Drink Driving

Thousands of people are tested for drink and drug driving across the Thames Valley and Hampshire throughout the year. Thames Valley Police and Hampshire Constabulary will be pouring time and resources into drink-drive operations in a bid to slash alcohol-related driving incidents on our roads.

You can do your bit by remembering this number, 101 and calling it if you suspect anyone of drink-driving. You could save someone's life.

For their part, during the Christmas period they will be running operations day and night taking every opportunity to breathalyse individuals where possible. If you drink alcohol or take drugs and drive, you put yourself, your loved ones and other road users at risk, don’t take a chance, it isn’t worth it. Drink and drug driving is totally unacceptable and is a serious crime. Thames Valley Police and Hampshire Constabulary works to tackle drink and drug driving all year round. Supt Chris Brown, for Thames Valley and Hampshire, said: “Drinking and driving wrecks lives, most obviously the hundreds of victims and their loved ones who are killed each year. “But it also changes the lives of the people who are selfish or stupid enough to drive when they are not fit to do so.” You cannot calculate your alcohol limit, so do not try – it depends on the amount and type of drink, your weight, sex, age, and metabolism. Drinking any alcohol – even a small drink – makes you a worse driver because you do not judge speed and distance as well and you do not react as quickly. The only safe way is to not drink alcohol at all.

If you are convicted for a drink or drug drive offence, you:

• Will lose your licence for a minimum of one year.
• Will have a criminal record. May go to prison for up to six months.
• May have to pay a fine of up to £5,000.
• May lose your job (15 per cent of those convicted do).
• Face very high insurance costs once you get your licence back.
• Will have difficulty hiring a car within ten years of your conviction.

Supt Brown said: “How will you live your life having killed your girlfriend or somebody else’s loved one? Supt Brown said: “How will you cope with a lengthy spell in prison? And even if you don’t have a crash and we catch you driving when you are over the limit, you will find yourself in a cell with enough time to contemplate the next 12 months without your driving licence.”

Please take note of the following advice:

• If you are planning a night out, think about how you are going to get home.
• Do not drive to the venue – you may be tempted to drive home after drinking. Drink soft drinks until you get home.
• Book a taxi to take you home – if you believe that you can’t afford to do this, think about whether you can afford to kill yourself, an innocent person or lose your driving licence.
• Use public transport to get home, or stay overnight.
• Never offer an alcoholic drink to someone who you know is driving.

Ows about this then

With all the talk about you know who in the papers over the last month, how exactly do you go about keeping your children safe?

Did you know about The Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme.

It allows parents. carers, guardians and other interested party to ask the police to check if an individual who has contact with a child has a record for child sexual offences.

The police will only disclose information if it is lawful, necessary and proportionate to do so in the interests of protecting the child or children from harm.

go to http://www.parentsprotect.co.uk/ for more information.

How to report Fraud or Internet Crime

From 3 December 2012, all reports of fraud in the Thames Valley will be recorded by Action Fraud and individual police forces in the south east will no longer take any fraud reports. They will now be recorded centrally by Action Fraud.

If you want to report a fraud, please call the number above (0300 123 2040), or visit the Action Fraud website at

www.actionfraud.police.uk

 

Thames Valley Police will continue to respond to reports of frauds in progress, but any other calls to report a fraud, including financially motivated e-crime, will be referred to Action Fraud. When a person calls to report a fraud, they will be provided with the Action Fraud phone number or website address.

 

The new process will have a number of benefits for victims of crime, including having a central point of contact to report all fraud; an effective and efficient way to bulk report fraud; and an increased chance of identifying repeat and vulnerable victims.

 

The scheme has already been piloted successfully in five forces, and will be rolled-out nationwide by March 2013.

 

Action Fraud leaflet (1).pdf

Cold Callers

 

Police have received reports of an alarm company cold calling on residents in our area. The most recent incidents were reported yesterday (22/11) from residents in Shrivenham, near Faringdon, stating the callers said they were working with the police and offering free alarms systems.

 

These systems are NOT free; there is usually a £300 installation fee plus a monthly fee. The police do not work with any companies who cold call.

 

If you are interested in receiving free advice on home security please contact the police on 101 and ask to speak to a member of your local neighbourhood team who will be happy to carry out a free home security survey of your home.

Lists of approved alarm companies can be obtained through the Trading Standards buy with confidence scheme, please call 0845 051 0845 or visit www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk for details.

Farm Shop broken into

 
A farm shop at Ipsden was burgled overnight on Monday 19th November. It is suspected that a previous reconnaissance had been made because the intruders had the correct tools to access a padlocked steel door after cutting a hole in the fence. A large quantity of fresh and frozen meat and a number of hand made walking sticks were taken and attempts were made to gain entry to other areas of the shop.
 Please be extra vigilant. If you have seen any suspicious looking people or vehicles in the area or have any information relating to this message, please call the police on the new national single non-emergency telephone number 101 and state you are responding to a Community message.

Alternatively if you have information but wish to remain anonymous, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online @ crimestoppers-uk.org. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

Farm Ram-Raided

At 11.50 pm on Monday 19 November a gate to a farm near Hambleden was ram-raided.

Three to four men entered farm buildings and removed many items such as chainsaws, grinders etc. Two trucks were started and quad bikes were loaded onto them. Police were on the scene five minutes after the alarm was raised but the burglars had already left. Fortunately, the villains were not able to take the trucks.

Their vehicle was a dark blue Peugeot 306 or similar. Also today Tuesday a dark blue Peugeot was seen in Hambleden Village taking a picture of the garage as it drove past.

Delivery Company Scam

Police are warning residents to be wary of accepting any unexpected deliveries following a credit/ debit card scam highlighted following an incident in Leicestershire.

A victim received a telephone call from someone claiming to be from a company called "Express Couriers". The caller asked if the resident was going to be home because they had a package to deliver in about an hour.

An hour later a delivery man turned up with a beautiful basket of flowers and wine. They victim was surprised as they were not celebrating a special occasion and the package was unexpected. He enquired who the sender was but the man’s reply was that he was only delivering the package, however, a card was being sent separately. There was a consignment note with the gift but no card arrived.

The man said that as the package contained alcohol, there was a £3.00 "delivery charge". The victim thought that this sounded logical and offered to pay him cash. However, he said the company required payment by credit or debit card. The victim provided his details and was asked to swipe the card on a small mobile machine, enter his PIN and security code. A receipt was printed out and given to him.

Over the next four days £4,000 was charged or withdrawn from his account at various ATM machines. In light of this incident Police are warning residents to be wary of accepting any unexpected packages or gifts especially if it involves payment as a condition of receiving the package.

People should also never accept anything if there is no indication about who the sender is. Police would also advise that no credit or debit card details are given out unless you have initiated a purchase or transaction and know it is from a trustworthy source.

Local Rural Crime

1. Theft of Quad Bikes Etc
A large amount of equipment was stolen from a farm at Chilton near Thame on October 26 between 11pm and 4.30am. Seven garages and two vans were broken into. A garden stock fence and barbed wire were cut so the thieves could push a quad bike across a field in deep mud. Items stolen include:
Green Yamaha Kodiak 400cc quad bike stolen from a van.
Red GasGas 280cc Trials bike 2005.
Blue Kawasaki 90cc kids Enduro bike.
Ifor Williams four wheel 2.8 ton plant trailer.
Red and white Cube high end Mountain Bike
Sat Nav TomTom 904.
Sony car Radio.
Red Britol 10 drawer tool chest.
2. Attempted Tractor Theft
At approximately 3:15 p.m. on Sunday 28 October four hooded men appeared to try to take a tractor from a field at Lower Greenfield near Christmas Common. They were very aggressive (possibly on drugs) and crashed over a crop of valuable Christmas Trees as they drove off. This is almost certainly the same vehicle that visited the farm two weeks earlier. It was a silver Suzuki Vitara estate Y383CGC driven by a man, heavily tattooed on his neck. On that occasion, it was accompanied by a white Transit APO3**.
3. Cables Stolen
Two offenders wearing high visibility jackets loaded cables into an L200 Mitsubishi Pickup GF52 HNU at Crowmarsh Hill, Wallingford on 25 October the vehicle then made off towards Oxford where it subsequently rammed a police vehicle. No one was injured. Police reference: URN 145 - 25/10/2012.
4. Diesel Stolen
200 litres of diesel were stolen from premises at Cuxham, near Watlington on 24 October. The thieves also removed metal hinges, bolts and nails which were going to be used to repair fences. Police reference: URN 1106 - 24/10/2012.

Theft of Plant and Machinery

Theft of Plant and Machinery
Between 17:30hrs on Wednesday (26/09) and 06:50hrs on Thursday (27/09) offenders forced entry to a barn on Thame Road, Great Milton, and stole a Kubota tractor with loading shovel, Saleen Viper wood chipper, Kubota grass cutting deck mower, Ifor Williams trailer and a log splitter. Any information to the police on 101.

More Machinery Stolen
Hampshire Farm Watch states that there has been an unusually high level of activity in north Hampshire over the last three weeks – almost as if a sweep of the area is being undertaken. Between 1 and 18 September, 17 different farm premises in a relatively compact area have been hit with, amongst other things, the following vehicles being taken: 1 John Deere Tractor – 1 J.D. Gator, 2 quad bikes, 1 4x4, 1 JCB digger, 1 JCB fork lift, 2 trailers and 4 horse boxes. NFU Mutual have sent out a message asking for extra vigilance and asking farmers to look out for equipment parked up in woodland etc waiting to see if trackers are fitted and whether recovery will take place. Please can everyone based within a 50 mile radius of Basingstoke alert landowners and farmers that this tractor may have been left on their land to "cool off". Please be aware the John Deere 7000 tractor is the current flavour of the month for criminals.

Tractor Thefts Foiled
In recent months three attempts to steal a John Deere 7000 series have been foiled. The last recovery was made at Dover docks, the tractor had been cloned to an exceptionally good standard, so it was not easy to detect as stolen

Burglaries in the area

On Friday (24/08) a property off Port Way (A4074) Ipsden, was burgled. The aggrieved heard a loud banging sound around 1.00am and went to investigate to find a dining room window had been forced open. It was later discovered that a jade Chinese goddess statue had been stolen.

Between Sunday (26/08) and Tuesday (28/08) a property in Greenfield Crescent Wallingford, was burgled. Entry was gained by smashing a back door window. An untidy search was carried out of the property before entering the garage then forcing open the door from the inside and stealing a blue BMW vehicle, two bikes and a laptop computer. The BMW has been found abandoned in Cowley Road, Oxford.

Garden Shed & Garage thefts

There has been a few shed breaks in the area over the last few days.


Please read the ideas/tips below which may help the security of your shed or garage.

Ensure that the buildings are in good condition and look to improve security by:-

Fixing a mesh or bars on the inside of windows.

Fitting good locks to the door. Padlocks should be at least 6cm/2" wide and made of hardened steel.

Fittings should be bolted through the door and reinforced at the back with a steel plate or washers. Hasps should have concealed screws.

Fit additional locks to up & over garage doors.

Consider an alarm, they can be bought cheaply from any DIY store.

Secure all items that could easily be removed.

Security mark property such as lawn mowers, strimmers, chain saws etc. Don't mess around with a UV pen, use a permanent marker pen or better still paint to put your post code or name on the items. The more it stands out the better.

Take photographs of any valuable garden ornaments. If they are stolen it will be easier to identify if found.

Ensure bikes are security marked and secured.


All of the above is easily done and may deter any thief.

Theft of metal water troughs

Over the last month there has been an increase in the theft of metal water troughs. These have been stolen from fields and paddocks, recent incidents have occurred in the Christmas Common and Northend areas, near Watlington.

Animals are being left without water, so please keep checking the welfare of your animals and report any further incidents or suspicious activity to the police.

Unlicensed music events - Raves

Thames Valley Police run operations with a dedicated response to unlicensed music events (raves). These operations will involve a proactive, highly visible preventative patrol.

Landowners are advised to take precautionary measures to ensure that ‘Ravers’ do not enter their land. The advice is to place physical barriers in entrance ways to vulnerable sites to prevent access to land, ensure buildings are secure and regularly check gates and padlocks are still in place and locked.

If you see any suspicious vehicles in or around your land please call the police on 101 and provide vehicle details including make, model and registration number as well as a description of any occupants if possible as they may be checking locations to hold a rave.

It is crucial that information in relation to suspicious activity or loud music is reported as soon as possible. If you hear any disturbances during the night or see an increase in traffic please call the police on the non emergency telephone number 101, the sooner they are informed the quicker they can react.

Theft of Land Rovers

Police are asking Landrover owners to be extra vigilant following an increase in the theft of Landrovers over the past week. 

Recent thefts in the South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse area have occurred in Kingston Blount, Chinnor, Russells Water, Henley and Fernham, Faringdon. Four further thefts have been reported in the Swindon area.

Two charged for aggravated burglary

Thames Valley Police has charged two men in connection with an aggravated burglary at a pub in Benson, Oxfordshire.

Thomas Somarakis, aged 20, of Radnor Road, Wallingford and Benjamin Sinclair, aged 22, of Blue Mountains, Wallingford, have both been charged with aggravated burglary, false imprisonment, having a bladed weapon in a public place, aggravated vehicle taking and dangerous driving.

The charges are in relation to an incident at the Three Horseshoes pub in Oxford Road, at about 3.40am on Friday (6/7). During the incident a member of staff was tied up. The Force helicopter was deployed to the scene which assisted officers to locate and arrest the suspects.

Somarakis and Sinclair appeared before Reading Magistrates' Court on Saturday (7/7) and have been remanded in custody to appear before Reading Crown Court on 16 July.

Crimestoppers urge people to call in about metal thieves

Thames Valley Crimestoppers are joining forces with colleagues in Kent, Hampshire and Isle of Wight, Surrey and Sussex to tackle metal theft crime head on in the South East.

Theft of metal is now one of the fastest rising crimes, with costs to the UK economy estimated at £770m each year. Heavily influenced by commodity prices and the growing economies of both developing and developed countries, it affects communities, industry and commerce and poses a real and significant threat to public safety and critical national infrastructure. It is an international problem and whilst metal prices remain high and global demand continues to rise, this crime is big business and an issue that will not disappear on its own.

“The summer holiday season will see many buildings, particularly schools and offices, left vulnerable to both the organized and opportunistic thief. Thieves are not invisible unless we choose to ignore them,” commented Julia Hughes, Projects Coordinator for Thames Valley Crimestoppers.

“Metal theft is the hot topic today,” she continued. “We read about incidents in the papers and many of us may well have felt the impact of metal theft on our day to day lives: train cancellations from cable and track theft, loss of phone and internet connection, school closures. However, awareness of metal theft is only part of the battle. In order to stop criminals continuing to disrupt our lives we all need to be proactive, vigilant and to report our suspicions quickly. To this end Crimestoppers offers the public a safe and anonymous way to stop the thieves by contacting us on 0800 555 111 or using our secure, online form direct from a mobile phone at www.crimestoppers-uk.org. But we can only be effective if you make that call.”

Last week Police Forces in the South East introduced a new scheme named Operation Tornado. This will make it easier to trace any person who sells metal to Scrap Metal Merchants and will help to remove and prosecute dealers of stolen metal. Crimestoppers will be working throughout the year to further enhance and support this initiative.

Detective Inspector Ian Wood, the Thames Valley Police lead for Operation Tornado remarked: “As a Force we are committed to reducing metal theft in Thames Valley. Operation Tornado aims to target unscrupulous dealers rather than inhibit legitimate businesses. However we still need intelligence from the public to tackle this crime from all angles and the Crimestoppers anonymous service provides a valuable tool to enable communities to provide information safely and free from fear.”

To pass on information about metal theft or any crime anonymously, Crimestoppers can be contacted online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org through the new mobile site or computer, or by calling the 24/7 anonymous 0800 555 111 number. Whichever form of communication chosen, anonymity is guaranteed.

Scrap Metal Thefts

A total of 25 people were arrested by Thames Valley Police on Tuesday morning, 29 May, after six warrants were executed as part of a crackdown on scrap metal thefts across the Thames Valley region. The operation, one of the largest ever conducted by Thames Valley Police, involved more than 400 officers carrying out warrants at six scrap metal merchants across Thames Valley, Hertfordshire and Middlesex. Ten residential addresses connected to these businesses were also involved. Searches are still ongoing and will be for several days.

Property seized so far includes:

•Network Rail track
•15 tons of suspected stolen Scottish Southern electricity cable
•Suspected stolen cast iron drain covers
•A war memorial plaque
•Four Suspected Stolen JCB/digger buckets
•BT cable
•Suspected unlicensed firearms and prohibited weapons
•Suspected class A drugs
•Over £400,000 cash

Det Insp Rodger Cartwright, investigating officer in the operation, said: “Metal theft is one of the fastest growing crimes nationally. Some scrap metal dealers are not as scrupulous as they should be at checking where the items brought to their yard come from. By working with all metal dealers and other agencies, we hope to reduce the opportunities for metal thieves to trade with registered dealers.”

Fuel Thefts

Local businesses and country watch members are being warned to be extra vigilant following a spate of fuel thefts in the South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse area. Over the last few weeks diesel has been stolen from commercial vehicles in Kingston Bagpuize, Letcombe Bassett, and Appleford.

We have also received reports of the theft of fuel from business premises and farms. Recent thefts have occurred in Park Road, Faringdon, Tubney, Stanford in the Vale and Radley.

Businesses may wish to consider keeping fuel levels low on vehicles if that is operationally possible. There are also products available to deter diesel theft such as diesel dye, for further details please visit: www.dieseldye.com

Ford Transit V569EEL

At around 4.15 p.m. on Wednesday 9 May, two men were disturbed whilst attempting to steal scrap metal from farm premises at Nettlebed. They were in a white Ford Transit panel van, V569 EEL and they drove off towards Highmoor. 

 Police Close Rave

Police made five arrests after a rave was closed down near Wantage at about 6:30 a.m. on Sunday 6 May. The event took place at the Ridgeway, near White Horse Hill. When the police arrived, more than 100 people were on the site along with dozens of vehicles and several large sound systems. In addition to the arrests, audio equipment and two vehicles were seized. A police spokesman said: “The message to organizers is clear - they are not welcome in the Thames Valley and if they come to the area with the purpose of setting up a rave they are likely to be arrested and have their vehicles and equipment seized."

Crime levels fall in Thames Valley

The overall level of crime in the Thames Valley has fallen by more than 13 per cent according to the latest figures released on 11^th April.

In a year where the Force has had to make budget cuts while protecting front-line policing, statistics for April 2011 to the end of March 2012 show there were 22,566 fewer crimes in the Thames Valley compared with the same period in 2010/11, equating to a fall of 13.1 per cent.

Across the Force’s 15 Local Policing Areas, Wokingham experienced a reduction of 21.2 per cent, Chiltern a fall of 18.3 per cent, Reading a fall of 17.3 per cent and South Oxfordshire and Vale’s crime rate fell by 15.6 per cent.

Categories of crime showing the largest reduction include violent crime against the person, sexual offences and serious acquisitive crime.

The end of the year crime summaries show that in 2010/11 there were 172,397 crimes recorded across the Force area which serves more than two million people, compared to 149,831 crimes during the period 2011/12.

The number of offences of causing death by driving dropped by more than 62 per cent, and offences of violence against the person without injury fell from 35,910 to 27,324, a reduction of 26.9 per cent. The total number of violence against the person offences fell by 23.9 per cent.

Serious sexual offences fell by nine per cent from 1,524 to 1,387 and serious acquisitive crime fell from 28,414 to 24,709 representing a decrease of 13 per cent.

Domestic burglaries fell by 8.2 per cent from 9,600 to 8,817 and the number of burglaries of business premises fell by more than ten per cent from 11,206 to 10,051.

Theft of vehicles and from vehicles have fallen by 25.7 per cent and 12.7 per cent respectively, while vehicle interference offences have dropped by 38.5 per cent.

The number of criminal damage offences has fallen by 15.3 per cent, but drug possession has seen an increase of four per cent and drug trafficking has increased by 14.9 per cent.

The number of offences listed in the ‘other’ category which includes hate crime, domestic abuse, homophobic and racist incidents has also fallen.

Chief Constable Sara Thornton said: “Cutting crime is Thames Valley Police’s most important responsibility and I am really pleased that we have cut crime by 13 per cent over the last year. We have done this despite reductions in our budget which makes it more impressive. Most important of all, this means that there were over 20,000 fewer victims in Thames Valley last year.”

Trio of suspicious vehicles

Hare coursers were seen at Shirburn near Watlington at about 19.30 on Monday 2 April. They were in a white Transit van NL 08 PUF, which is apparently known to police. There were at least four or five Irish men with dogs and one young man was particularly aggressive. They headed towards the M 40 motorway with police cars in pursuit.


The Police request that you report any sightings of a silver Ford Mondeo R896 WNB by calling the Police Enquiry Centre on 101 and quoting reference MW/4023715/12. The vehicle was used in a burglary in the Wantage area but may be parked somewhere in West Berkshire.


A white Transit van EO52VDC was seen acting suspiciously on the downs above and within Blewbury, early afternoon Monday 2 April. The vehicle drove slowly down from the gallops above Blewbury, and then toured the village slowly. It is believed that there were two occupants: the driver was a large tattooed male with a white beard.

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.

Landowners join Police to tackle rural crime

On the evening of the 18 January, police officers and landowners joined forces to tackle rural crime.

Approximately 70 officers dedicated to the operation and 35 landowners, farmers and gamekeepers spread out over South Oxfordshire, the Vale of White Horse and West Berkshire overnight.

The landowners acted as spotters, calling in any suspicious activity to a designated operator who then deployed police officers who remained static close by. The aim was to detect and prevent crime as well as to gather intelligence on the people who are frequenting rural areas and committing these crimes. The crimes of concern range from theft of livestock, metal and diesel thefts to criminal damage on farm land, hare coursing and poaching.

Throughout the operation a male was arrested in West Berkshire, approximately 30 stop and searches were carried out and one vehicle seized in Chievely.

On Thursday 19^th January, three males were seen by police with a lurcher dog seen chasing rabbits in a field in Longworth, Abingdon. The males were arrested for Hunting Offences and bailed until 11^th March 2012.

Overnight between 24^th and 25^th January, a local Game Keeper reported poachers in a field in Sparsholt Firs, Wantage. Following a two hour search police located a vehicle and stayed with it until three male suspects with dogs appeared. The males admitted hunting rabbits on land where they did not have permission to do so. All three were reported for the offence of hunting wild mammals with dogs.

Two more vehicles to look out for

A tipper truck V227RBW with a white cab and brick red body, with three males in front and scrap in the back and drove around a farmyard at South Moreton at 12:40 p.m., 17 January. It did not stop but had a good look around and drove out again. Note: the above vehicle is registered as a white Ford Transit Luton van.

Two males in (possibly a white Ford Pickup V312 DTY) pulled up in Hambleden on 16 January and asked workmen if they had any scrap. They became quite aggressive before driving off. This vehicle has been involved in a previous incident and is believed to be on the police watch list.

Thefts from Vehicles

The thefts from vehicles seem to have started up again

Overnight 9^th – 10^th January, Van Diemans Close, Chinnor, Thame

9^th January – Steventon Road, Drayton, Abingdon

7^th January – Dragon Hill Road, Woolstone, Faringdon

8^th January – Childrey, Wantage

They appear to smash the rear windscreen and steal anything they can find.

Rogue Roofers

Thames Valley Police and Trading Standards are warning residents in the Wallingford area to be extra vigilant following reports received over the New Year of rogue traders working in the Ewelme and Wallingford areas.

Unknown traders are offering to carry out work on roofs, including the removal of moss. Work has already been carried out on one property and they are asking anyone living in the area to report any suspected rogue traders to the police on the new national single non-emergency telephone number 101.

Please try to obtain vehicle details, including make/model and registration number and description of any occupants.

Please keep a look out for any elderly vulnerable neighbours and advise them not to deal with any cold callers, thank you.