and contents were stolen.

On the same day tracker activation was picked up near Henley on a Mercedes SLK convertible which had been stolen from London on 14^th November. There was a persuit involving police vehicles and the police helicopter which led to the arrest of two males and the recovery of stolen property.

Just shows you that burglars don’t always drive around in clapped out old cars, anyone looking suspicious could be a potential offender.

Distraction Burglaries

On Tuesday 22^nd November, at approx: 18:45hrs, there was an attempted Distraction Burglary at a property in Eynsham Road, Botley. A male called at the property and told the occupant that there had been an explosion, then asked her to turn off the water at the mains and provide him with a sample of water to test. The occupant went to get the water but closed the door. When she returned the male had left.

The male is described as a white male with an Irish accent, 35-40 years old, 5’10”, stocky build with light brown hair.

On the same day two Distraction Burglaries were reported in the Oxfordshire area. One in Bicester where two males called at a property posing as water or gas board officials, then stole a purse and contents.

The second was in Witney where a male entered a property which had been left with its door left ajar whilst the victim was putting out his bin. On returning to the property the victim saw a male come from his bedroom who said he was a police officer. The victim asked for ID and the offender left. A wallet and contents were stolen.

Please be extra vigilant and keep a look out for any elderly or vulnerable neighbours. Please check on any neighbours you consider to be a potential target of distraction burglary and remind them NOT to let any unexpected callers into their property.

Remember the new non-emergency telephone number for the police is 101

Thefts from Churches

Sometime between 13:00hrs on 13^th November and 17:13hrs on 14^th November, offender(s) forced entry to a church in High Street, Nettlebed, Henley. They entered the vestry, ripped the back off the safe and stole silverware.

Around the same time a church in Highmoor, Henley, was burgled. Entry was gained by forcing a front door, a safe and cash box was forced open. A further burglary was reported at a church in Woodley, Reading, where a door was forced to gain entry and offender(s) entered the vestry and tried to open a safe.

The crime prevention advice is for churches to review the security on all external church doors and to make sure that any porch areas are secured if possible.

Please contact Malcolm Wills the Crime Reduction Advisor on 01491 821519 or email: malcolm.wills@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk for further security and crime prevention advice.

Have Your Say Meeting

Date: Friday, 11 November 2011
Time: 08:30 - 09:30
Venue: PCSO Nikki Leese will available to talk to at Ipsden Post Office, The Street, Ipsden

Unfortunately I’ll be in Manchester

Theft from motor vehicles

Between 3^rd and 4^th November, vehicles parked on the B4009, near junction 6 of the M40, Watlington Road, Lewknor, were broken into. Offender(s) smashed windows to gain entry and stole property including a stereo, CD, Sat Nav and a disabled badge.

Theft from vehicles is an ongoing crime and we have suffered offences in the area over the last few weeks. Try these simple ideas.

• Always take your personal items with you when you leave your car. This stops car thieves from smashing your windows to steal items. If you can't take your personal items with you, lock them in the boot. Don't leave personal items in your glove box.
• Never leave the following items anywhere in your car: removable radio fronts, portable satellite navigation systems ('Sat Navs') and its mounting cable, mobile phones, golf clubs, iPods, handbags, laptop computers and briefcases, cheque, credit and debit cards, items of clothing, driving documents and personal correspondence.
• When you leave your car, leave your glove box open to show that there's nothing in there.

Basically remove any valuables from your vehicle and leave nothing on display when your vehicle is not in use or when left unattended. It is not just the loss of your personal items, but the inconvenience, time and costly repair to your vehicle.

SCRAP METAL MERCHANTS ACT 1964

 You may be familiar with the downsides of the terms of this Act. It allows the scrap metal ‘industry’ to be a cash business which is a great help to metal thieves – ‘ask no questions tell no lies’. The ‘cash for scrap’ rules are a fantastic business opportunity for thieves when metal prices are so high. Little wonder churches are suffering so much lead theft and the railways even more copper theft. Through my job I travel all over the country liaising with Police Forces which include British Transport Police, I can confirm that the theft of cable if rife at the moment causing the Reading Paddington line to close for urgent work a few weeks ago. You may remember the theft of a large number of roadside drain covers between Ipsden and Woodcote. You may also have seen in the press recently reports of the theft of metal plaques from village war memorials.

A proposed amendment to the Act to prohibit cash transactions would make payment by cheque or directly into a bank account mandatory and would be a significant component in reducing metal theft.

However other more pressing parliamentary business means that the quickest way for this Act to be amended is by a massive public lobby so it has to be debated by the House of Commons. The only other event that may get the Government to take the matter seriously as an emergency debate is if the rail networks grind to a halt or there is a terrible accident because signalling cable is stolen.
Please could you ask everyone you know with an email address to support this petition to the Home Office, asking for this change to the Scrap Metal Merchants Act 1964. It needs to have 100,000 signatories – currently it stands at about 20,000.
To vote just click http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/406 and then click 'Sign this petition'.