COMMUNITY WATCH MAGAZINE Issue 18 April 2018
Michael Sheen is the loan ranger - Page 3
Len wins his scams exam - Page 7
Plea to stop gang culture in London -P11 2 Grenfell heroes on the run to raise funds Moped thugs jailed A GROUP of 18 London firefighters who were among the first to attend the THREE men responsible for a series of Grenfell Tower blaze last June are running the London Marathon this month in a motorcycle thefts and moped-enabled bid to raise vital funds for groups supporting local people affected by the fire. knifepoint robberies in central London They are also fundraising for the Fire Fighters Charity, which continues to provide have been sentenced to a total of over physical and psychological support to the firefighters who attended the blaze. 20 years' imprisonment. Full story at goo.gl/fcn1XH Visit goo.gl/cgw91o Sheen the loan ranger tackles the toughest role of his long career
Michael Sheen outside 10 Downing Street when he portrayed Prime Minister Tony Blair and, right, as Sir David Frost
HE is best known for his portrayal of alternative sources of credit. of the government’s welfare reform pro- Brian Clough, David Frost and Tony Blair. The passionate Welshman has set up gramme and focus on ways to reduce He has played the title role in Hamlet the End High Cost Credit Alliance, a cam- household debt levels. and received a Golden Globe for his per- paign group of politicians, charities and He is enraged by curtailment of govern- formance in the Showtime television tech companies he has brought together, ment crisis loans and by the spread of drama Masters of Sex. working to promote more affordable chronic debt but he is also exceptionally But actor Michael Sheen is cutting back ways of borrowing money. well-informed about the subject and pas- in his acting career to take on the tough- His dedication to tackling problem debt sionate about finding ways to improve est role of his career - as a loan shark cru- has been inspired by witnessing difficul- things. sader. ties faced by friends in the Welsh town of Sheen has just finished a five-year stint Sheen is turning into a modern-day Port Talbot where he grew up, a region in Los Angeles, where he acted in superhero and has launched a campaign struggling with the decline of the local Twilight and took other roles that against high-interest credit providers, like steel industry. allowed him to be close to his daughter Wonga and BrightHouse, and back street Sheen wants to analyze the flaws of studying in the US. loan sharks by working to find fairer universal credit, discuss the shortcomings Continued page 4 3
Simon Cowell targeted by fraudsters...again Jail for lorry driver SIMON Cowell is the target of an online scam claiming he invested £500,000 in a LORRY driver David Robert Hastings, 45, fake wealth creation scheme – the second time the same conmen have targeted of Manor Road, Mitcham, who ran over him in a year. Users who followed a Twitter link were taken to a web page and killed an elderly pedestrian while quoting Simon as a supporter of the project. A spokesman for Cowell said the using his mobile phone has been jailed matter has now been put in the hands of his lawyers. for four years at the Old Bailey. Full story at goo.gl/HWGqfW Full story goo.gl/KMtzKy
From page 3 like Moneyline, Scotcash, or Street UK. Since she started college, Sheen has been Sheen is using a significant amount of able to spend more time in the UK, relo- his own money to fund the campaign, cating to Port Talbot, where he has been and hopes to unlock donations from confronted daily by the problems associ- other philanthropists. He will continue ated with spiraling household debt. acting, but will make this project his pri- “I’ve become increasingly aware of ority when he isn’t working, and hopes friends and family dealing with being in to be involved in working on debt for the debt ? with overdrafts, credit card pay- long-term. I have had friends ments, pay day loans, home credit,? he My leverage depends on me having said. both money and profile, so there?s no breaking down in tears “It’s a really hard subject to talk about point giving up my access to both of talking about how it but I?ve had friends breaking down in those things. It’s about finding a bal- tears talking about how it is affecting ance.? affected their their relationship, their self-esteem, their He recognises that there may be cyni- children?s lives. It touches buttons about cism about the capacity of a Hollywood relationship their self- your own sense of dignity and pride. star to bring about change in this incredi- esteem, and their “People often say: Well if someone bly complex area. can’t afford something, they shouldn't?t It is absolutely right that people should children’s lives. be paying for it?. But people have told be suspicious. We should always ques- me in order to travel to a job interview, I tion people?s agendas. People should be had to get a bit of credit, or my child has asking: Is this just stuff I say, or am I mak- a disability, in order to cover just basic ing a difference. Ideally, he says, he needs I have to go into debt. wouldn’t be the face of this “More and more this is about people campaign. “I'd rather no one needing to pay for basic needs.” knew what I was doing at As he points out, three million UK all, the problem is that’s households are paying more than 25% of what I bring to the table.” their income to creditors ? representing Conservative politician 10 million people, or more than 10% of and sports minister the population. Tracey Crouch is one of Although he hasn’t had personal experi- the alliance’s members, as ence, he is aware that it’s something that is Ed Milliband, along with cuts through society. academics and debt chari- “if you?ve ever gone into overdraft sit- ties. The movement aims to uation and you?re not sure you can come be pragmatic and Sheen out of it, you?re already dealing with believes it will have succeeded stress,” he added. in five years time, if things Initially he wondered if he could spend are simply better. some of his savings on buying back bad debt to wipe it out. Inspired by John Oliver, the host of the US chat show Last Week Tonight, who bought back nearly $15m (£10m) worth of medical debt on his show, forgiving the debts of about 9,000 people. But that proved too com- plex. Michael Sheen, cutting back on His campaign group’s manifesto prom- his acting career to try and ises: ‘We will back fair finance providers, make a difference to people’s equipping them with the resources to lives across the country compete and win against high-cost credit providers.’ He hopes to be able to raise awareness about not-for-profit loan organisations, 4 £20,000 reward for help in cabbie murder Prison for acid attack A REWARD of £20,000 is being offered by the Met Police for information on a A TEENAGER who attacked six men with murder that took place on December 3, 2016. Cab driver Carl O’Brien (right) was a corrosive substance in Newham, attacked on a communal stairwell of flats at Vanguard Way, Wallington. Islington and Hackney was sentenced to He was taken to hospital later that day after losing consciousness but 10 and a half years’ imprisonment at sadly died two days before Christmas. Wood Green Crown Court. Read more at goo.gl/PQb7V8 Visit goo.gl/SSD9Co
TWENTY years ago Bexley decided they wanted to launch a neighbourhood watch even though they realised that reaching everyone in the borough was going to be a huge task. But this is a significant year for Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association as they celebrate their 20th anniversary. And they can look back with pride on what they have achieved over two decades. From the early days when they had just a few members, the number of street Coordinators has now grown now to over 1,200 covering over 42,000 homes in the London Borough of Bexley. They also have a pro-active team of office volunteers and committee mem- Watch members and police at the launch of their successful BikeWatch scheme bers who give up their valuable leisure time these are some of the things the do; 1) Give talks to other groups Happy 20th birthday as 2) Attend various meetings 3) Produce the member’s quarterly newsletter 4) Write the NW column for the Bexley watch celebrates Bexley Magazine 5) Collate a weekly information cover in several wards and we continue shoplifting and other crime around shops report from Police teams/residents and to work with ward police team members such as the distribution of counterfeit members to inform Coordinators of to expand our membership. notes. crime taking place in their wards. Burglary statistics support that for Their Houndwatch scheme urges dog 6) Help out in their busy office walkers to report anything untoward they 7) Arrange fund raising events every three burglaries two are in roads may see from fly tipping to drug dealing. 8) Put up street signs right across Bexley with NO neighbourhood watch cover. Bexley though are not resting on their 9) Distribute new member packs to THe Watch Coordinators are also able laurels and are looking to recruit in all homes across the Borough to alert residents quickly, most having a wards in Bexley but especially in Lesnes, 10) Improve communication and improve email network system and some with Crayford, Northumberland Heath, Cray computer systems their own newsletters. Meadows, Colyers, Erith & Thamesmead 11) Meet the public from our stands NHW covered roads also have better which we have at the various events in community spirit with many neighbours wards where since Christmas burglary Bexley during the spring, summer and looking out for each other especially the has been particularly high. autumn and indoor events during the more vulnerable residents. winter. Bexley’s main aim is to increase aware- 12) Warn residents of crime in their cov- ness about home security as many of the ered area and meet with local police burglaries committed are because front team members known as DWO's and back doors have not been double (Dedicated Ward Officers) locked, and that no effort has been paid 13) Support our membership offering to make a property look like it has some- assistance where needed body in, even when people are out, at 14) Complete our Associations annual work, or on holiday. returns and keep accurate accounts Coordinators also work to reduce vehi- Beley NHW is now well known across cle theft and theft from vehicles, as well the Borough with a 100% (or very nearly) as well as to work with shops to reduce 5 London round-up Detectives investigating DNA links to 30 year old murder of Debbie Linsley
THE investigation into the murder of 26- Since the murder, over 1200 state- year-old Debbie Linsley 30 years ago ments have been taken and more than remains open, with detectives exploring 650 people have been eliminated as ways to identify the suspect using DNA potential suspects, but unfortunately evidence. enquiries have not led police to a sus- Debbie, from Bromley but living and pect and no one has been arrested as working in Edinburgh at the time of her part of the investigation. murder, was stabbed to death on the Detectives have a full DNA profile of 14.16 train from Orpington to London the suspect - Debbie fought off her killer Victoria on Wednesday, 23 March 1988. during the attack and traces of blood She boarded the train at Petts Wood in belonging to someone other than Debbie south-east London and entered an old were found at the scene - and detectives fashioned compartment with room for are pursuing familial DNA searching. six people and doors at each side of the The current investigation is being led carriage. by A/DI Susan Stansfield of the Met’s The train arrived at platform 2 at Debbie Linsley Special Casework Investigation Team - Victoria railway station and at around preparation for his wedding a few weeks part of the Homicide and Major Crime 14.50hrs, her body was discovered on later. Command which investigates unsolved, the floor by British Rail staff. The murder weapon is believed to have historical cases. Debbie, who was working as a hotel been a knife measuring between five Anyone with information is asked to manager in Edinburgh, had been to visit and seven and a half inches. It was not call 020 7230 4294 or Crimestoppers her parents and brother Gordon in recovered. anonymously on 0800 555 111
Sex abuser is jailed London after being promised a wage of A special case hearing was held for A MAN has been jailed for 20 months for £50 a day for work and a good standard Detective Sergeant Michael Harrington, a the historic sexual abuse of a child. of living accommodation. financial investigator at Heathrow Lawrence Graham, 53, of High Road, In reality, when the men arrived in the Airport, to answer allegations that his South Woodford was sentenced last UK they were taken to a property on conduct amounted to a breach of stan- month at Snaresbrook Crown Court. Lindley Road in Leyton, where they were dards of professional behaviour in housed in poor, cramped conditions and The incidents of abuse involved a then respect of discreditable conduct, duties their movements were monitored and nine-year-old girl; and took place and responsibilities and honesty and controlled by Lupu. between 1976 and 1977. integrity. Graham was sentenced for two counts DS Harrington, who did not attend the of indecent assault, contrary to the Car used as a weapon hearing, was sentenced to four-and-a-half Sexual Offences Act 1956. He received 20 A MAN who attempted to use his car to years imprisonment at Southwark Crown months for each count; to run concur- carry out a violent assault has been sen- Court having previously pleaded guilty to rently. He pleaded guilty to both counts. tenced to eight years in prison. 16 counts of theft of cash (around Woolwich Crown Court heard how £75,000l) from people travelling out of Men treated like slaves Shaquille Wokoh, 24, from Croydon, Heathrow Airport. deliberately mounted the pavement and A GANGMASTER who treated seven men drove at pedestrians in an attempt to do like slaves after they were recruited to Child sex offender serious injury. work in London from Romania has been AARON St Omer, 32, of Woodford Green, The jury had unanimously found him sentenced to seven years in jail. Essex, has been sentenced to nine years’ guilty of attempted grievous bodily harm David Lupu 29, of Lindley Road, Leyton, imprisonment, with four years extended (GBH) with intent, dangerous driving and was found guilty of seven charges of licence due to ‘dangerousness’. assault by beating holding a person in slavery or servitude He was found guilty of the following Wokoh was sentenced to: six years for after a five-week trial at Inner London offences by Snaresbrook Crown Court: GBH; 18 months for dangerous driving; Crown Court. - Arranging/facilitating the commission of and, three months for assault by beating Detectives from the Met’s Modern a child sex offence (Sexual Offences Act - all to run concurrently. Slavery and Kidnap Unit began an investi- 2003) gation on 3 September 2017 after two - Supplying class A drugs Romanian men walked into Forest Gate Detective dismissed - The possession with intent to supply police station and reported how they had A DETECTIVE sergeant jailed for 16 class A, B and C drugs been treated like slaves after coming over counts of theft after stealing cash seized - The possession of an offensive weapon to the UK to work in the construction from people travelling out of Heathrow St Omer was using online communica- industry. Airport has been dismissed from the tion to get hold of a 12-year-old girl to The men said they had come to Metropolitan Police Service. rape and torture. 6 Telephone Preference Service fraud alert Big Mac and Mozart FRAUDSTERS are cold-calling victims, falsely stating that they are calling from one CLASSICAL music is being used to com- of the well-known UK telecommunication service providers. They call victims bat crime at the Shepherd’s Bush branch claiming to provide a ‘Telephone Preference Service’ - an enhanced call-barring of McDonald's which no tlong ago faced service, which includes barring international call centres. During 2017, there were closure by police because it had become 493 Action Fraud Reports relating to this fraud. a meeting place for undesirables. Read more at www.actionfraud.police.uk Visit goo.gl/fXy6j1
Len joins up to the Santander Scam Avoidance School
King of the ballroom Len waltzes through school to beat fraudsters
LEN Goodman, the former ballroom cham- scheme – Scam Avoidance School...and Len explained: “It seems like scammers pion and Strictly Come Dancing judge, waltzed through the test. are everywhere today, using all kinds of knows what it's like to be hit in the pocket Last month all 806 Santander branches sneaky tricks to scam us over 60s – whether by scammers. across the country, including Essex, ran it’s with emails, cold calls or even at the His daughter-in-law lost £16,000 and it hour-long free lessons during the week and cash machine. But enough is enough. made Bethnal Green born Len realise how customers over 60 could just walk in and “People of my age – we’ve got to have easy it was for people to be duped. take part in a 45 minute workshop to help our wits about us, be more aware and And to make sure that the elderly and them spot the tell-tale signs of a scam that more alert to scams so we can quickstep the vulnerable are protected from fraud- could leave them out of pocket. our way around the dangers and keep our sters Len,who runs a dance school in Fraud is a big problem in the UK. bank accounts safe.” Dartford, Kent, signed up for a unique According to stats from Financial Fraud While Santander focused on the plight of school. Action UK , in 2016 £2million was lost older people falling prey to wily scammers, Seventy three year old Len was signed up EVERY DAY to scammers behind a host of it may be younger people most at risk. as an ambassador for Santander's SAS sneaky schemes. Turn to page 8
7 Sex crimes against kids soar by 30% Asylum seeker attack THE number of child sexual offences in London rocketed by 30 per cent to more A GANG who launched a violent and than 1,000 crimes last year, new figures reveal today. Statistics show there were unprovoked attack on Kurdish-Iranian 1,200 offences of child sexual exploitation in the capital in 2017 - compared to asylum seeker Reker Ahmed have been 922 crimes in 2016. The figures were released as Barnardo’s launched a pilot jailed. Ahmed suffered a fractured spine, scheme to help child victims of sexual exploitation in London. bleed on the brain and facial fractures. Full story goo.gl/DZj5Se More at goo.gl/nnQmKG
From page 7 Figures released by fraud preven- Keep safe when withdrawing cash tion service Cifas last month Here are some tips from Dr Paul Seager, fraud expert and revealed serious concerns about psychology lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire: the number of under 21s being If in doubt, hang up - if you get a phone call out of the conned by scammers. blue promising you some killer investment, then alarm For example, identity fraud bells should definitely go off. Don’t worry about hanging cases involving those under 21 up; it’s not being rude, it’s being safe. rocketed by 30% in 2017, while Curiosity killed the cat - don’t play along with someone there was also a 36% increase in you suspect is a scammer, thinking you can outwit them. cases of young people being used Just say no and remove yourself from the situation. as money mules. Think twice before a status update - be very wary about This is when a person allows the information you share on social media, while you their bank account to be used to Len checks out an ATM should also never give personal or security information to help move criminal funds, and is machine to see it has someone who contacts you out of the blue whether by a form of money laundering. It’s been tampered with by email, over the phone or face-to-face. a serious crime too, carrying a criminals Don’t rush - if someone is putting you under pressure to maximum prison sentence of 14 make a quick decision on something, for example some years. Scotland, which found that those form of investment, don’t let them rush you. Put them off Chris Ainsley, Head of Fraud aged 18-24 are disproportionate- and get a second opinion from someone you trust. Strategy at Santander’s UK, ly more likely to fall victim to ANYONE can be a victim - nobody, whether young or old, commented: “Our SAS has been scams online. is immune to being scammed. So always be on your guard. developed to address the fact This may seem surprising - after that more needs to be done to all this is the generation that has help older people who may be grown up with the internet and vulnerable to falling victim to so may be expected to be pretty fraudsters and scammers. tech savvy. “Our research has given us However, there are concerns important insight into what that this familiarity with the inter- really worries them, and of net has led to complacency, with course our own data provides a young people playing fast and picture of the kind of scams loose with their personal details that they are falling for. online. “We believe that education Scammers don’t care about the and public awareness is date on your birth certificate - absolutely key to tackling what they just want your cash. is currently one of the biggest Thankfully there are plenty of threats to the security of peo- simple steps you can take to keep ple’s finances. their grubby hands at bay. “We hope that with a little bit of scam-avoidance knowledge, our over 60 pupils can feel empowered to stop scammers in their tracks.” Simon Dukes, chief executive of Cifas, says: “It is critical that we take every opportunity to edu- People of my age cate young people on how to have got to have protect themselves from being either fraud victims or fraud per- their wits about petrators.” them and be This follows a study last year from think tank Policy Network, alert to scams commissioned by Royal Bank of Len Goodman 8 Rogue landlords to be hit in the pocket Scooter safety scheme ROGUE landlords who leave tenants living in appalling conditions will have to “LOCK, CHAIN AND COVER your scooter bring their homes up to scratch or pay tenants back up to a year’s rent under new to make it less visible to thieves” is the measures passed by Hackney Council. Powers signed off by the cabinet last message of the Met’s new campaign month mean the landlords of more than 1,500 properties across the borough will urging riders of scooters, motorcycles need a licence requiring the homes to be of acceptable standard. and mopeds to use extra security. Read full story at goo.gl/TeJzyN Visit goo.gl/EEd6Pc
We have seen a rise in the number of ski chalet fraud reports over the last two years.” Action Fraud
Ski lovers are on a slippery slope
IF you’re planning a last minute skiing “We have seen a rise in the number of ski warnings about the company. holidays then, Action Fraud and the chalet fraud reports made over the past Stay safe online: Check the web National Fraud Intelligence Bureau two years and the impact of falling victim address is legitimate and has not been (NFIB) are warning of the threat posed to this type of fraud can be far greater altered by slight changes to a domain by fraudsters. than the financial loss, name – such as going from .co.uk to .org In 2017, victims of ski chalet fraud lost a “People can end up missing out on a Pay safe: Be cautious if you're asked to total of £231,875 to fraudsters. This is an well-deserved break and left with feelings pay directly into a private individual’s average of £2016 per person and an eight of distrust which may stop them from bank account. Paying by direct bank percent increase on the year before. booking online in the future. We hope transfer is like paying by cash – the Reports show that fraudsters are selling that by raising awareness, people will feel money is very difficult to trace and is not bogus ski chalet holidays to unsuspecting better able to protect themselves refundable. Wherever possible, pay by victims who are paying large deposits for “We recommend that you are thorough credit card or a debit card. a property. Once they make the payment when researching a last minute holiday Check paperwork: You should study they never hear from the property agent and that you book directly with an airline receipts, invoices as well as terms and again. or hotel, or through a reputable agent. conditions. Be very wary of any compa- In some instances, victims will turn up “When deciding to deal directly with a nies that don’t provide any at all. in the mountains to find their chosen property owner or letting agent, be sure Look for the logo: Check whether the chalet does not exist or is being used by to ask them questions about the booking, company is a member of a recognised other holidaymakers. room, location and area. trade body such as ABTA. If you have any The vast majority of people who go on “We urge anyone who believes they doubts, you can verify membership of winter sports holidays have a trouble free have been a victim of fraud to report the ABTA. experience, but for some, problems can incident to Action Fraud.” Take out travel insurance: Always occur. Minimise the risks of falling victim to ski make sure that you have adequate insur- Holidaymakers booking their flights, holiday fraud: ance in place. This can be brought directly transfers and chalets online through sepa- Do your research: Don’t just rely on from an insurance broker or the travel rate suppliers are particularly vulnerable one review - do a thorough online search company. to offers that on the surface appears to check the holiday company’s creden- Get free expert advice: For further great value for money, but in reality are a tials. If a company is defrauding people advice on how to stay safe when booking scam. there is a good chance that consumers or researching travel online, go to Get Head of Action Fraud, Pauline Smith, said: will post details of their experiences, and Safe Online. 9
People have suffered an injustice Government alerted “Faced with these very serious allegations it’s clearly important they are MP Norman Lamb has written to thoroughly investigated. What we have to avoid at all cost is that those Nicky Morgan, (left), chairwoman of people who have already suffered an injustice - suffered a loss, sometimes the Treasury Select Committee, asking catastrophic loss as a result of banking malpractice at RBS - then suffer fur- her to look at the case to get justice ther loss if there is malpractice in the action to recover losses.” for the thousands of investors. MP Norman Lamb, below See below Where has our money gone to?
THIS is the exclusive up-market area of the action group’s claim, but never actually about a contract to pay £20 million to a Eaton Square, Belgravia, where wealthy existed. This would have inflated the claim. company called Evalusafety. Irish businessman Gerard Walsh lives and Now, MP Norman Lamb has written to The shareholder action group blames and where properties sell for up to £6 mil- Nicky Morgan, chairwoman of the Treasury Signature Litigation for delays in making lion and over. Select Committee, asking her to look at the payouts to investors. It has lodged a com- Sixty year old Walsh was celebrated as case and the Ministry of Justice and plaint about Signature with the Solicitors something of a hero by thousands of Financial Conduct Authority have been Regulation Authority. investors when he set up the RboS made aware of the situation. The SRA said: “We are aware that a com- Shareholders Action Group and began legal Mr Lamb said: “Faced with these very seri- plaint has been made and will assess it action against the banking giants for tempt- ous allegations it’s clearly important they before deciding on any next steps.” ing them into buying shares during the are thoroughly investigated. A spokesman for Signature Litigation said: notorious Fred Goodwin era. “My acute interest is in securing justice for “The Action Group company is not our The Royal Bank of Scotland eventually the victims of banking malpractice, and I am client and has not shown us the complaint, agreed a £200 million pound settlement last really concerned to hear of these allega- which it has confirmed is not on behalf of year and it seemed a triumph for thousands tions. any claimant. of small investors over a ruthless and “What we have to avoid at all cost is that “We view it as a bogus stunt from Mr oppressive bank. those people who have already suffered a Walsh and his associates.He is a proven But, a The Mail on Sunday investigation loss, sometimes catastrophic loss as a result fraudster who has been the main force has discovered investors are still waiting for of banking malpractice at RBS, then suffer behind its activities and dealings with us.” their money. And there are troubling ques- further loss if there is malpractice in the Walsh duped the Nolan family – who run tions surrounding the action group itself. action to recover losses.” a haulage business in the UK and Ireland – The newspaper has revealed that Gerard London law firm Signature Litigation, in a multi-million pound investment Walsh, named as a fraudster by Jersey’s which is handling the case, blames the RBS scam.They were awarded £15 million dam- Royal Court – is trying to claim for himself Shareholders Action Group and its co- ages by a judge. millions of pounds through a secretive com- founder Gerard Walsh, who it described as Walsh was also stripped of an honorary pany a ‘proven fraudster.’ fellowship awarded by Cardiff University Lawyers say they have uncovered 90 mil- Lawyers have a number of concerns about after he promised a £2.5 million donation lion ‘phantom’ shares that formed part of the action group. These include questions that never materialised. 10 Businesses backing Mayor’s acid charter £100,000 burglary spree TOWER Hamlets mayor John Biggs (right) has been drumming up support TWO men have each been sentenced to for his acid charter by signing up more than 100 businesses who pledge not six years in prison for burglary offences to sell corrosive products to anyone under 18 and will demand proof of in Waltham Forest, Haringey and age from anyone who looks under 25. Tower Hamlets had the second high- Enfield that is believed to have netted est rate of acid attacks in London in the past three years, with 98 offences. them around £100,000. Full story goo.gl/t7kB4d Log onto goo.gl/hfky9S
THE City of London Police has expanded an innovative scheme that will introduce emergency trauma pack training to police officers in the Square Mile. Sixty officers in total from the City of London will be trained to use the kits which will be stored at various locations across the City. Each pack is filled with specialist medical equipment to treat casualties in the event of a terrorist attack or major inci- dent. The locations of the packs are plotted on a map so that the police control room are able to make use of the packs in the event of a major incident. The initial trauma pack scheme was launched last year. There are now almost 100 bags in various premises around the City and staff at all of these premises have received training in how to use them. The kits contain around 40 items includ- ing face masks, batteries, ice packs, goggles, adhesive dressings, eye pads, and more. ‘Help us stop the gang culture’
GANG violence has become an epidemic in based on intelligence - from police, our part- people included. Inclusion is kept under London with 16 youngsters stabbed to ner agencies, and from Londoners - our constant review and whilst about 3,500 death in January and February alone. communities. people are currently included, since 2012 Many of those deaths were linked to gang “The matrix is then used to target activity over 4,000 people have been removed. crime and now Commander Jim Stokley - to reduce the risks of violence posed by or “This is often for very positive reasons: head of the Met's response to gang crime - threatened against our young people. That they have left the gang lifestyle; been suc- talks about the ongoing work to manage can be any number of things from diversion cessfully diverted from crime. the threats posed by gang violence . schemes, including help with employment, “In some cases, where we have the right He said: “This year violent crime, and its to enforcement activity. level of evidence, they have been deported. fatal consequences, has often been in the "I know that some people have been criti- But sadly there will be some who have died, headlines for very real and sadly obvious cal of the matrix and that is why it's impor- including being murdered. reasons. tant that we take every opportunity we can “The Met is determined that we will play “The statistics speak for themselves, but to explain what it is, and what it isn't. our part in making sure our young people those statistics represent young people - “In the aftermath of the London riots of know they have choices, they can get sup- much loved sons, brothers, friends. We 2011, the Met realised that we did not must never forget the human tragedy and understand as we should have which of port to turn away from gangs, that our intel- cost. London's young people were in gangs and ligence is for their protection from harm as “Broadly speaking, half of all gun crime is which areas of London they were linked to. equally as it is for enforcement. linked to gangs and around 20% of knife “Since then we invested a lot of time in “What we want is to do all we can to stop crime is too. understanding who is likely to be a victim, young people from joining a gang in the first “The gang violence matrix is an intelli- or aggressor, or both. place. Londoners can help us - we all have a gence tool that the Met uses to understand "We use a very strict criteria - the thresh- part to play. the threat of violence posed by gangs and old for including a person on the matrix is “If you know of a youngster at risk of also importantly to gang members. high; only where we have at least two cor- being drawn into a gang, or who is already “It really can save lives. We build a picture roborated pieces of tested intelligence are part of one, please tell us."
11 Home and away
Fake whisky crackdown Art case collapses because fakes were real MORE than 60 legal battles to protect ONE of the biggest art fraud cases of recent years collapsed after a German court Scotch whisky from unscrupulous coun- ruled that a collection of paintings worth up to £2.8m seized by the authorities as terfeiters are being fought around the suspected forgeries is almost certainly genuine. world. Itzhak Zarug, a 70-year-old Israeli art dealer who was arrested by German police For the first time in its 106-year history, and held for three years on charges of running an international fraud ring was the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has cleared of all charges. revealed the scale of its efforts to tackle The court ordered that Mr Zarug be returned all but three of his collection of 1,800 fake products that cost genuine, home- Russian modernist paintings, which were seized by police in 2013. grown brands millions of pounds in lost In a deeply embarrassing judgement for the German authorities, the court ruled revenue each year. that a five-year international investigation had found no evidence to back claims the The SWA revealed that it routinely hires paintings were forged. private investigators to help identify the Mr Zarug personally built up one of the world’s leading collections of Russian sale of counterfeit whiskies and gather avant garde paintings by hunting down lost works in eastern Europe after the fall of evidence against those behind the scams. communism. In addition to scouring the internet for Conservative German estimates put the value of the collection today at €750m evidence of fakes, the SWA uses trusted (£660m) but experts say it could be worth as much as $4bn (£2.8bn) if the art mar- investigators to carry out surveillance ket accepts that the paintings are genuine. operations. Kenny Gray, senior legal counsel at the SWA, said hundreds of reports of fake whisky are being investigated at any one time. Clergy on theft charge A GROUP of Catholic clergymen including a bishop have been arrested in Brazil, accused of embezzling £426,000 of church donations, funeral fees and fundraising cash found hidden behind a false wall. The Bishop of Formosa, Jose Ribeiro, alongside five priests and three lay peo- ple were detained in prison in Goiás charged with stealing over two million reais (£426,000) from church funds. When police raided one of the priests' Itzhak Zarug with one of his many genuine works of art homes, officers prised open a false wall in to find some £19,200 stored in plastic debate over China’s fundraising system, RepKnight searched the dark web and bags and hidden away. which outlaws all forms of private lend- found more than twice as many stolen The money was allegedly stolen over a ing, though some thought the original Cambridge email addresses as Oxford three-year period from tithes, donations, sentence was too harsh. email addresses. fundraising events and from fees collect- After a retrial in 2012, her sentence As part of their campaign to raise ed for ceremonies such as baptisms and was reduced to death with a two-year awareness of hacked credentials, the firm weddings. reprieve. The sentence was then com- scoured the dark web for stolen Oxbridge muted to life imprisonment in 2014. email addresses using their monitoring That’s a close shave The Zhejiang native opened a hair salon tool Breach Alert. A SELF-made Chinese businesswoman, in 1997 and later became the president They found around 400,000 stolen originally handed the death penalty for of her own investment firm Bense. addresses with the cam.ac.uk domain, cheating investors out of millions, has and less than half that number with the had her sentence reduced again to a 25- Sunk by bitter rivals ox.ac.uk domain. year jail term. CAMBRIDGE may have beaten Oxford in The addresses were found across In 2007, Wu Ying was convicted of the boat race but now they have numerous dark web sites that serve as cheating investors out of 380 million smashed by their bitter rivals...in the warehouses for stolen information. yuan ($60 million) from May 2005 to technology field. Collectively, those warehouses store January 2007 in lending scams. Two years Oxford University’s quality of data pro- “more than five billion stolen, leaked or later, she was sentenced to death. tection is far better than Cambridge’s, hacked credentials.” Her case had sparked heated public according to a leading cybersecurity firm.
12 Kensington probe new Grenfell fire fraud Watch robbery appeal KENSINGTON Council is investigating claims that a well known cash for crash DETECTIVES appealing for information fraudster used the Grenfell Tower disaster to claim more than £1million in aid and after a man was robbed at gun point a new luxury flat for 15 members of his family. It has since emerged that only four have released an image of the unique names are believed to appear on the agreement for the flat despite numerous expensive watch that was stolen members of the Naqshbandi family claiming to live there. in Croydon last month. Read more at goo.gl/2wKvzr Visit goo.gl/wSt3S3 Tooting team scoop top Met award
PC Keith Palmer’s courage and his dedication to duty in confronting a vicious terrorist is testimony to the bravery shown every day by our police. Amber Rudd
BIG salute this month to the Tooting session of weapons. Year Award was Shane Clarke, a Special Safer Neighbourhoods Team who have To target drugs and knife crime, the Police Sergeant based in Barnet. been crowned London’s team of the team executed more than 50 warrants Shane volunteers on average 48 hours year. and carried out numerous weapons a week on top of working full time as a The team won their trophy at the annu- sweeps, which recovered more than 100 postman. He also manages the develop- al Met Excellence Awards held at Tooting knives and weapons, and more than ment of all the borough’s special consta- Town Centre last month. £150,000 worth of drugs. bles and trains new recruits. It was the first time in awards history When community tensions and disor- It was an emotional moment at the that Londoners were given the opportu- der arose following the local mosque’s ceremony when PC Keith Palmer was nity to vote in two categories, the Safer ban on the practice of self-flagellation honoured with the Bravery of the Year Neighbourhoods Team of the Year and during the Muslim festival of Ashura, the award for his courageous actions outside Special Constable of the Year. team arranged visits to the mosque. the Houses of Parliament on March 22 Tooting, who were presented with During these visits, they addressed the last year when he sacrificed his life to their award by Mayor Sadiq Khan, were thousands of worshippers who come to protect his colleagues and members of nominated for their efforts in tackling Tooting each year to participate, the public. anti-social behaviour, drugs and knife explained the ban and the mosque’s crime and their work to resolve commu- desire to increase family attendance. Home Secretary Amber Rudd said of nity tensions during the Muslim festival They also identified those intending to the award: “PC Keith Palmer gave his life of Ashura. break the ban and supported the mosque to protect the public. His courage and Tooting was experiencing a drug and in getting more than 30 injunctions dedication to duty in confronting a anti-social behaviour problem, which against them. vicious terrorist is testimony to the brav- escalated into gang and youth violence. As a result of the team’s actions, atten- ery shown every day by our police, who The team identified eight gang mem- dance increased by 30 per cent, no-one work so hard to keep us safe. bers from a rap video posted on YouTube broke the ban and the team received the “It is absolutely fitting that PC Palmer and they were prosecuted for 33 Community PEACE award. and the outstanding bravery he showed offences, including drug supply and pos- Scooping the Special Constable of the have been honoured in this way.” 13 “I am doing everything to be tough on crime” Award for Trust “As Mayor, I’m doing everything possible in London not only to be tough THE Flavasum Trust has been given on knife crime, but tough on the causes of knife crime too. City Hall has £14,016 to deliver awareness-rais- stepped up where the government is letting our young people down. We ing workshops to 4,000 pupils in 20 are providing unprecedented additional funds to the Met police, driving London schools in areas worst forward a full and comprehensive Knife Crime Strategy.” affected by knife crime. Sadiq Khan’s pledge, see below See below Last month we highlighted how knife crime had got out of hand in London. Now Mayor Sadiq Khan has pledged funds to tackle the growing problem on the capital’s streets and promises to be tough on knife crime.
Khan’s cash to tackle knife crime
NINE community and grassroots anti- comprehensive Knife Crime Strategy pub- consultation events for 100 Somali par- knife initiatives across London have lished in June 2017, which included a ents and young people in Southwark to received a share of £250,000 from City £250,000 Knife Crime Community Seed raise awareness of knife crime Hall as part of the Mayor’s comprehen- Fund. Since then, Sadiq has provided an Hammersmith and Fulham Anti- sive strategy to tackle violence and knife additional £1.15m for these projects Tribalism Movement - £31,173 for the crime across the capital, with a further through his new Young Londoners Fund, Anti-Tribalism Movement to work in part- £1.15m to be awarded later this spring. taking the total to £1.4m. nership with Council of Somali The successful groups work with young The first nine projects to benefit are: Organisations, delivering the ‘Quit Knives people to help prevent and protect them Croydon BME Forum - £49,736 to Saves Lives Desistance Programme’. from knife crime. deliver training and support to five grass- Mancunian Way - £8,650 to deliver an They include a boxing club in Brixton, roots organisations who provide activities outreach project from a community cen- music training in Hackney and Tower for people affected by knife crime in tre reaching around 100 young estate res- Hamlets, and support activities in Croydon, reaching at least 60 people idents engaged in or at risk of knife crime Croydon, Southwark, and Lambeth. Somali Relief and Islamic cultural cen- in Hackney The funding is part of Sadiq Khan’s tre - £6,337 to deliver five community continued page 15 14 MOPAC contribution is a positive step Jail for knife attack “These small charities and organisations face many challenges and are COLLINS Adesoji and Bujwawne often run by volunteers and goodwill. It is positive that MOPAC recognises Brooks (left) have both been jailed that community organisations are well-placed to tackle knife crime and for thirteen years for two serious has made funding available to support a range of services and interven- knife attacks that were committed tions in priority areas across London.” within an hour of each other. Rosie Tharp, London Community Foundation Full story goo.gl/umHAcq
From page 14 Crime Strategy and our new Young “The legacy of my son Dwayne Simpson Dwaynamics CIC - £49,780 to provide Londoners Fund will help many young lives on” boxing and health activities to 192 young people to thrive, prosper and make the The Mayor’s Office for Policing And people in Lambeth and run a series of right choices to avoid being sucked into a Crime (MOPAC) will work with the suc- knife crime workshop, life of crime. cessful bidders to provide mentoring and The Flavasum Trust - £14,016 to deliv- “Prevention is the most effective tool support, and to assist in building relation- er awareness-raising workshops to 4,000 we have, and with the funds announced ships with Safer Neighbourhood Boards. pupils in 20 London schools in areas worst today, these community and grass-roots The Knife Crime Community Seed Fund is affected by knife crime, including projects will be able to help root out vio- being managed by London Community Newham, Lambeth and Tower Hamlets. lence within our communities and give Foundation. Raw Material Music and Media more young Londoners the skills, support Rosie Tharp, London Community Education - £34,498 to support 50 young and aspirations they need to turn away Foundation, said: “We are delighted that people in Brixton who are offenders, or from crime and fulfil their potential.” MOPAC has committed funding to sup- are at risk of offending, to engage in cre- Pastor Lorraine Jones, Dwaynamics, port the voluntary and community sector ative activities and training and employ- said: “We are thrilled and extremely excit- to respond to knife crime. ment workshops over 40 weeks ed to have been granted funding from the “These small charities and organisations WISE Youth Trust - £20,000 to deliver Mayor’s Community Seed Fund. face many challenges and are often run workshops, music production and digital “This funding will go directly towards by volunteers and goodwill. media skills courses for 150 young people our new Errol Christie Awards initiative “It is positive that MOPAC recognises in Hackney and Tower Hamlets which will tackle the issues surrounding that community organisations are well- ML Community Enterprise - £32,664 to knife crime through a number of work- placed to tackle knife crime and has made deliver a therapeutic support project for shops, supported by sports programmes funding available to support a range of 24 young male and female victims of through boxing from which Dwaynamics services and interventions in priority crime and violence in Lambeth, was founded. areas across London.” During the development of the Mayor’s Strategy and his new anti-knife crime campaign, ‘London Needs You Alive’, many of the young people consulted said they want to be engaged with by people from their communities who they know and trust, and who have experienced some of the same issues and challenges around knife crime. With that in mind, the community funding has been boosted to £1.4m by the Mayor’s Young Londoners Fund, created by Sadiq to support education, sport and cultural activi- Pastor Lorraine ties for young people to help tackle Jones whose knife crime and youth violence, Dwaynamics which has been rising across the country since 2014. group will put The Mayor of London, Sadiq their funding Khan, said” “As Mayor, I’m doing towards the Errol everything possible in London not Christie Awards only to be tough on knife crime, but initiative to tackle tough on the causes of knife crime knife crime too. City Hall has stepped up where the government is letting our young people down. “We are providing unprecedented addi- tional funds to the Met police, driving for- ward a full and comprehensive Knife
15 Police on standby to prevent election fraud Blocking scam calls SPECIALIST anti-election fraud training will be given to 620 Tower Hamlets police TALKTALK have taken action to stop officers ahead of next month’s local elections. The Met, The Electoral Commission users being plagued by scam calls by and council officials are looking to avoid a repeat of the 2014 vote, which was introducing Callsafe. The service is free marred by the illegal and corrupt practices of disgraced former mayor Lutfur to customers and works with all Rahman. Signatures and date of births will be closely monitored TalkTalk landline phones. Read more at goo.gl/SvPNed www.talktalk.co.uk
Left: Student Martine Vik Magnussen and, right, Farouk Abdulhak, who is wanted in connection with her murder 10 years ago
Murder suspect hiding in the Yemen
DETECTIVES have launched a tenth An inquest at Westminster Coroner's suit of continuing with his life and today anniversary appeal to convince Farouk Court on November 24, 2010 recorded a he remains sheltered and protected in Abdulhak that he should give himself up verdict of unlawful killing. the Yemen. and stand trial for murder. An investigation was launched by “For ten years this person has been On March 14, 2008, the partially con- detectives and Farouk Abdulhak identi- avoiding our requests to return to the UK cealed body of 23-year-old Norwegian fied as a suspect; he had fled the UK to and assist the investigation. student Martine Vik Magnussen, was the Yemen within hours of Martine’s dis- “We have reached an important mile- found in rubble in the basement of flats appearance. stone, therefore this is the right time to in Great Portland Street, Westminster Despite extensive efforts and numerous once again appeal personally to Abdulhak Within hours, Abdulhak flew out of the appeals by detectives over the last to return to the UK. country and has since been hiding in the decade, he continues to refuse to return “He was a guest in our country when Yemen, shielded by friends and family. to the UK. the murder of Martine occurred and I To mark the anniversary, police have Detective Chief Inspector Andy believe the responsible thing to do is released CCTV footage showing Partridge, of the Homicide and Major return. Abdulhak, with Martine as they both left Crime Command, said: “A decade on and “If he thought that this case would Maddox nightclub in Mayfair. our ambition remains the same - to diminish, or that his wanted status would This footage captures her out celebrat- obtain justice for Martine. change over time, then this year’s ing end of term exams, appearing happy “With this CCTV now in the public anniversary demonstrates our resolve and relaxed in the early hours of March domain, our hope is that the case will not and that of the Magnussen family to con- 14, 2008. fade from public attention, keeping the tinue to seek justice for Martine.” A post-mortem examination gave cause spotlight firmly focused upon Farouk Anyone with any informationcan contact of death as compression to the neck. She Abdulhak. the incident room on 020 8358 0300 or had also been raped. He fled to another country in the pur- Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. 16