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Hilltop News June & July 2009 Hilltop News made hard to access by plastic spikes (which Protect your can also be used on side gates). Security alarms come in two types: monitored, which links via a telephone property land line to a monitoring centre, and unmonitored which just makes a noise if set off. Dogs are a cheap alarm! Outside against theft lights with movement sensors, with good coverage of the sides and rear of your It seems a long time since 33 villagers property, including the garden, also act as attended the Crime Prevention meeting successful deterrents. Marking valuables is advisable, usually at St Leonards Parish Hall on 24 February by UV marker pens, which can be used on to hear Mike Levine, our local Crime electronic equipment with plastic frames: Reduction Advisor, with our Neighbouring use your postcode and house name or Policing Team PC 6150 Melvin Mutch, PCSO number. Lawn mowers and other valuable garden equipment can be marked too – it’s 9418 Les Roche and PCSO 9007 Victoria all a deterrent. Cooper, advise on how to protect our Continued on page 4… property against theft. This article should be a timely reminder, now summer’s here, Cover picture of the lessons drawn from the meeting. Last summer, many of our fields were awash with the pretty blue flowers of flax. ike began with a short What’s in store for us this year? presentation on things to consider Mand latest equipment, focusing on properties in rural areas. For example, where it is possible to enclose a garden from open land; rear fences metres high, possibly with open trellis on top, or defensive planting with spiky hedges can deter burglars. Garden sheds and outbuildings should always be kept locked to prevent tools being stolen or used for breaking into the house. On house doors, mortice locks with 5 levers are recommended. UPVC patio doors mostly come with double locking devices but are only effective if the locks are deployed, otherwise the flexibility in UPVC enables the doors to be easily manipulated open. Similarly, the handles on PVC windows should be kept locked when not in use. With the onset of summer, open Which of our local pubs won the cricket 6-a- ground floor windows are an invitation to side trophy - contested as part of the Parish burglars. First floor windows are not too Council’s 75th Anniversary celebrations? vulnerable but ladders should be secured Find out inside… to prevent illicit entry, and flat roofs can be Hilltop News Hilltop News SUSPICIOUS VEHICLES OR ACTIVITY, no …continued from page 3 our next meeting on 18 May. The newly matter how insignificant it might seem. It THE PARISH COUNCIL devolved highways maintenance operation Protect your property: could be part of a larger picture. Take the e were sorry to hear that Maureen will save costs at County Hall so we need to registration number if possible. Routine Newall had decided to resign as know if services, already bad, are likely to further advice to calls should be made to the Thames Valley Wa member of the Council after deteriorate further. combat theft Police central number 085 8 505 505 several years’ service. She worked very hard We have written to Thames Water and ask for any of the team by name, for the Parish and deserves a large vote of about a series of leaks in The Vale and had he recent vehicle thefts and break-ins which will get a quicker response than the thanks. By the time this edition of Hilltop a positive response from them, subject to led to the following advice. Thieves job just being logged in turn. Our local News is published, a replacement member budget of course. Tsometimes break into houses solely Neighbourhood Policing team, based at will have been co-opted. The Parish Council has agreed in principle to steal car keys, because modern cars are Chesham, work from 8am until midnight: The Council is extremely concerned by to create a fund for future replacement almost impossible to start without a key. thereafter Amersham responds, using their the possibility of further floods in The Vale costs of equipment at the St Leonards Parish So keep keys hidden: don’t leave them on two SatNav equipped cars (so give your caused by drainage problems on bridleway Hall playground. Details will be available windowsills, hall tables or by doors. When postcode!). Ring 999 if you suspect a crime 51 (Black Horse Lane). After several attempts following the budget review in December. parking cars, even on your own drive, never is actually being committed: the police to get some action from both Bucks David Clarke, Clerk to the Council 758567 leave valuables in them. When loading target for response times in rural areas is Highways and Bucks Rights of Way, we have a car: always lock it when returning a 5 minutes. The more we make calls to now written a strong letter to the Cabinet supermarket trolley, or when going to pay our local team the more it increases their Member for Transportation, Val Letheran, for petrol – it only takes seconds for thieves chances of being given more resources, so at Bucks County Council. It is not right that to get in and drive it away. it’s in our interest to be alert and help by elderly folk should have to shift sandbags in Distraction burglaries tend to increase feeding information in as much as possible. the middle of the night. The County Council during the summer. Beware of bogus callers The more we help ourselves, the less must wake up to the problem and resolve it. and don’t ‘cold buy’ from doorstep sellers. attractive our area becomes for criminals. Similarly we are taking a firm line on If you have a door chain, put it on and ask There are several things you can do. potholes. We have invited Jim Stevens, Head for the photo/identity card of the caller. If Firstly, let your neighbours know if you of Transportation at Bucks CC to attend in doubt, don’t let him/her in. Be aware of see something suspicious. You can receive the front/door back door trick: distraction regular updates from the local police team burglars often work in pairs so that if you by email, fax or phone. If you would like to answer a call at one door the accomplice sign up to the COUNTRY WATCH SCHEME gets in at the other. Always keep one or please go to www.tvpcommunitymessaging. other doors to your house locked. Even if org/ , or phone PCSO C98 Les Roche on in your garden away from the house, it’s 085 8 505 505. wise to lock your doors and ground floor If you are on email, subscribe to windows. Grapevine at www.cholesbury.com to When out and about, personal safety exchange sightings with others living in the can be preserved by not walking through Hilltop villages. dark areas you don’t know. If challenged, There’s further information on home don’t argue but surrender valuables. If security at www.thamesvalley.police.uk . We driving long distances to visit friends or have numerous leaflets giving more advice family, consider giving them your estimated on security locks, equipment, Countryside time of arrival. and Farm Watch, door stickers deterring After the presentation, the discussion random callers, stickers for marking and questions dwelt on, amongst other postcodes on valuable items. If you want things, the reaction time of the police any please ring either of your two Parish to emergency calls. PC Mutch and his Councillors below. team explained the most important way Chris Brown Caroline Coates to reduce crime in our area is for us all 758890 758102 to PHONE IN ANY CONCERNS ABOUT Hilltop News Hilltop News 5 land, avoiding some roads and being able local residents while improving service. This LOCAL HISTORY to follow the boundary more closely. In THE COUNTY COUNCIL is an important way forward in reducing GROUP addition, MT Loos have kindly donated us write with renewed staff costs and pensions at a time when the free use of a pair of their ‘portaloos’ hope that ‘Transport senior officer pay awards are in the news. Parish 75th Anniversary – Beating the to be sited at our lunchtime stop over. The I for Buckinghamshire’ Buckinghamshire’s strategic director’s Bounds Parish Boundary Walk circular walk is about twelve miles and, will better identify road pay reflects the middle of the range of because it almost returns to the start on defects using modern comparable local authorities. ou are invited to crossing Rays Hill you can, if you prefer, join laser technology and As your county councillor, I have been join in the Parish in for a shorter morning or afternoon walk. that the new transport able to increase winter gritting routes, Boundary Walk Y So, dust off those sensible walking shoes, contractor, which is ensure that our roads are regularly on Saturday 13 June as pack a bottle of water and join us for a an alliance between inspected by highway maintenance officers, part of the celebrations ‘stroll’ around the parish. Meantime if you the County Council and Ringway Jacobs argue the case for the DCGS catchment area of the Parish’s 5th have any questions please give Chris Brown (launched on lst April) will at last lead to to include this Division and been part of the Anniversary. Aside from a call on 58890. an improvement in our roads. Recently action in persuading NATS to rethink their Royal celebrations, a Beating the Bounds I attended a seminar for members of plans for planes leaving Luton, to name a event has taken place to commemorate Parish 75th Talk and Exhibition the council to understand the financial few.