RURAL UCKFIELD

Community Contact Wealden Tuesday 05 May to Tuesday 02 June 2009

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Please remember that if you are a victim or witness to a crime please contact Police on either 999 or the non emergency number 0845 6070999 as I can not record crimes or take immediate action.

APPEALS, MESSAGES AND NEWS

Press Release

Theft of copper- Hadlow Down
At around midnight between Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th May a large amount of copper cable was stolen from Stocklands Lane in Hadlow Down. 5- 25 metre long strands of cable were stolen thought to be worth in the region of £1500.

If anyone has any information about this incident or saw anything suspicious in this area they are asked to contact Sussex police on 0845 60 70 999 quoting reference 130 of the 28/05/09, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111

Garage broken into- Framfield
It was discovered on Thursday 28th May that a garage in Brookhouse Lane, Framfield had been broken into and a lawn mover was stolen. The person responsible had broken the padlock that secured the garage in order to carry out the theft. The incident has caused great distress to the couple who live at the property.

If anyone has any information about this incident or saw anything suspicious in this area they are asked to contact Sussex police on 0845 60 70 999 quoting reference 655 of the 28/05/09, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111

The Wealden Neighbourhood Policing Team has a new “Speed Watch " team.

The Community Priority Setting teams which have been running for nearly a year now have established that one of the main concerns in local neighbourhoods is speeding. Providing the relevant area has been checked under Health and Safety and highways guidelines, Speed Watch Teams can cover areas where problems with speeding are happening. Local communities have been conducting their own checks for several years now and the Neighbourhood Team at Heathfield is training more volunteers. 

If anyone has some time to spare and is interested in being part of a Speed Watch Team, contact your local Police Station and ask to speak with your Neighbourhood Policing Team or e-mail your local PCSO via the Sussex Police Website. MailFilterGateway has detected a possible fraud attempt from "clu-spsweb1" claiming to be www.sussex.police.uk

The Police Property Act Fund

Wealden Police Community Support Officer Katie Breeds had the pleasure of handing over a cheque for £500 to the New Parklands Residents Association, following a successful application to the Police Property Act Fund. The money is to be put towards the installation of a new play area in the Parklands area of Maresfield. The fund is maintained by the sale of property which comes into the possession of Sussex Police, where an owner cannot be identified, and is used to support good causes within the local community.

Chairman of the association, Craig Black said "The NPRA would like to thank the Police for their generous donation of £500. The money will be spent on improving play provision in the Parklands Community Play Area by the purchasing and installation of early years play equipment and landscaping of other areas. The result will be a more inclusive and accessible play area that will benefit the whole of Maresfield."

PCSO Breeds said, "It is a pleasure for me to hand over this money as I know the NPRA are currently working hard to obtain funding for the new play equipment they are looking to purchase."

Mower stolen – High Hurstwood

Sometime between 12:00pm and 6:00pm on Thursday 7th May, a ride on mower was stolen from a barn in Fowley Lane, High Hurstwood. The value of the mower was approximately £1000.

If anyone has any information about this incident they are asked to contact Sussex Police on 0845 60 70 999 quoting serial 502 of 08/05/09 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Bogus Calling Warning

Over the past Sussex Police have had 13 calls in relation to a man who has been described as using befriending behaviour to gain entry into the properties of elderly and vulnerable people.

These incidents have occurred between 28th April to 7th May in Barcombe, Bexhill, St Leonards, Lewes and Seaford, all in East Sussex, but it is quite possible that he may have called elsewhere in Sussex or further a field in the south east.

The man has been described as being in his mid forties to mid fifties and of stocky build. He has also been described as unshaven or with a moustache.

To date, there is no suggestion that anything has been stolen but, whilst wanting to reassure local people that these incidents are rare, Sussex Police are concerned about the way this man is repeatedly managing to win the trust of some residents. On some occasions he claims to have previously left a business card at the address or that he knows the householder concerned before engaging them in conversation. Once in the house he identifies goods that he is interested in purchasing and actually offers money for them before leaving and saying that somebody will come back to collect the items.

Sussex Police remind residents to be extremely cautious about allowing entry of any strangers into their homes, for any reason, but especially if they are not expected. Stop and think! When you hear a knock at the door ask yourself whether you are expecting any visitors? Always ask for identification from any callers indicating an interest in buying any of your property. Make a note of the description of callers and any vehicles that may be outside at the time and never feel pressured into selling any of your property to anybody.

If you are not thinking of selling property prior to a knock at the door, why let somebody into your house if you do not know who they are? If you are at all concerned call Sussex Police on 0845 60 70 999 or via 999.

Although the weather is getting warmer, local residents are advised to please ensure that doors and windows are closed when they are not in the immediate vicinity to prevent the cowards that prey on our neighbours from being able to take advantage.

Residents with elderly neighbours are also asked to keep an eye on them over the summer months and help ensure that they are not targeted.

Anybody with information in relation to this series of incidents, either by having had a call themselves or who may have witnessed a similarly described male in similar circumstances are asked to call Sussex Police on 0845 60 70 999 quoting serial number 1550 of 7th May 2009.

If the man described is you then you are also asked to contact Sussex Police as above so that we can discuss the matter and eliminate you from the enquiry.

Thefts from Outbuildings - Wealden Police advise the public to be vigilant

Wealden District is currently suffering a small, but significant, increase in reported thefts from garages, sheds and outbuildings. This increase is not isolated to any one particular area within the district, and items targeted for theft include garden equipment, such as petrol powered tools and mowers, off road motorcycles and quad bikes,  saddles and other horse riding equipment. As the better weather approaches, such items are often stolen for selling on at boot fairs and markets.

Wealden Police are advising members of the public to be vigilant, and report any suspicious activity. It must be stressed that the Wealden District is a very safe place to live, with a low crime rate, but a few simple steps can drastically reduce the chances of becoming a victim.

Ensure that all property is marked so that it can be identified easily. Lock motorcycles and quad bikes with a good quality chain, and consider fitting a shed alarm. A baby monitor secreted in a shed with a mains supply will alert a householder of any activity.

Sussex Police offer a tack marking service, where saddles and other items of tack can be marked with a unique number, making identification far easier. A warning sign is also provided, thereby deterring theft. If anyone would like to take advantage of this service, they should contact their local Police Community Support Officer, the details of which can be found on the Sussex Police website.

Theft of heating oil is also a problem on Wealden. The oil tanks are often hidden from view, which in itself, makes them vulnerable. Tank owners are advised to consider additional security lighting. Owners might want to consider building a garden 'shed' over the tank. The shed can then be equipped with an alarm, thereby alerting the owner to any unauthorised access to the tank.

Two simple steps that can help greatly are marking your property and maintaining a record of your property. This makes the job of re-uniting it with its owner much more simple if it is stolen and recovered. The Home Office has recently introduced a new website, where members of the public can create their own secure portfolio of their property online. Police forces throughout the country will have access to the data, thereby making repatriating property a simple task. The website is www.immobilise.com or speak to your local PCSO about marking your property.

Wealden District Inspector Richard Allum said, "We shouldn't lose sight of the fact that the Wealden District is a really safe district in which to live, visit or work. My team are working hard to ensure that the area becomes even safer, and a few simple steps taken by members of the public can go a long way to achieving this.  www.immobilise.com is an extremely useful tool for us and I would encourage members of the public to register with the site."

If anyone has any information about the people responsible for these crimes please contact the local police station or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111. 

Scams

I have received several emails from scheme members stating that they have received in their inboxes variants of phishing scams. The common element with them all is that they are from people from overseas who need assistance to claim money from a will. Oddly the deceased is someone not connected to the email recipient and even stranger the emailer will generously cut the recipient into the spoils of the millions of pounds on offer once the obstacles are overcome and paid for, by the recipient of course.

These are all variants of phishing scams. A phishing scam is where an unscrupulous person makes contact via email, lures with a tale of woe intending that the recipient feels sorry for them and then the temptation of a large reward for assistance whereby the recipient is then meant to bite. Phishing scams are designed to tempt and draw people in and eventually obtain bank and other personal details and then the recipient will end up paying fees to release the money. Of course there never was any money to start with and the recipient is the one left out of pocket and the scammer is rubbing their hands together full of cash belonging to other people.

If you, a family member or someone you know is a victim of fraud, in any guise, call Police immediately on 0845 6070999.

Go to http://www.sussex.police.uk/community_safety/fraud_pages.asp?id=5 for more interesting information, examples and ways to spot a scam.

Bogus bank calls

An elderly person received a phone call from a male calling himself Mr Michaels. The caller pretended that he was from Barclays Bank and was the manager and asked for personal and bank details to stop an unauthorised payment. This call was completely fictitious as the recipient contacted Barclays and they confirmed that this call was nothing to do with them.

In the event of you receiving a phone call of this nature, do not give any of your personal details and contact the bank/building society concerned and the police.

CRIME REPORT

Vehicle Crime

Contact Information

In an emergency dial 999
For less urgent matters call the Sussex Police Call Handling Centre on 0845 60 70 999 (open 24 x 7).
E-mail Sussex Police to report crime, click on http://www.sussex.police.uk/contact_us.asp
Please quote the relevant serial number and date if you are responding to a reported crime, if not, ask to report a crime and request the serial number.

Information about any type of crime can be given anonymously by calling CRIMESTOPPERS (open 24x7) 0800 555111 or email www.crimestoppers-uk.org/

To find out who your local Police Officers and Police Community Support Officers are and how to contact them go to http://www.sussex.police.uk type in your post code and you’ll now find the names of all your local neighbourhood officers. Click on their pictures and you’ll see their personal profiles and contact details.

Free Home Fire Safety Visits by East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Fire Safety advice available at http://www.esfrs.org/

Other Contacts
Safer Wealden Partnership : Dave Law Anti Social Behaviour Co-ordinator 0845 6070999 ext. 33231 Email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Trading Standards: 01323 418200 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
British Transport Police: 0800 405040