Western Rural Round-up- Week ending 12/10 2014

Update for week ending 12th October 2014

• There have been a couple of overnight burglaries of sheds and unoccupied buildings in Nomans Heath this week. It is always the case that new build developments attract opportunistic thieves, taking advantage of the fact that no one actually lives at the location. If you have any new build sites near your home, please keep an eye open and report any suspicious activity so that police can deter them from the area.Darnhall, Beeston, Broxton and Tarvin have all had isolated sheds or outbuildings targeted this week. Chain saws and quad bikes tend to be the kind of property which is being stolen. Due to the high incidence of such items being stolen, it is quite possible that offenders are watching who is using such tools and then following them home to see where they are stored. If you have such equipment, please try to be discrete when moving it about and ensure that it is locked away securely.
  
  

• There have been three thefts from vehicles reported this week. Two had valuable equipment stolen and the third had trade materials stolen from a works van. If you have a sat-nav, please remove it from your vehicle overnight. Thieves will spot the round sucker marks on the windscreen that they often leave, and will then look for the power lead going from the cigarette lighter into the glove box!

• I have been reassured this week by the number of calls that we have received about suspicious vans driving slowly round housing estates or about cold callers. Thanks to such calls, officers have been able to locate some of the people involved — many of whom are of interest to us. Where no offences have been committed, they have been suitably advised and moved out of the area.

• One possible attempt scam that has come to our attention is where a person receives a phone call from someone purporting to be from a bank or other organisation, requests the individual to log on to their computer and access a nominated website. This allows the caller to access the individual's computer with clear implications for identity theft or fraud offences. As computers become an increasingly important way of conducting modern life, it is important to ensure that you follow safe practices in your computer use. If you feel that you are not fully aware of how to keep yourself safe online, please consider asking a more experienced friend, or ask about computer courses at your local library, which are often free.

• Lastly, there have been a number of serious crashes on our areas roads over the past couple of weeks. Whilst the causes are varied, it should be noted that with the drop in temperatures, the darker mornings and evenings and the activity of farm vehicles on the roads, road surfaces often have less friction than they had over the summer months and visibility is also reduced. As such, it is important to reduce your speed according to the conditions and also leave a greater distance from the vehicle in front. If you find you have someone driving too close behind you, leave an even greater gap between you and the vehicle in front, so that you have the opportunity to slow down more gradually, should something happen in front of you. It is small consolation 'being in the right', if you end up in hospital! Drive considerately and don't get drawn into a test of wills with someone who is driving without such consideration.

Regards
Inspector Keith Curbishley