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It makes you wonder how deep these potholes have to get before the council...

on Fri, 11/05/2018 - 8:03am


By kind permission of Ed McLachlan - Private Eye, issue 1469.

See more of Ed's work here:-

Neighbourhood Police Update - May 2018

on Wed, 09/05/2018 - 10:04am

Priorities

Rural crime: Hare coursing and other rural crime continues to be a priority for the Faringdon Neighbourhood Team. We continue to conduct regular patrols of priority spots to catch and deter offenders. On 13th April, after a fantastic response to our community text alert we were able to locate and interview two suspects for hare coursing, as well as seize their van! If you would like to sign up to the Thames Valley alert system then be sure to visit www.thamesvalleyalert.co.uk. You will receive information on crime, suspicious activity and witness appeals by email or text.

The team managed to secure some funding from the Community Safety Partnership to buy additional alarms and cameras to deploy to crime hotspot areas. Although we are seeing a reduction in Hare Coursing during these months the threat of theft from outbuildings still remains high. We urge you to remain vigilant and take your own security measures. On the 10th May (7pm-8pm) the Neighbourhood Team are hosting a ‘Cover it Live’ question and answer event online. We want to encourage anyone in our area to join in this web chat which is aimed at anyone with an interest in rural matters in Wantage and Faringdon (and surrounding towns and villages) including residents, visitors and workers. A panel of representatives from the Neighbourhood Team including Sergeant Kevin Hickman will be on hand to take your questions. We are using this opportunity to identify the main concerns of the community and how we can problem solve them and work together on these concerns going forward.

To join the session go to http://tvpsouthandvale.coverpage.coveritlive.com. Questions can also be submitted anonymously. You can also get involved via Twitter by using #ASKTVP to pre-submit questions.

Other crime:

Unfortunately, we have received an increase in reports in the number of burglary and theft related offences in both the Faringdon area, and the Shrivenham/Watchfield area. This has included theft from motor vehicles, non-dwelling burglaries at building sites and allotments, and miscellaneous thefts. As a team we are doing everything we can but please make sure you let us know about anything you feel to be suspicious by calling us on 101 or 999 if there is immediate risk. Over the weekend of 28th – 29th April, the neighbourhood team conducted a late night operation in order to gather information and target the recent spate of thefts and other similar offences we have seen over the last month.

What the neighbourhood team have been doing

On Friday 27th April PC Tom Pryor, with support from the neighbourhood team, led a warrant at an address in Faringdon. This led to three arrests, a large number of knives being seized and a substantial quantity of cannabis being removed from the streets of Faringdon.

Witness appeals

As mentioned above, we have suffered a number of theft related offences over the course of the last month or so. We would just ask again that you let us know of anything suspicious in your area. Anything you can tell, no matter how small you feel it is, may build into our intelligence picture and help bring an offender to justice.

Future events/meetings/active communities

Where possible, one of the team will attend the cake café on Wednesday mornings in the Pump House, in Faringdon town centre. If anyone has a question they would like to ask us or something they wish to discuss, feel free to come along.
Additionally, on the 13th May The Old Berks Hunt will be holding their annual countryside day. We will be there to give out crime prevention advice, talk to residents and (hopefully) enjoy some sunshine! Please come along and say hello.

TVP South and Vale Twitter

Please remember the best place to find out what the Faringdon Neighbourhood team are up to is always on Twitter: @TVPSouthandVale (opens new window) and using the #Faringdon.

Thames Valley Alert

Receive free local crime alerts and crime prevention advice by registering at www.thamesvalleyalert.co.uk (opens new window) today. This allows anyone who signs up to choose what updates they receive and how they would like to receive it. A new option includes receiving information via text but more traditional landline and email messages are still available. You can also filter the updates you receive by specifying the priority level of the messages you receive.

Contact us

If you want any advice or would like to contact the neighbourhood team you can call us on the police non emergency number 101 (or 01865-841148 if 101 doesn't work for you) but if your call is an emergency then dial 999.   You can also contact us via email: - [email protected] please note this email address cannot be used to contact Thames Valley Police to report crimes or for any urgent matters. To view information on your neighbourhood team visit the Thames Valley Police website at: www.thamesvalley.police.uk.The Thames Valley Police Twitter account is kept up to date with what we are up to; please follow us @TVPSouthandVale. (opens new window)

To report local problems such as graffiti, fly tipping, pot holes and

broken street lights please visit

www.fixmystreet.com

Find out more here:-

Ed Vaizey MP - Parish News, May 2018

on Wed, 09/05/2018 - 9:58am

The Prince’s Countryside Fund is now open for grant applications of up to £50,000, available to support community led projects that improve the quality of life in rural areas and that help to support farming families. The Fund is committed to supporting projects which will reinvigorate and sustain community networks by providing services and amenities. It is open for applications until June 14th. You can apply at princescountrysidefund.org.uk/grants.

RWE Generation, the operators of Didcot B power station, are looking for apprentices to work in the gas-fired power station. They are looking for enthusiastic science, maths or engineering students to take up positions as engineering apprentices, including working on non-destructive testing. You can find out more here rweukjobs.com/entry-level-schemes/engineering.

Congratulations to Didcot Railway Centre, which has been given a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Services. The award is equivalent to an MBE for voluntary groups and only 30 organisations have received it since it was created 15 years ago. Very well done!

Similar congratulations to Williams Advanced Engineering in Grove for a Queen's Award for Enterprise in Innovation. The award is for the Company's innovation in successfully transferring technology into commercial applications from designing, developing and delivering the batteries for all the cars racing in the Formula E championship. Excellent work.

This month I attended a meeting of Didcot First, an organisation that promotes Dicot positively and ensures it is a good place to work and live. You can find out more about their work at didcotfirst.org.uk. I also met with GARD, the Group Against Reservoir Development about the proposed new Upper Thames Reservoir and took part in a BBC Oxford discussion on Didcot.

In April I received 623 items of correspondence (emails and letters) from constituents. Subjects raised with me include local rail, infrastructure and Brexit.

Ed Vaizey MP

Please feel free to contact me if you have any pressing issues that you would like help with. You can contact me on any matter at the House of Commons, SW1A 0AA, [email protected] or 01235 768 888. Email is the quickest and most reliable way to get in touch, as I keep a very close eye on my emails and can reply very quickly.   Details of my activities in Parliament can be read on my website, https://www.vaizey.com. I also send out occasional general interest emails about developments in the Wantage and Didcot Constituency. You can sign up here: http://bit.ly/EdVaizeyMP

 

TV Providers (eg SKY) Discount Fraud

on Thu, 03/05/2018 - 5:02pm

The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) have noticed an increase in Action Fraud reports where fraudsters are offering a discount on Television service provider subscriptions.

Fraudsters are cold-calling victims, purporting to be from a Television (TV) provider offering a discount on their monthly subscription.

Victims have been told the following: their subscription needs to be renewed; that part or all, of the TV equipment has expired and they are due an upgrade on the equipment/subscription. In order to falsely process the discount, the fraudster asks victims to confirm or provide their bank account details. The scammers may also request the victim’s identification documents, such as scanned copies of passports.

The fraudsters are using the following telephone numbers: “08447111444”, “02035190197” and “08001514141”. The fraudster’s voices are reported to sound feminine and have an Asian accent.

Later victims make enquiries and then discover that their TV service provider did not call them and that the fraudster has made transactions using the victim’s bank account details. 

This type of fraud is nationwide. Since the beginning of this year (2018), there have been 300 Action Fraud Reports relating to this fraud. From the reports received, victims aged over 66 seem to be the most targeted.

What you need to do

  • Don’t assume a phone call or email is authentic: Just because someone knows your basic details (such as your name and address or even your mother’s maiden name), it doesn’t mean they are genuine. Criminals can exploit the names of well-known companies in order to make their scams appear genuine.
  • Don’t be rushed or pressured into making a decision: a genuine company won’t force you to make a financial decisions on the spot. Always be wary if you’re pressured to purchase a product or service quickly, and don’t hesitate to question uninvited approaches in case it’s a scam.
  • Stay in control: Have the confidence to refuse unusual requests for personal or financial information. Always contact the company yourself using a known email or phone number, such as the one written on a bank statement or bill.

Visit Take Five (takefive-stopfraud.org.uk/advice/) and Cyber Aware (cyberaware.gov.uk) for more information about how to protect yourself online.

From an Action Fraud email, received 30/4/18

Weigh in over HGVs on rural roads - weight restriction enforcement

on Thu, 03/05/2018 - 4:18pm

Villagers throughout Oxfordshire are working with the county council’s trading standards team to police the scourge of heavy lorries ignoring weight limits on rural roads and bridges.

Weight restriction enforcement

The police and the Trading Standards Service can enforce weight restriction orders under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. In Oxfordshire, routine inspections are made across the county to ensure that vehicles are not breaking these orders.

Weight restriction orders are intended to protect old or weak bridges and structures bar heavy vehicles from areas unsuitable for their size or if they pose a danger, for example narrow village roads, adjoining schools.

How to report breaches

If you have witnessed a suspected breach of a highway weight restriction by a vehicle in Oxfordshire you can report this matter to Oxfordshire Trading Standards dedicated Road Traffic Enforcement Team for further investigation:-

The Greyhound Inn, Letcombe Regis - Lunch for Less (Tue-Fri)

on Tue, 01/05/2018 - 2:11pm

Fly tipped tarmac and concrete in Westcot

on Tue, 01/05/2018 - 10:50am

A small load of tarmac and concrete has been found fly-tipped in Westcot (1/5/18).

Did you hear anything or know when it might have been fly-tipped?

Please contact the Clerk, Sparsholt Parish Council (click for details).

OCC have been asked to arrange for the removal of the debris.

Updated Sparsholt Cemetery Rules & Charges

on Tue, 24/04/2018 - 5:30pm

April 2018: Sparsholt Parish Council have updated their cemetery rules and charges.

For further details:-

Wantage & Grove Loyalty Scheme Discontinuation

on Tue, 24/04/2018 - 3:37pm

As of 1st June 2018 the Wantage and Grove Loyalty Scheme will no longer continue. It will be up to the discretion of individual businesses if they wish to continue to honour the Loyalty card and advertised offers after this date.

Further information here:-

Wantage Upcoming Events - June to October 2018

on Mon, 23/04/2018 - 3:59pm

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