Attempted burglary between 1140 and 1210 yesterday, Thursday 18th July, on Mill Lane, Wildmoor. Thankfully they did not gain entry.
Please be extra vigilant and report and suspicious activity to the police calling 101.
PC Kelso. SNO. Bromsgrove North and Rural.
We have been contacted today by a couple of residents that have received letters from Nextdoor Neighbour, asking them to join their networking site.
Earlier this year we were contacted by two other residents who also received similar letters.
There is a social media site called Nextdoor Neighbour that allows residents to share local information within a closed group; incidents, events, good news stories, etc.
We understand that if you register with the site you will join an online community that is wider than Fairfield, it includes Bournheath, Clent, Hagley & Belbroughton.
We also understand that if you sign-up you will agree to the collection of your data for marketing purposes that will be shared with third party organisations.
Searching the internet, there are complaints about “SPAM” letters from Nextdoor Neighbour, and people are claiming that letters are being sent to their neighbours from them but they were not aware that they had given their consent – this was the case earlier this year, the person that received the letter passed it on to FVCA and when we spoke to the person whose name appeared on the bottom of the letter, that person said that they had joined the site but was unaware that letters were being sent out in their name. Nextdoor Neighbour have challenged these comments by saying:
“The invitation you have received is from a neighbour that has verified at their address and chosen to send invitations to other residences in their neighbourhood to grow their Nextdoor network.”
“To be clear, we will never send out neighbour invitations on behalf of the member without the explicit permission of the member. Members are presented with the option to invite their neighbours when they join and through emails from time to time, however, members may choose to either ‘skip’ this step or choose not to click on the ‘send postcards” button in the email. There is additionally an option to cancel postcards from the email if the member has accidentally sent invitations they no longer wish to send. “
“We are deeply committed to the privacy and security of our members, if this member doesn’t believe they have sent invitations from their account, we would like to review their account with them directly and are available on help@nextdoor.co.uk.”
FVCA encourages people to think carefully before joining sites and to do their research before subscribing and sharing personal information.
We have received the following message from our County Councillor, Shirley Webb:
“I have been advised by Safer Roads Partnership that the current motorcyclist who is off sick is just waiting for clearance to go back to riding from his specialist. The new recruit is yet to be fully trained, we are looking at mid August at the earliest to start.
In the meantime i have asked our Safer Neighbourhood team when time allows, to spend time monitoring around my division.”
An elderly resident this morning has received an automated telephone call claiming to be Mastercard saying that the resident owed money. The resident, who does not have a Mastercard, put the phone down.
We appeal to you to speak to your elderly neighbours to tell them about Scams and not to become a victim of fraud.
Two Fairfield residents, both in their mid/late 80s, have each received a telephone call, claiming to be from Barclays Bank. The call was an automated voice asking each residents to press the 1 button. Both residents, not having an account with Barclays, put the telephone down.
Please be vigilant when answering the telephone and PLEASE speak to your elderly and vulnerable neighbours about Scam telephone calls.
This week, with the support from Sgt. Ram Aston and Community Volunteers, more properties have received their SmartWater Property Marking kits.
To date, our rollout has been fantastic, most properties have received their kits. If you have not received a FREE property marking kit (worth £25.00) and you live in Fairfield, Wildmoor or Stoneybridge do get in touch, email admin@fvca.org.uk
Don’t forget to put your SmartWater sticker in the window, front door, porch, back door, etc. When a criminal is looking for a property to target he/she will know not to bother with you as your property will have been marked.
Report received of a Black van driving around the village today, driver claiming he needs to get rid of some gardening stuff. Chap claims he has been working at Catshill school. White man in his 50s with crooked front teeth. Shirt with logo on left side something like world gardening. Seemed very genuine at first until he offered the resident a garden bench!!
Catshill school has been contacted and it is not one of their contractors.
Volunteers needed to help the police & SmartWater staff to rollout property marking kits to dwellings in Fairfield, Wildmoor & Stoneybridge that have yet to claim their FREE SmartWater kit.
Please donate an hour on Tuesday 9th July and/or Thursday 11th July, meet Village Hall 7pm.
The more properties that sign up to Smartwater the greater the deterrent for any would be criminals, we may be eligible for other crime prevention strategies if we can increase oiur take up rate.
”Man aged 45-55, 5ft 10 to 6ft, short dark hair and stocky build called at my door and offered garden furniture for sale at a discount price following it being left over from a new build project in Fairfield! He offered no ID. He was wearing a green sweater with company name Worldwide Gardens and a logo on the left hand side of the sweater. After asking him some prices I then asked him where was the new build in Fairfield exactly and he could not be specific and was not sure as he said he was not local as he was from Suffolk. He was in a large black Peugeot van registration MA19 ***. He did not call on any of my neighbours. The incident has been reported to 101.” N
Friday 26th April, between noon and 5.40pm, someone superglued the Hall’s brand new gate padlock.
If you know who has committed this act, please telephone the police, 101 – Crime Ref. 600S260419
On Sunday 21st April the Village Hall entrance gate was unlocked so that the car park could be used for the Easter Sunday morning service at St. Mark’s church. Unfortunately the padlock was hooked over the open the catch post and when the gate was checked later in the day the padlock was found to be missing.
The gate was then locked using the “twin padlock”
Two days later, Tuesday 23rd April, the regular Tuesday evening hirer unlocked the entrance gate and when they went to lock up found the padlock missing. They usually clasp the lock, but on this occasion they did not.
Today, the elderly Welcome Club arrived at the Village Hall to find the entrance gate padlocked, someone had replaced the stolen padlock with another padlock lock prevent Hall users from having access to the car park. Bolt cutters were used to remove the padlock. The elderly ladies are, understandable, worried and anxious (youngest member is 82 yrs, oldest will 93 yrs next month).
These incidents have been reported to the police and the Village Hall’s solicitor.
If you know who is committing these acts or you have seen suspicious activity please telephone the police 101, crime ref: 289S240419
A new bike? Tools? Something a thief would like to acquire?
Have you thought about the security of your garden shed?
Consider marking your property and secure the shed with a sturdy lock 🔐
SmartWater property marking kits can be obtained from FVCA – for residents of Fairfield, Wildmoor & Stoneybridge FREE OF CHARGE admin@fvca.org
Bromsgrove District Council have been made aware of a SCAM email being sent to some of their residents which appears to be from their Council Tax department regarding over payments.
The link in the email takes you to a very good copy of the gov.uk website or the Council’s website and asks for lots of details – including mother’s maiden name etc.
Please be aware that this is a SCAM and the Council does not operate in this way. The Council will NEVER ask you for details like this. If you have any concerns or suspicions about correspondence ‘from us’ then please get in touch with the District Council to query it.
Please make family, friends and neighbours aware of this SCAM.
Members of the public can submit (via a secure online form – https://www.nextbase.com/en-gb/national-dash-cam-safety-portal/) digital footage showing potential traffic offences.
This can range from driving dangerously or carelessly to overtaking on solid white lines, using a mobile phone while driving, ignoring traffic lights or dangerous driving around other road users, such as horse riders and cyclists.
Your submission will be sent to West Mercia Police where the evidence will be reviewed by one of their road traffic officers, who will enforce against any offences committed.
Any footage submitted through the portal can also be used by the Police to help educate other road users and to advise on case results.
Fairfield Village Community Association & Wildmoor Residents’ Association have teamed up with Belbroughton & Fairfield Parish Council and West Mercia Police to make Fairfield, Wildmoor & Stoneybridge a “We Don’t Buy Crime” community by supplying all households with a SmartWater® kit to protect their homes.
To be eligible for your FREE SmartWater® your house MUST be in the Fairfield Ward of Belbroughton & Fairfield Parish. If not, e.g. your house is in Wildmoor, Bournheath, please contact your Parish Council.
SmartWater® is an easy-to-apply liquid that enables the Police to trace valuables back to the owner. Full details of what’s Smart Water is visit What is SmartWater.
Two “drop-in sessions” are being held where villagers can collect their kits:
Wednesday 19th September 7pm – 9pm Village Hall (Barton Room – Enter by the rear side door)
Saturday 22nd September 10am – 2pm Village Hall
If you are unable to collect your kit on the above dates, please contact: email fvcommunityassociation@outlook.com or tel. 01527 833583
Kits cannot be collected by people not residing at the address that the kit has been allocated to.
If you already have SmartWater® please do collect a second kit.
The Parish Council have obtained a grant from the Police Commissioner as well as part-funding the cost of the packs to provide them free of charge to all residents.
Our aim is to ensure that every household in Fairfield, Wildmoor & Stoneybridge is equipped with a SmartWater® pack.
Subject to 80% of dwellings sign and return the SmartWater® registration form, there will also be signage installed in the village to send a clear message to criminals that our community is united and determined to protect our valuables against acquisitive crime. It is, therefore, vital that all residential properties support this initiative to help make our community safer.
In addition to SmartWater® and the signage, we need vigilance to deter criminals from visiting our community, if you are suspicious that a crime is being committed in Fairfield, Wildmoor or Stoneybridge, please help your community and contact West Mercia Police to report it.
In an emergency use 999. However, for less urgent matters for example; if your car has been stolen, if your property has been damaged, if you suspect drug use or dealing; or to give the police information about crime in your area please ring 101.
To share your suspicions with others and raise an awareness so that others do not fall victim of being a crime, Fairfield Village Community Association is the verified Neighbourhood Watch Group for Fairfield & Stoneybridge.
West Mercia Police sometimes receives calls from farmers, landowners and members of the public reporting farm animals being chased by dogs.
Sheep can be savaged and killed by dogs or have to be put down by a veterinary surgeon.
The impact this can have on a rural business can be devastating. Not only does the farmer incur expensive veterinary costs but for pregnant ewes there is the risk of aborting their unborn lambs.
This can incur further veterinary expense but also the loss of income from a depleted flock.
The advice on this page is for dog owners, residents, farmers and landowners about their responsibilities and what happens when livestock are worried by them.
Legislation
Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953
”If a dog worries livestock on any agricultural land, the owner of the dog, and, if it is the charge of a person other than the owner, that person also shall be guilty of an offence under this Act.”
What is ‘Worrying’?
Worrying means attacking livestock or chasing livestock in such a way as may reasonably be expected to cause injury or suffering to the livestock or, in the case of females, abortion, or loss of or diminution in their produce. Also being at large (that is to say not on a lead or otherwise under close control) in a field or enclosure in which there are sheep.
What does ‘livestock” mean?
Livestock means cattle, sheep, goats, swine, horses or poultry and for the purposes of this Act ‘cattle’ means bulls, cows, oxen, heifers or calves, ‘horses’ includes asses and mules and ‘poultry’ means domestic fowls, turkeys, geese or ducks.
What is ‘agricultural land’?
Agricultural land means land used as arable, meadow or grazing land, or used for the purpose of poultry farming, pig farming, market gardens, allotments, nursery grounds or orchards.
This legislation does not apply to a dog owned by or in charge of the occupier of the field or enclosure or the owner of the sheep or a person authorised by either of those persons. Neither does it apply to a police dog, a guide dog, trained sheep dog, a working gun dog or a pack of hounds.
Penalty
The maximum fine £1,000.
The Animals Act 1971
Section 9 of the Animals Act 1971 provides that the owner of livestock, the landowner or anyone acting on their behalf, is entitled to shoot any dog if they believe it is the only reasonable way of stopping it worrying livestock. Such action must be reported to police within 48 hours (telephone 101)
Dog Owners
If you are walking your dog in the countryside:
Farmers, landowners, livestock owners
Although theft from outbuildings and sheds is uncommon there have been a few over recent months across the West Mercia Police area. Therefore police are asking residents to remain vigilant.
Police have seen a number of sheds and outbuildings across Shropshire being targeted and the Police do need people to take precautions to protect their property. Please ensure you keep Valuable tools out of sight lock buildings, fit good security lights and alarms where possible.
If you have CCTV look at using it to cover your sheds and outbuilding as well as the house.
Whitewash the shed window or put a curtain across to stop any one looking inside the shed.
Fit good locks and attach the fittings with bolts. Cover the screw heads on hinges so they can’t be taken out.
Remember, sheds that are not attached to homes or are out of sight at the bottom of a garden can be quite vulnerable. Look at making sure that your boundary fences and hedges are in good condition and grow shrubs such as Firethorn or Hawthorne in your hedges. Don’t make it easy for the thief.
Put tools away and out of sight after use and don’t forget to lock the shed up before popping off to the shops.
There’s no place like home, and it’s important to make your home as protected as possible to ensure that it is a safe place for you, your property, and your loved ones. Follow our advice on keeping your home and property secure from most criminal threats:
Make sure all points of entry to your home or property have locks.
When you leave the property, no matter for how long, make sure that these entry points are all locked. Also make sure you lock up before going to bed at night.
There’s no point leaving your keys in an accessible place – don’t leave them in doors/windows or hanging within easy reach of the front door.
Think about further security measures – a fence, burglar alarm or security lights can be a good investment and are much more likely to deter burglars. They may also decrease your insurance payments.
When leaving the property to go on holiday, use timers on lights and radios to create an impression that someone is still in the property, or ask neighbours to make occasional visits to your property or park in your driveway.
Finally, to ensure you feel secure when answering your door, fit a “spy hole” so you can see who is calling. You should also fit a door chain. Don’t let anyone into the property that you feel unsure about, and always ask to see identification – if they don’t have any, do not let them in.
Who are Nottingham Knockers?
They are doorstep callers who target areas offering small household products for sale. These callers may claim to be ex-convicts attempting to mend their ways, however they are not part of any recognised rehabilitation scheme.
Please warn your neighbours, particularly elderly or vulnerable neighbours, not to open the door to strangers or buy or sell on the doorstep. Some doorstep callers may offer poor quality goods at inflated prices and if a caller is not genuine, they may be gathering information for future crime.
Please keep in mind that if cold callers don’t get any sales in your area, they are less likely to return.
How they work
The sellers may say that they are on a “rehabilitation course” arranged by probation services or other organisations trying to find people work. This is not the case and often they are known criminals. Probation services do not run such schemes.
They may show a card which claims to be a “Pedlars Licence” or work permit.
A bag of household products (including the typical tea-towels!) is supplied at a minimal sum by the person who employs them. Once they sell enough to cover the cost of the products they get to keep anything else earned.
Usually they are deposited in an area from a transit van and given a list of streets to work. An hour or so later they are picked up and dropped off in another location. They often work from 9am to 9pm.
They will knock on a door, offering cleaning items which they know are cheap and of very poor quality; the householder also knows they are rubbish but that is part of the scam. Many people will purchase items and pay them something, just to get rid of them. There have been cases of elderly residents handing over large sums as these lads can be very persistent and confrontational.
The price for whatever has been purchased usually comes to a note; usually £10. The householder disappears to get the money, this is when the scam begins. When the note is handed over, the lad examines the condition and how long it took the person to get it. If it is crumpled, they accept it and move on. If it is crisp flat and new, they are much more interested and may engage the person in more conversation, to obtain details about them. As they leave they will smell the note. If it is slightly musty, this is an indication that there is more in the property. Those addresses are noted. The addresses of elderly / vulnerable / gullible people are all noted.
These are handed to the employer and there is a small amount of cash handed over for each one.
These addresses are then sold in prisons and pubs. If there is a later break-in, the employer expects a further cut of the proceeds.
These lists are purchased by all sorts of people including; tarmaccers, tree workers, roofers, dodgy builders etc., and can be shared amongst the travelling community. Once on a list, your address could be sold on and on. Hence the repeat nature of these persistent callers.
TURN THEM AWAY
REMEMBER if cold callers don’t get any sales in your area, they are less likely to return.
Road users across Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Warwickshire can report incidents using footage from dashcams or other devices
As part of Operation Snap, members of the public can submit (via a secure online form ) digital footage showing potential traffic offences. This can range from driving dangerously or carelessly to overtaking on solid white lines, using a mobile phone while driving, ignoring traffic lights or dangerous driving around other road users, such as horse riders and cyclists.
Your submission will be sent to West Mercia Police and Warwickshire Police where the evidence will be reviewed by one of our road traffic officers, who will enforce against any offences committed. Any footage submitted through the portal can also be used by us to help educate other road users and to advise on case results.
See the Frequently Asked Questions section (https://www.warwickshire.police.uk/article/47353/National-Dashcam-Safety-Portal-NDSP-FAQs)
For further information regarding the Safer Roads Partnership please visit the West Mercia Police Website, (Crime & Safety Section) Safer Roads Partnership
https://www.westmercia.police.uk/article/38869/About-Safer-Roads-Partnership
If you have any information about criminal activity and you know who is responsible but you feel that you can not go to the police because you are scared that it would mean going to court and giving evidence, or you are scared of what might happen to you or your family if those responsible find out? You can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 and tell them what you know. You will remain 100% anonymous.
Always!
Just tell them what you know, not who you are.
Contact Crimestoppers about crime anonymously:
Tel: 0800 555 111
Website: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/
Twitter: @CrimestoppersUK
Do you know about the EmergencySMS service?
It is a valuable tool that can be shared with our communities, partners and even families and friends.
It assists anyone who may have communication difficulties with contacting the police or other emergency services.
The service is free and allows you to use text messaging to get in touch with any of the UK 999 services (police, ambulance, fire and rescue or coastguard).
It is available for anyone who finds making a voice call difficult, has communication difficulties, is deaf and includes members of the autistic community.
To use the service you need to pre-register your phone on the website. For further details go to – http://www.emergencysms.org.uk/
The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) is a free service. It is the official central opt out register on which you can record your preference not to receive unsolicited sales or marketing calls. It is a legal requirement that all organisations (including charities, voluntary organisations and political parties) do not make such calls to numbers registered on the TPS unless they have your consent to do so.
Organisations with which you have an ongoing relationship, for example those who regard you as a customer, (or in the case of charities – a donor) may well gather your consent during the early stages of your relationship with them and will therefore be entitled to call you even if your number is registered on TPS, unless you have previously told them specifically that you object to them calling you for marketing purposes.
The TPS can accept the registration of mobile telephone numbers, however it is important to note that this will prevent the receipt of marketing voice calls but not SMS (text) messages. If you wish to stop receiving SMS marketing messages, please send an ‘opt-out’ request to the company involved.
As TPS registration only prevents marketing calls, organisations will still be able to call you for the purposes of genuine market research.
To register your number or make a complaint the quickest and easiest way is to do this online by visiting: www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/number_type.html
Alternatively you can phone the Registration Line on: 0345 070 0707. You can call this number to register your number, discuss your concerns or request a complaint form to report receipt of unsolicited direct marketing calls.
For more information visit: www.tpsonline.org.uk