Covering Arbury, Ermine, Weston & Sandon Wards

Royston Community Team Rural Watch August 2006

Covering Arbury, Ermine, Weston & Sandon Wards.

Cold calling for selling property repairs and garden maintenance is one of the main 'fronts' used by rogue traders who target older people in particular across Britain charging outrageous prices for shoddy work or no work at all. This approach has an additional motive - to gather intelligence, which can be used to target the householders at a later date, most usually via distraction burglary. ‘Prop men’ are the single most significant criminal element of the bogus caller network, playing on the fact that they are carrying out at least some work, however shoddy, thus enforcing the authorities to dismiss the complaint as civil rather than criminal. “I am in the area today only and can tarmac your drive for £3 / metre / Replace that missing tile on your roof that I have just spotted.” Relying on pressure tactics and bullying, the rogues often will get on and do a shoddy amount of work without the householder even agreeing to the work being done. The price goes up to an exorbitant amount and they then force the victim to pay there and then, often taking them to the bank to withdraw the ‘payment’.

I know this is a subject I go on about but sadly it still goes on please, help to look out for the elderly and less able in our communities.

As the war on coursers has largely been won, I am now turning my attention on to other people that I know that you would all like me to stop committing offences in our Green and Pleasant Land.

WHO What to look for Who you Should Call

1) Distraction Burglars, them that Please take all Index Numbers say they are from the Water board, Criminals That Gas board ect. 999 if you think there is a Travel Are;- 2) The Opportunist thief crime-taking place. normally drives a van, 4X4, or an older type car, the occupants’ look a Note the word think if you get little on the rough side, will it wrong we will not mind I normally ask you for a directions if would much rather get 10 calls th challenged. find 9 are OK and on the 10 one get my hands on the bad 3) The Spotter, again not hard to guys, than get no call at all. spot will be driving an older type car/van, the occupants’ look a little 0845 33 00 222 if they vehicle on the rough side, will be checking has left and the persons have your property for thieving gone. excursions. Could also be on a Trail Bike. Illegal Motor Motor Cyclists on Farm land/footpaths, 999 if they are there now. Cyclist Normally off-road type of motor cycle Also phone the farmer, he may may or may not have index plates. be able to intercept them or get further details as he knows the land and their escape routes. 0845 33 00 222 if Damage has been caused and they have left. Poachers Rifle shots, if you own a farm or are in 999 if they are there now farming and you hear shots and are Seem to be after Deer suspicious that poaching is taking place. 0845 33 00 222 if you find shots have been heard evidence that poachers have in Sandon/Rushden. been about.

Village Location Date Times No Vehicles / Max / Av Checked Speed Hinxworth High Street 25/07/ 1151 - 1218 14 veh / 32 mph / 25 mph Ashwell West end/Newham w 25/07/ 0825 - 0855 60 veh / 38 mph / 26.2 mph Ashwell Station rd (40 limit) 25/07/ 0955 - 1025 40 veh / 53 mph / 30.8mph Rushden Moon + Stars 26/07/ 0745 - 0810 40 veh / 38 mph / 28.3mph Bygrave Upper Bygrave 25/07/ 1035 - 1100 21 veh / 41 mph / 28.mph Barley London Road 25/07/ 0915 - 1000 80 veh / 35 mph / 25.8 mph Barkway High Street 25/07/ 1005 - 1035 40 veh / 33 mph / 27.1 mph Pass on information, one call to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111. Every call is treated with absolute anonymity so that nobody will know the identity of the caller. Rewards are also available. Therfield The Causeway 25/07/ 1055 - 1120 15 veh / 31 mph / 25.8 mph Therfield Kelshall Road 25/07/ 1125 - 1155 12 veh / 28 mph / 23.2 mph Weston Demask green road 25/07/ 1255 - 1225 20 veh / 31 mph / 23.7 mph Newham Ashwell road 25/07/ 1105 - 1135 34 veh / 28 mph / 25.5 mph

OPERATION TACKLES CANNABIS FACTORY CRIME CHAIN

AN ORGANISED crime trend which sees houses converted into cannabis factories is becoming of increasing concern in Hertfordshire.

In the last three months officers have executed 20 warrants under the Misuse of Drugs Act at residential houses across the county. A countywide team, operating under the name Operation Miss, is now looking into the organised crime chain which operates behind these factories.

These factories are not only illegal, generating large amounts of money through drugs supply, they are also a very serious fire hazard,” explained Detective Chief Inspector Jon Chapman who heads Operation Miss. “Displacement from London where the Metropolitan Police have had a number of successful operations to target cannabis factories, means that we are seeing an increasing number of residential homes converted in Hertfordshire.

“The factories are set up by people with very little regard for safety and generate an immense amount of heat which is extremely dangerous. To evade being found out the electricity is usually bypassed and this in itself could cause a significant fire risk and danger to others.”

Many of the converted houses that have been discovered so far in Hertfordshire have been rented from private landlords. Most of the time with the landlord having no idea what their property is being used for. Letters have been sent to private landlords and letting agencies across the county alerting them to the problem and giving them advice on what to look out for and avoid when they are entering into tenancy agreements.

Jon said: “We need the help of the public both potential landlords and agents and residents to help us to identify where these factories may be in existence. Landlords and others letting any premises should be vigilant about the people they let to; they should be suspicious about anyone offering amounts of money above the asking price and report any suspicions to the police”

There are a few tell tale signs that could indicate a factory is being set up or is already in operation. These are:

. The curtains are constantly closed. . There is a lot of noise when someone moves into a property but afterwards no-one seems to be living there . There is a strange smell . Paper is put up inside the windows . There is excess heat . There is condensation on the windows or even on the brick work of the house.

Pass on information, one call to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111. Every call is treated with absolute anonymity so that nobody will know the identity of the caller. Rewards are also available. Jon continued: “Many of these things in isolation may not raise people’s suspicions however if a few of these things seem to be happening then we’d like to hear from you. We can easily eliminate a legitimate house from our enquiries.”

G4E; - Ashwell, Hinxworth, Hinxworth, Newnham & Caldecote

Between 6pm on Monday 10th and 9.30am on Tuesday 11th July, a residential property in Station Road, Ashwell was burgled. The culprit levered open a door to the premises and once inside they ransacked the property, causing some damage. A military sword was stolen from inside. (Crime no. G4/06/723).

At 11.45am on Saturday 15th July a ground floor window belonging to a residential property in Mill Street, Ashwell was smashed. (Crime no. G4/06/737).

At approximately 8.30pm on Monday 17th July, a trailer was stolen from a yard in Caldecote Road, Newnham. A witness saw the trailer being towed away by a white Ford Escort. (Crime no G4/06/750).

A 22 year old male was arrested for driving his car whilst over the legal alcohol limit, the incident occurred in Ashwell during the early hours of Tuesday 18th July. (Crime no. G4/06/747).

G4D; - Barkway, Barley, Reed, Nuthampstead, Newsells, Buckland, Chipping, Kelshall & Therfield

Between 2.45pm and 3.05pm on Saturday 1st July, three burglaries occurred at the addresses of elderly residents in Barley and Barkway.

The first incident reported occurred in Periwinkle Close, Barkway, one male knocked at the front door whilst a second male approached the back door, the elderly male resident happened to notice the second male approaching and confronted him at which point both males left empty handed. (Crime no. G4/06/683).

The second incident to be reported occurred in Windmill Close, Barkway, on this occasion the burglars climbed in through a ground floor window that had been left open. They helped themselves to a jewellery box and left undisturbed through the same window. The resident was alerted when she entered the room a short while later and saw that the curtain had been disturbed and discovered her property missing. (Crime no. G4/06/684).

The third incident to be reported that day occurred in Greenbury Close in Barley at approximately 3pm. The householder was alerted to a stranger stood at the end of his pathway by his barking dog. The male asked the resident for direction to Ware and Royston, at this point the resident heard sounds coming from his bedroom, he went to investigate and caught a glimpse of a male entering a rear bedroom. The resident entered the bedroom but the male had left via the open window taking

Pass on information, one call to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111. Every call is treated with absolute anonymity so that nobody will know the identity of the caller. Rewards are also available. the contents of the residents’ wallet with him. When he returned to the front door, the male requesting directions had also disappeared. (Crime no. G4/06/686).

The males are described as white, 5ft6 to 5ft9, medium build, aged late teens to early 30’s. One of the males was wearing a blue checked shirt and jeans and the other was possibly wearing a denim jacket.

G3C; - Sandon, Wallington, Rushden, Clothal & Weston

Just before 2am on Monday 10th July, two males wearing balaclava ski masks, reversed a van on to the driveway of Sandon Saddlery and proceeded to smash a wooden door panel with a club hammer in order to gain access to the premises. The males loaded the rear of their van with a quantity of saddles before driving of in the direction of Buntingford. Whilst the burglary was taking place a car with a large spoiler was seen parked up alongside the offenders van, as the burglars left, the car was also seen to leave but in the direction of Baldock. The value of the saddles stolen is believed to be approximately £400. (Crime no. G3/06/577).

At 1.14am on Tuesday 11th July, at the Snipe in Weston, a lady witnessed two males stealing tools from the rear of a flatbed lorry belonging to her husband. The Police arrived just as the culprits were leaving and the vehicle was followed for a short distance before the thieves crashed the vehicle and ran off into the darkness. All of the property stolen from the lorry was recovered, as was the offender’s vehicle. A short while later and also in the Snipe a Rover 400 motor vehicle was found to have been interfered with, the wires were hanging out from the steering column and the vehicle had been rolled a short distance from where it had been parked by its owner. (Crime no’s. G3/06/580 & G3/06/583).

A blue ‘Suzuki’ motorcycle was stolen from the rear garden of a property in Friends Green, Weston during the early hours of Thursday 20th July (Crime no. G3/06/611).

SIX GUILTY IN CAR CRIME FRAUD

SIX men – three of whom are brothers – were sentenced last Friday (21 July) in connection with the running of an organised crime group. His Honour Judge Foster described the case as a sophisticated and large-scale conspiracy related to organised vehicle crime, which made an enormous profit margin. The ringleader, Nigel Hume, was described as a ruthless individual.

 Nigel Hume, 36, of Trident Drive, Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to convert criminal property, perverting the course of justice and possession of criminal property. He was sentenced to 4 years 5 months, 6 months (consecutive) and 32 months (concurrent) respectively – a total of 4 years 11 months’ imprisonment;  George Hume, 33, of Ely Close, Luton, Bedfordshire, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to handle stolen goods and was sentenced to 2 years’ imprisonment;  Richard Downer, 34, of Willow Way, Luton, Bedfordshire, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to handle stolen goods and was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment;  Dean Kelly, 22, of Willow Way, Luton, Bedfordshire, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to handle Pass on information, one call to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111. Every call is treated with absolute anonymity so that nobody will know the identity of the caller. Rewards are also available. stolen goods and was sentenced to 2 years 8 months’ imprisonment;  Anthony Ashmore, 38, of Southampton Gardens, Marsh Farm, Luton, Bedfordshire, pleaded guilty to possessing criminal property and was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment; and  Mark Hume, 37, of Nicholls Close, Luton, Bedfordshire, pleaded guilty to possessing criminal property and was sentenced to 9 months’ imprisonment.

Nigel Hume and his brother George set up an illegitimate motor trading company, purchasing vehicles which had been subject to insurance write-offs. Through a network of contacts Nigel Hume subsequently obtained access to high-value motor cars – including top-of-the-range Vauxhalls and BMWs – which had been stolen, often, from homes in night-time burglaries without regard for whether the premises were occupied or not. Vehicles were stolen from Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Buckinghamshire.

Hume arranged for the stolen vehicles and parts to be stored in numerous garages in the Luton area, provided by the other defendants Kelly, Ashmore and Downer, where they were stripped and often unidentifiable parts used to re-constitute the vehicles bought from salvage.

Stolen vehicle parts, sold by Downer, were traced via the internet to locations as far as Eastern Europe. Prosecuting counsel also described how a Peugeot stolen from Berkhamsted was found in Kelly’s garage and how parts from a stolen Suzuki motorbike were found hidden at Mark Hume’s home address. On arrest day in March 2005 over 120 officers were involved in a large-scale arrest and search operation, which resulted in 2,500 exhibits being seized.

Total for 2003 – 2004 = 80 Total for 2004 – 2005 = 26 Total for 2005 – 2006 = 6

Reported Hare coursing Incidents in our area.

Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April 03-04 3 13 28 3 8 13 9 3 04-05 4 13 4 0 4 0 1 0 05-06 0 3 0 0 1 1 1 0

RUSHDEN 01/02/06 SANDON 08/02/06 THERFIELD 12/04/06 REED 24/05/06 BARKWAY 11/07/06 BARLEY 06/06/05 KELSHALL 24/04/06 NUTHAMP 03/05/06

Pass on information, one call to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111. Every call is treated with absolute anonymity so that nobody will know the identity of the caller. Rewards are also available. ASHWELL 05/07/06 BYGRAVE 08/05/06 CALDECOTE 21/04/05 WESTON 08/06/06 RADWELL 26/04/05 WALLIGTON 01/02/06 HINXWORTH 07/06/05 CLOTHALL 07/12/05

Please see the new pages below of people it will take you to couple of pages that displays a few people that we would like to speak to

New Link http://www.herts.police.uk/CCTV/gallery.htm http://www.bedfordhomewatch.co.uk http://www.hertscrimestoppers.org.uk/ http://www.nfu.org.uk/ http://www.britishhorse.co.uk/ http://www.horsetackexchange.co.uk http://www.stolenhorseregister.com/ www.saddleguard.co.uk http://trailerwatch.com/

My phone Number 01462425224 (mid to long term problems) 0845 33 00 222 (if you have suffered a crime or need Police within a couple of hours) 999 (for immediate response if you have just suffered a crime and for Coursing) PC 431 Paul Marina. North Herts Rural. Anti-social behaviour Officer's phone number 01462 474298 [email protected] [email protected]

Pass on information, one call to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111. Every call is treated with absolute anonymity so that nobody will know the identity of the caller. Rewards are also available.