Issue I 15th September 2020 Introduction Alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111. Hello again readers and welcome to another edition of the rural crime newsletter. Jewellery stolen during Watton burglary Residents urged to remain vigilant following fraud attempts in Breckland Police are appealing for information following a burglary in Watton. Police are urging residents to be vigilant following a number of fraud attempts in A property in Woodpecker Drive was the Breckland area yesterday (Wednesday broken into between 9.20am and 12.20pm 16 September). on Monday 14 September 2020 and a quantity of gold and silver jewellery was Officers received seven separate reports stolen. from elderly residents living predominantly in the Dereham area, Anyone who may have seen any claiming to have been contacted by suspicious activity in the area between the fraudsters purporting to be police officers. times stated, or anyone with information, During the calls they were encouraged to should contact DC Daniel Mather at withdraw large amounts of money from Thetford CID on 101 quoting crime their bank. reference 36/64583/20. Op Randall Rural Crime WhatsApp Group I’m still currently looking to increase numbers on the police rural crime WhatsApp group, so if you are interested feel free to drop me an email [email protected] providing your name, dob, address and a brief outline of what you could bring to the group by way or your job, expertise, position or anything else you think may be relevant. The incidents happened in: Residents are reminded that neither your bank nor the police will ever ask you to Beeston Lane, Great Fransham, withdraw money or purchase items. Dereham at approximately 10am. No money or personal details were Further advice includes: given. Andrews Close, Holme Hale, Your bank or the police will NEVER Thetford at approximately 10.05am. ask for your PIN, bank card or bank No money or personal details were account details over the phone – given. never give these details to anybody. Mill Street, Elsing, Dereham Neither the police nor the banks will between approximately 10.15am send a courier to collect money and 10.30am. No money or personal from you. details were given. Always request Photo ID and if Norwich Road, Dereham at unsure call the police. approximately 11.15am. No money If you're asked to telephone a bank, or personal details were given. then always do it on a different Shipdham Road, Dereham at phone to the one you were approximately 1.45pm. No money contacted on. or personal details given. Fraudsters will keep the line open Wallace Close, Dereham sometime and have been known to play between 10am and 2.30pm. No ringtones, hold music and a money or personals details were recorded message down the phone given. so the victim believes they are Neville Close, Dereham at making a call to a legitimate approximately 5.30pm. No money number. Ensure you can hear a or personal details were given. dialling tone before calling police or use a friend or neighbour's Courier fraud happens when a fraudster telephone instead. contacts a victim by telephone claiming to Do not rush into complying to the be a police officer, bank or from a scammers demands / requests. government department, among other If you have already given your bank agencies. A number of techniques will details over the phone or handed then be adopted in order to convince the your card details to a courier, call victim to hand over their bank details or you bank straight away to cancel cash, which may then be passed on to a the card courier. Officers are particularly keen for members of the community to ensure they contact family and friends, particularly elderly Anyone who may have seen any relatives to ensure they are aware of these suspicious activity in the area – or anyone scams and the warning signs. who may have taken dashcam footage in the area between the times stated – As a response to these incidents, officers should contact DC Claire Ranger at King’s will be conducting extra patrols within the Lynn CID on 101 quoting reference areas in order to reassure members of the number 36/64057/20. public. Alternatively contact Crimestoppers If anyone has received a similar type of anonymously on 0800 555 111. telephone call or has any information about these incidents please contact Norfolk Police on 101 quoting Operation Radium. Hare Coursing Alternatively, contact the independent Hare coursing is a banned blood sport and charity Crimestoppers 100% anonymously is an illegal activity, yet it unfortunately on 0800 555 111. remains common in Norfolk. It involves the pursuit of hares using sight hounds If you believe a crime is in progress, such as Lurchers and usually starts to take always call 999. place toward the end of August or start of September. For further advice, head to the Action Fraud website: The Hunting Act 2004 made hare coursing www.actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 illegal and anyone convicted of the 123 2040. offence can be fined up to £5,000 by a Magistrates’ Court. The most obvious sign is a group of Appeal following burglary near Downham vehicles parked in a rural area perhaps by Market a gateway to farmland, on a grass verge, on a farm track or bridle path, or in the Police are appealing for information middle of a field. There will usually be following a burglary in Barroway Drove estate cars, four-wheel drives or vans. near Downham Market. Violent confrontations can occur when A property in The Drove was broken into participants are approached by between 8am and 10am on Saturday 12 landowners or their employees and this September. A safe and jewellery were means that rural communities can feel among the items stolen. very intimidated by hare coursers in their Man arrested in connection with straw area. bale fires What to do if you witness hare coursing. If Police investigating a number of arson the offenders are still on scene with the incidents on the Norfolk and Suffolk dogs, then the first thing to do is dial 999 border have arrested a man. as there is a crime in progress. If you are Officers were called to five incidents able to and without putting yourself in where straw bales were set alight danger, provide descriptions of persons between 1am and 6am on Thursday 3 and vehicles but avoid any confrontation. September. Two incidents happened on Your location and that of the offenders land in Langley, whilst there were further vitally important. The use of apps such as fires in Ferry Road in Carleton St Peter; What3words can give police an accurate Loddon Road in Broome, near Bungay; and location simply and quickly. in Beccles Road in Bungay. A man, aged in his 50s and from the Bungay area, has been arrested in connection with the incidents. He has since been released on police bail until Wednesday 30 September 2020. https://what3words.com James Wonnacott I [email protected] .