Wellingborough District Village Information Guide

WELLINGBOROUGH DISTRICT VILLAGE INFORMATION GUIDE

MEET THE TEAM

Wellingborough Sector Commander Inspector Lara Alexander-Lloyd

Wellingborough Rural Safer Community Team

PS 1046 Sharan Wildman

PC 711 Phil Beckett

PCSO 7124 Paul Hurst

- Earls Barton, Sywell, Ecton, Wilby, Mears Ashby

PCSO 7130 Mike Bowes

- Wollaston, Bozeat, Grendon, Easton Maudit, Strixton, Great Doddington

PCSO 7181 Phil Wane

- Finedon, Little Harrowden, Great Harrowden, Isham, Orlingbury, Hardwick

PCSO 7189 Rachel Head

- Irchester, Little Irchester, Knuston

PCSO 7163 Donna Fenner

WELLINGBOROUGH RURAL VILLAGES Bozeat Earls Barton Easton Maudit Ecton Finedon Great Doddington Great Harrowden Grendon Hardwick Irchester Isham Knuston Little Harrowden Little Irchester Mears Ashby Orlingbury Strixton Sywell Wilby Wollaston

PHONETIC ALPHABET

A – ALPHA B – BRAVO C – CHARLIE D – DELTA E – ECHO F – FOXTROT G – GOLF H – HOTEL I – INDIA J – JULIET K – KILO L – LIMA M – MIKE N – NOVEMBER O – OSCAR P – PAPA Q – QUEBEC R – ROMEO S – SIERRA T – TANGO U – UNIFORM V – VICTOR W – WHISKY X – X-RAY Y – YANKEE Z – ZULU

LIVESTOCK WORRYING

DOGS (PROTECTION OF LIVESTOCK) ACT 1953

If a dog worries livestock on agricultural land, the owner of the dog, and, if it is in the charge of a person other than its owner, that person also, shall be guilty of an offence.

Worrying Livestock means –

1. Attacking Livestock 2. Chasing Livestock in such a way as may be reasonably be expected to cause injury, suffering, abortion or loss of or diminution in their produce 3. Being at Large (not on a lead or under control) in a field of sheep – note this point is relating to sheep only.

Alpacas and Reindeer are not recognised under this Act.

 Livestock Worrying is a criminal offence which will ne investigated by the police.  The maximum penalty at court would be a £1000 fine.  We can provide signs that can be placed on footpaths advising dog walkers to keep their dogs on leads.  If the offence is in progress please call 999.  If the offence has happened please report it on 101.

Cam I shoot a dog that is worrying livestock?

YES – UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES

The Animals Act 1971 states

9 (3) a person killing or causing injury to a dog shall be deemed to have acted for the protection of livestock only if either –

 The dog was worrying livestock or about to worry livestock and there were no other means of preventing the worrying;

 The dog had been worrying livestock, had not left the vicinity, was not under the control of any person and there was no practicable way of ascertaining whom it belonged to.

The following must be considered before you get your gun out –

 Attempt to find the owner  If an owner or person responsible for the dog is present tell them to catch the dog and advise them that if it is not brought under control you may have to shoot it.  Attempt top record footage of what the dog is doing.  Notify the police within 48 hours if you do shoot a dog.

If you have not evidenced that you were acting lawfully within this Act you could be liable to prosecution and this may affect your firearms licence.

POACHING/HARE COURSING

There are many different forms of poaching and those persons that take part in such activity are likely to be involved in other aspects of rural crime.

Poaching and Hare Coursing are covered under the following Acts

 The Game Act 1831  Night Poaching Act 1828  The Hunting Act 2004  Deer Act 1991

The Poaching Prevention Act 1862 gives Police powers to stop and search any person or vehicle in any highway, street or public place, if he has reasonable cause to suspect him of coming from land where he has been poaching.

The Police have the power to seize vehicles if they suspect that they have been used in crime.

If you suspect that someone is trespassing on your land poaching or hare coursing it must be reported at the time on 999. If it has happened and the offenders are no longer on scene then please report it on 101 we still want to know about it and observations can be passed to officers to look out for suspect vehicles.

Please DO NOT confront those involved, instead observe from a distance and pass as much information as you can when you call the Police.

Important information to try and obtain – 1. Vehicle registration, make, model and colour 2. Exactly where this is happening (describe the location as best as you can to guide officers to you) 3. How many people/what is their description 4. Are they using dogs or have you heard gunshots? 5. What exactly have you seen? (i.e. dogs chasing a hare, lamp light in a field, a vehicle headlights in a field) 6. Can you give a description of the dogs

If you have been a victim of these offences on your land consider keeping a pair of binoculars in your vehicle so that you can observe from a safe distance.

By observing the offenders and guiding officers to the location the Police stand a better chance of catching them.

If they have damaged your crops or fencing then this also needs to be recorded.

Remember – If we don’t know about it then we can’t do anything about it and so please report these offences. We want to catch those responsible and it builds up a picture of what is happening across the area.

SCRAP COLLECTING

In order to legally collect scrap a licence is now required by each different Council area and this is called The Scrap metal Sealers Act 2013 Collectors Licence.

If a collector wants to collect anywhere in the Wellingborough District they have to be licenced by the Borough Council of Wellingborough. If they then travel over to a village which falls under another council, i.e. East Northants, then they will need a separate licence from East Northants District Council as well.

Once they have this licences there are conditions in which they have to abide by and two of these conditions are –

 To display the licence in the window of their vehicle so it is clearly visible from outside the vehicle;  To keep a log book of all items they collect.

If you suspect that someone is collecting scrap without a licence then please report it at the time to the police with as much details as you can.

 The important information we need is the vehicle registration as by checking this we can confirm whether or not the person is licenced.  If licence conditions are not being met or a person is not licenced then this information is given to the Borough Council of Wellingborough who will investigate.  Any driving or vehicle offences being committed will be dealt with by the police if a person is stopped, i.e. if they do not have the correct insurance then we may seize the vehicle and report the driver for insurance offences.  If someone attends your farm or yard and asks for scrap or batteries they may be using this reason to have a look around with a view of coming back later to commit rural crime.  Please make a note of the registration and report if to the police.

FLY TIPPING

What is fly-tipping?

Fly-tipping is the illegal deposit of waste on land which is not controlled by a waste management licence. Fly-tipping generally consists of large items of rubbish including:

 A single black bag  Household and/or garden waste  Commercial waster  Hazardous waste

Why is fly-tipping a problem?

 It is unsightly – fly-tipping is a sign of a neglected neighbourhood and is associated with other crimes.  It is illegal – under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 fly-tipping is an offence and offenders can receive up to a £50,000 fins and/or 5 years imprisonment.  It is costly to remove – fly-tipping can consist of hazardous or toxic waste and syringes which are dangerous to humans and animals. Fly- tipping attracts vermin and other pests.

What actions are the Borough Council of Wellingborough taking to address fly-tipping?

 Wellingborough Norse is utilised to deal with issues around fly- tipping and the removal of waste  Anyone caught fly-tipping will be prosecuted under the Environment Protection Act 1990. It is illegal to allow someone to dump rubbish on land belonging to you which doesn’t have a waste-management licence. Anyone caught using a vehicle for fly-tipping can also have their vehicle seized by the police.

How do I report fly-tipping?

If you see waste illegally dumped or being deposited report it to Wellingborough Norse, either online at www.wellingboroughnorse.co.uk or 01933 234520 providing the following details:

 Date, time and place where it happened  What the waste appears to be  Description of the offender  Description/registration numbers of any vehicles involved.

Fly-tippers are acting illegally and it’s therefore necessary not to:

 Approach them  Obstruct them  Touch anything

Notes

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…………………………………………………………………………………………… RURAL SECURITY ADVICE

Help keep our rural communities safe and crime-free

Isolated properties, stables, farm buildings, machinery, trailers and livestock are all vulnerable to crime unless reasonable steps are taken to keep them safe and secure.

Thieves drive around rural areas looking for premises to steal from. If you see any vehicle or person taking a particular interest in your property, it is vital that you call 101 immediately and provide police with as much details as possible – in particular, details of any vehicles seen including registration numbers. You will need to install a high level of security to stop these offenders as they usually come equipped with hefty tools such as bolt croppers or cordless cutting devices.

The following advice suggests how you can protect yourself and your property from crime.

Farm Boundaries

 Remove all gates and entry points that are not used. If possible, establish a single entrance and exit. Put a second inner gate at the private end of the farm entrance.  Invert and cap gate hinges so gates cannot be lifted and removed. Use shackle padlocks with shoulders to prevent padlocks from being cut off.  Install perimeter alarms at access points to the land to alert owners or intruders. Consider an intercom or keypad entry control at the main entrance.  Plant thorny hedges and dig ditches alongside hedgerows to prevent vehicles from accessing the land at other points.  Keep your fences and hedges in a good state of repaid and fill any gaps.

Farm Buildings

Farm buildings are used to store valuable equipment, tools and farm supplies and, when left insecure, are easy pickings for thieves.

 Ensure buildings storage reflects the value of property stored in it. Keep generators, batteries and other equipment stored indoors, locking windows and doors when not in use.  Valuable equipment should be stored in a secure building behind a strong locked door or shutter, or use a metal cage and keep it locked when unattended.  Check locks comply with British Standards, use good quality locking bars and high security padlocks with *SOLD SECURE approval.  Windows can be an open invitation to thieves – protect them with metal bars or grilles fitted on the inside or block them up completely.  Consider an audible and monitored intruder alarm system that conforms to national operating standards. Police approved installers have NSI GOLD (www.nsi.org.uk) or SSAIB (www.saib.org) accreditation.

Security for Farm Machinery Including Quad Bikes

It is estimates that the value of stolen construction plant and agricultural machinery in the UK is £1million per week!

 Store vehicles and equipment out of sight when not in use.  Keep the keys with you at all times or use a key safe.  Alarm buildings where these vehicles are stored.  Photograph your machinery.  Refer to the next page for details of CESAR security marking product which is specially designed for plant and machinery.

Quad bikes are a very popular target for thieves and should be secured to ground anchor points using SOLD SECURE products. Larger farm machinery is stolen by organised crime groups who usually export the vehicle on the back of curtain-sided lorries.

Register up to 5 of your vehicles such as tractors and combine harvesters FREE with National Plant and Equipment Register TER at www.ter-europe.org CESAR Marking System powered by DATATAG. CESAT offers complete farm protection specifically designed for agricultural machinery, quad bokes and tools incorporating the following elements:

 Unique Plant Identification Plate These tamper-proof plates carry a unique plant identification number ensuring that property can be tracked and returned in the event of theft.  Glass Tag Transponders This transponder is roughly the size of a grain of rice and can be easily installed. It contains a unique code number which is permanently programmed into its integrated circuit. The number cannot be altered or deleted.  Self-Adhesive Tag This flexible self-adhesive transponder contains a unique code number which is permanently programmed into is integrated circuit. The number cannot be altered or deleted and is impervious to attack by electric shock and magnetic waves.  Datadots A superior microdot identification system developed for ease of use. The Datadots can be applied to any surface, thus making it virtually impossible for the criminals to locate and removed them all.  Datatag DNA This is a unique chemical DNA solution. Each piece of plant or machinery will be protected with an invisible unique DNA code. Criminals will have to be confident they have removed every molecule of Datatag DNA.

The CESAR machinery identification system is a police approved product (Secured by Design). For further information visit www.cersarscheme.org

Tack Rooms

Tack rooms are targeted by criminals in rural communities as saddles, bridles and other related equipment are attractive to thieves and valuable to re-sell.

 Whenever possible saddles and tack should be removed from stables overnight and stored at home.  The construction of tack rooms is an important aspect in keeping the contents secure – brick or concrete block is ideal and should be reinforced internally with steel plate/mesh.  Wooden doors should be reinforce with steel where appropriate and door frames strong and secured to the fabric of the building. Use good mortice locks on doors where possible, or alternatively use heavy-duty close shackle padlocks and heavy duty pads with SOLD SECURE accreditation  Ideally tack rooms should not have any windows, no matter how small. Any existing windows should be reinforces with grilles, bars or removed completely.  Saddles and bridles should be secured to their racks when not in use. Wheelbarrows, trolleys and other moveable items should be kept separate to tack and securely locked away as they are often used by thieves to wheel the stolen property away.  Security-marking your property can be a deterrent to thieves and makes stolen items easier to return to their rightful owners if they are recovered. Datatag has a system specifically designed to protect saddles and tack www.datatag.co.uk  Rugs and other equipment should be marked with the owners’ postcode. It may also be helpful to keep a list of all your equipment noting down any identifiable marks or serial numbers.

Trailers and Horseboxes

Trailers and horseboxes are all potential targets for criminals, especially if they are left unsecured or in isolated locations. Thieves steal trailers to move large items.

 Wheel clamps and hitch locks are available to fit all sizes of trailer and should always be used. Locking posts can also be installed to provide further security. Select locks and posts that are SOLD SECURE approved.  Trailers and horseboxes can be marked using the CESAR Datatag system.  Mark the roof of a horsebox with your postcode in large letters so it can be spotted from the air  Consider installing an alarm to trailers and horseboxes that will activate when they are moved.

Oil and Red Diesel Security

Thousands of litres of fuel was stolen in Northamptonshire in 2014. Sadly, a tank lock may not be enough to deter thieves so you will need to take additional steps to protect your fuel.

 Position your tanks so they are easily observed from your farm house but cannot be seen from the road. If the tanks are within an outbuilding, keep the outbuilding locked.  Check the levels on your tanks on a regular basis  Consider installing a tank alarm that will alert you if the level suddenly drops. Police-approved alarms can be found at www.securedbydesign.com  Use signage such as “This tank is alarmed”, “CCTV in operation”.  Install security lighting triggered by movement so you will be alerted if anyone approached the tanks.  Consider use of LED security lighting which incorporates CCTV such as “GUARDCAM”. However, this will require an electricity supply.

Arson Prevention

 Remove hay and straw from fields as soon as possible after harvest. Store bales in small stacks position at least 10 metres apart and away from farm buildings to mitigate any loss from arson.  Carry out a fire risk assessment to identify the hazards and people at risk. Keep a written report together with a plan of the farm.  Talk to your local Fire Officers to make sure they know the water pressure on the farm and where they can gain access.  Remove waste products regularly to reduce risk.  Further information can be found at Health and Safety Executive website www.hse.gov.uk/fireandexplosion/workplace

*SOLD SECURE Woodford hales based Sold Secure is the national premier testing station and certification house for security products including door locks, vehicle security, bicycle locks and caravan security. A full range of tested products and suppliers can be found at their website www.soldsecure.com

Follow Wellingborough Rural on Twitter –

@WellRuralSCT

Follow our other Wellingborough Teams @WBoroSCT @WBoroSectorInsp

Please report incidents through to the police on 999 in an Emergency and on 101 for any other reports.

Follow Borough Council of Wellingborough

@BCWboro

01933 229777

Alternatively, you can report incidents to the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or use the anonymous online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org. INCIDENT CHECKLIST Date …………………………………… …. Time ………………………………………………….. Location of incident ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Suspect Vehicle Reg No ………………………………………….. Vehicle Make ……………………………………… Vehicle Model …………………………….. …… Colour ……………………………………………….. Type of vehicle Saloon Estate Sports Van Lorry Motorbike Bicycle Other Describe exactly what you saw ……………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Suspect person Male/Female Age group ……………….. Approx height ……………. Complexion Build Hair Colour Hairstyle White European Thin Black Short Dark European Medium Grey Long Afro-Caribbean Muscular Dark brown Curly Asian Stocky Light brown Straight Oriental Fat Ginger Balding Arab/North African Obese Fair Bald Eye Colour Other Clothing Black Beard Upper body …………………………….. Brown Moustache ………………………………………………… Blue Tattoos Lower body …………………………….. Green Glasses ………………………………………………… Hazel Other distinguishing features …………………………………………… Grey ………………………………………………………………………………………… Describe exactly what you saw ...………………………………………………………………………………

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INCIDENT CHECKLIST Date …………………………………… …. Time ………………………………………………….. Location of incident ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Suspect Vehicle Reg No ………………………………………….. Vehicle Make ……………………………………… Vehicle Model …………………………….. …… Colour ……………………………………………….. Type of vehicle Saloon Estate Sports Van Lorry Motorbike Bicycle Other Describe exactly what you saw ……………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Suspect person Male/Female Age group ……………….. Approx height ……………. Complexion Build Hair Colour Hairstyle White European Thin Black Short Dark European Medium Grey Long Afro-Caribbean Muscular Dark brown Curly Asian Stocky Light brown Straight Oriental Fat Ginger Balding Arab/North African Obese Fair Bald Eye Colour Other Clothing Black Beard Upper body …………………………….. Brown Moustache ………………………………………………… Blue Tattoos Lower body …………………………… Green Glasses ………………………………………………… Hazel Other distinguishing features …………………………………………… Grey ………………………………………………………………………………………… Describe exactly what you saw ...………………………………………………………………………………

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