Rural West

Covering the wards of: and Tadley North; ; ; , and ;

www..police.uk

Welcome to the Basingstoke Rural West newsletter, March 2019

Your neighbourhood policing team includes: PC Martyn Evans PC Simon Denton PCSO John Dullingham

Come and meet us

 13 April 12pm-1pm at Chase car park  1:30pm-3pm at Beacon Hill car park  22 March 11:30am-1pm at Beacon Hill car park The police cadets will be available during these sessions — handing out information about how to prevent vehicle crime. Community Priorities The first of our current priorities is theft from motor vehicles. Over the last month we have been patrolling rural car parks. Our advice still stands: avoid leaving property and valuables in your vehicle when you leave it unattended. Only one case of theft from a motor vehicle was reported: on 16 March, a bag was stolen from the boot of a car at , in the Watership Down area. The other crime reported in a rural car park was criminal damage to a vehicle at Bear Hill, Kingsclere on the afternoon of 5 March. There was also an incident where property was stolen from a lorry that was parked overnight on the A34. Other areas have reported incidents where tools have been stolen from work vans overnight. Did you know? You should tell anyone your Criminal damage is the second priority. It remains low in PIN number to anyone – not the area. A vehicle was damaged whist parked overnight on even the bank, not even the 2–3 March at Wigmore Road. We have received a report police. Only a fraudster would from the owner of a vehicle damage caused by scratching the ask for your PIN number. bodywork, the vehicle had been left in the vicinity of the railway station at Whitchurch. Over a three week period, garage doors were damaged in Elm Grove, Kingsclere, likely in an effort to break in. If you store property in your garage, mark it with your postcode. New priorities survey Your local Neighbourhood Policing Teams need your help in setting new community policing priorities. Help us reduce crime and make your neighbourhood a safe place to live and work in. All we ask is that you spare five minutes to complete a survey to tell us which issues matter the most to you. We will use these results, along with police and partner agency data, to set our priorities for the next three months. This survey will close on Monday 1 April 2019, and can be found at https://www.surveygizmo.eu/s3/90133219/96024801ea7c Baughurst and Tadley North St Marybourne & Ball Hill A burglary was reported at Cranes Road in the There were three shed burglaries in Ball Hill early evening on 4 March. This is an isolated overnight on 2–3 March. Shed break-ins have incident and burglaries are rare in the area. also been reported at St Marybourne in the area of Stoke Lane on the night of 6–7 March, There have been several reports of vehicles in in which bikes and garden machinery were the rural areas where vehicles have been stolen. We have been patrolling the area calling on addresses looking for scrap metal. when we are on late shifts. If you see any In one incident property was removed from a suspicious activity then please report it to skip. If you are leaving metal goods or skips police. outside your address please ensure that they are collected promptly. Highclere & Burghclere The Burghclere Sports pavilion has been A trailer has been stolen from the scout hut at reported an attempt to break into the premises. Baughurst in the early hours of 18 March. The This occurred overnight on 5–6 March. If you suspects were driving a quad bike. have any information about who may be responsible then please contact PCSO John Kingsclere and Sherborne St John Dullingham at A charity box has been stolen from St Mary’s [email protected] or Church at Kingsclere. This is the second contact crime stoppers and your information incident where the charity box has been will be anonymous. 44190078753 stolen. We have also had reports of youths smoking cannabis behind the church. Online fraud We often receive reports about online fraud. There have been several calls made to the Here are some useful tips from Action Fraud to police regarding rogue trading, which is protect yourself from it: usually for garden work and or building  Never respond to requests to give money maintenance. Please avoid offering work to to (or receive money from) someone you traders who attend your address without don’t know or trust. These type of researching the company involved. A way to requests should always raise a red flag. If avoid being a victim of this crime is to rely on something feels wrong, it is usually right recommendations from friends and family. If to question it. you would like a visit from your PCSO, email  Don’t immediately agree to any offer that [email protected]. If requires you to make an advance you have callers offering this type of work then payment or sign a contract. Always speak please report it to us. We also had a report with a friend or family member first. about persons calling on and address in  Check the credentials of a financial Tadley offering to complete roofing work. company on the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) website — they should To report crime or suspicious activity, be on the register. call us on 101 or report it online by going  Every report matters. If you have become to www.hampshire.police.uk. You can also a victim of fraud or cybercrime, report it to report it anonymously to CrimeStoppers Action Fraud online or by calling 0300 instead of the police, on 0800 555111. 123 2040.