Sussex Countrywatch Newsletter

09/12/2020

Sussex Country Watch Newsletter

3 reported loose horses on the highway this week.

Please keep check your boundary hedges and fences, to include roads and railways, at least twice each day. This advice it vital at the moment as we are getting several reports each day where large chunks of fencing are being cut out by what is believed poachers.

ITEMS STOLEN AND DAMAGED THIS WEEK

1 x Stained glass window, 1 x Nissan Navara, 1 x Transit van, 2 x Concrete breakers, Several Electric fences, and a countless number of hand and power tools. Total £37,852.00. The true value is likely to be £20-30,000 more as real value is yet to be verified.

ADVICE AND INFORMATION

ELECTRIC SCOOTER ADVICE Currently, you can buy an e-scooter but you can't ride it on a UK public road, cycle lane or pavement. Anyone who does is committing an offence. Don't let anyone - especially the seller - tell you otherwise.

The only place a private-owned e-scooter can be used is on private land, with the permission of the landowner.

1 They are classified as Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEVs), and so they're treated as motor vehicles and are subject to all the same legal requirements - MOT, tax, licensing and specific construction. Because they don't always have visible rear red lights, number plates or signalling ability, they can't be used legally on the roads. If you use a privately- owned e-scooter on any public road, cycle lane or pavement you could get a £300 fixed-penalty notice and, if you have one, six points on your driving licence.

But please note that, starting this summer, the government has allowed local councils to run e-scooter rental trials, where members of the public can pay to hire a scooter. Renters will be required to have a driving licence and will need to be insured, and the scooters are still banned from pavements. These rental rules do NOT apply to privately-owned e- scooters. ***

Please ensure that you keep reporting any criminal occurrence no matter how small as this continues to show the issues that rural communities are having.

There have been several reports recently from concerned land owners complaining that farm gates are being left open allowing animals to escape. I feel sure that most readers of this newsletter would not do such a thing, but please be alert and if you find a gate open where livestock is evident , please close the gate. Thank you

POACHING & HARE COURSING

We are still receiving many calls each week concerning Poaching and/or Hare Coursing, far too many to report on without getting boring. Anyone who suspects illegal poaching or hare coursing is taking place, please call on 101 or 999 in an emergency, i.e. poaching or hare coursing is occurring in front of you there and then.

YOUR HELP REQUIRED PLEASE

Sussex Police rely heavily on people like you to advise them of any suspect vehicle hanging around of entering your property. Please, if you see any such vehicle, contact the police on the non-emergency number 101 with as much information as possible. This includes date and time, where and a good description of the vehicle including the reg no and of any people. Please do not put yourself in any danger but if possible take a photograph. By supplying this information, it puts a vehicle in a location at a certain time, this could help us if a crime takes place in your locality around that time.

2 Crime and incident update If you have any evidence, no matter how small, on any of the crimes listed below, please call it in on the non-emergency number 101 and quote the reference number and date as given to the left of the report, or for that matter any other crime.

Monday 30th November 2020 to Sunday 06th December 2020

Adur & Worthing 0765 30/11/2020 HERITAGE A Nativity scene at Maybridge Community Church in The Strand Goring by Sea has been ruined by person(s) unknown. They have snapped a cross and stolen a wooden manger. To do so they had to climb over a 6ft fence.

0631 30/12/2020 HERITAGE St Nicolas Church in Shoreham by Sea has had a flint stone thrown through its stained glass window. Although the exact cost of repairs is unknown at this time it is likely to run into thousands of pounds. Did you see or hear anything, if so please let us know.

Arun 0249 06/12/2020 A farm in Littlehampton Road East Preston Ferring has been entered and a white Ford Transit van on a 14 plate, valued at £10,000 was stolen along with a number of tools to the value of £20,000.00.

Brighton & Hove Nothing reported

Chichester 0418 01/12/2020 A farm in Up Marden was forcefully entered by a vehicle by driving through 2 electric fences totally destroying them. The fences were set up for ewes to lamb. Fortunately none of the sheep were injured. Damaged is said to be several hundreds of pounds.

1194 02/11/2020 An electric fence in a field in Droke Lane East Dean Chichester was deliberately cut and a vehicle driven around it, this damaged the crops and the field. Damage will cost around £500.00.

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0312 0312/2020 A farm in Main Road Chichester and 2 concrete breakers valued at £400.00 were stolen.

1241 04/12/2020 A farm in Danley Lane Haslemere was entered and an outbuilding was forcefully entered. Various items were stolen, these include 1 x Stihl leaf blower, 2 x Stihl tools. Value of tools and cost of damage £1,852.00.

Crawley Nothing reported

Eastbourne Nothing reported

Gatwick Nothing reported

Hastings Nothing reported

Horsham 0226 30/11/2020 An unsuccessful attempt was made to break into a warehouse in Horsham Road Horsham. Nothing is missing.

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03/12/2020 A range of outbuildings on a farm in Dragons Green Horsham were broken into. A number of Dewalt and Milwaukee power tools were stolen valued at £5,000.00.

Lewes 1191 30/11/2020 A land owner in Ditchling discovered that a large section of barbed wire fencing to the highway wad been cut away. Fortunately there were no animals in it to escape.

1039 03/12/2020 Another farm in Standen also has had a section of fencing cut away. It vis believed to be poachers as one could see tyre marks

4 0994 05/12/2020 A farmer went to check on his sheep in Falmer and found 2 dogs chasing his sheep. The owner of the dogs has been identified. Fortunately no sheep died.

Mid Sussex Nothing reported

Rother 0253 30/11/2020 The wooden gates to a property in Sedlescombe were forced and a black Nissan Navara, on a 08 plate, was stolen. Estimated value £6,000.00.

0342 04/12/2020 HERITAGE St Mary Magdalene’s Presbytery in Sea Road Bexhill on Sea reports that their wooden Lichgate has been damaged and wooden sleepers have been removed.

Wealden 0338 29/11/2020 A shed was broken into at a property off Mill Lane, Uckfield during the day time of the 29th November. Unknown suspects have gained entry to the garden and used force to remove locks from the shed. Power tools have been targeted.

1352 30/11/2020 Around 10pm on the 30th November a property off Herons Ghyll, Uckfield was broken into. Unknown suspects have used tools to remove a window from the frame to gain entry. A search was conducted inside the property but fortunately nothing was stolen.

0602 03/12/2020 A farm in Upper Hartfield, Hartfield has been entered overnight and a Key Safe smashed, the gate was left open. Fortunately none of the sheep escaped.

Help us keep Sussex safe

If you saw or heard anything, or have any information about any incident in this message please contact us online, email us at [email protected] or call 101, quoting the reference number provided.

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Alternatively you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111, or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org or their dedicated rural crime reporting number 0800 783 0137 or online here

Wildlife Officers can be contacted via local email addresses Please only contact your local Wildlife Officers for any general enquiries or questions, not to report a crime. Report all crimes and incidents to Sussex Police online, email us at [email protected] or call 101.

Adur and Worthing: [email protected] Arun: [email protected] Brighton and Hove: [email protected] Chichester: [email protected] Crawley: [email protected] Eastbourne: [email protected] Hastings: [email protected] Horsham: [email protected] Lewes: [email protected] Mid Sussex: [email protected] Rother: [email protected] Wealden: [email protected]

Stay in the know with social media Sussex Police

Links and attachments: Sussex Police will only ever link you to secure websites we trust. We will only send you attachments where we believe it is absolutely necessary.

Message Sent By Phillip Ball (Police, Volunteer Co-ordinator CountryWatch, Sussex)

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