Category: Neighbourhood Watch
Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinators Meeting
Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinators met on October 23rd and items from the discussions include:
New Co-ordinators are in place in Is-y-Coed and Grange Close.
Establishing the Watch in new housing areas: The Grange now has an adequate number of Co-ordinators to cover the whole of the estate.
St Lytham’s Park has 2 Co-ordinators. This is not enough for the whole area. The role of a Co-ordinator is to keep eyes and ears open to be aware of unusual activity or anti-social behaviour in their locality. If such problems are noticed the Co-ordinator can report to the police or our Wenvoe Watch Secretary/Treasurer (contact details below).
If you live in St Lytham’s Park and are interested in helping to deter crime in your locality, would you consider becoming a Co-ordinator?
If so, please contact our Secretary/Treasurer Jackie Gauci on 07876 207843 or jackie.gauci47@gmail.com
Twyn yr Odyn: The row of houses adjacent to the former quarry, Greenwood Close, are now being occupied and it is hoped a resident will offer to become Co-ordinator for the road.
‘Nextdoor’ website: The establishment of this website was noted. It was felt the website is a useful venue for the exchange of information and the promotion of local businesses and does not affect the activity of the Watch.
Reports from Co-ordinators
- South Wales Police give local information about reported crime in Wenvoe on their website. Details are at: www.police.uk/south-wales/ W5000654/crime/
- Burglaries or attempted burglaries were reported for Wenvoe Garden Centre (twice), Greave Close and Wenvoe Cattery.
- Fly tipping had occurred at Burdon’s Hill.
- The nuisance of dogs fouling the Wenvoe Playing Fields was noted and brought to the attention of the Clerk to the Community Council.
Alan French
SCAM WARNING
SCAM WARNING
Please be aware of a current doorstep scam working the area. These are calling themselves ‘Keep Britain Working’ or ‘Nottingham Knocker’s’ which are a very similar outfit (if not the same).
They are doorstep callers who target areas offering small household products for sale. These callers may claim to be ex-convicts attempting to mend their ways or ex-servicemen. However, they are not part of any recognised rehabilitation scheme.
Please warn your communities, particularly elderly or vulnerable neighbours, not to open the door to strangers or to buy or sell on the doorstep. Some doorstep callers may offer poor quality goods at inflated prices and if a caller is not genuine, they may be gathering information for future crime.
How do they work?
The sellers may say that they are on a ‘rehabilitation course’ arranged by Probation Services or other organisations trying to find people work. This is not the case, and often they are known criminals. Probation Services do not run such schemes.
They may show a card which claims to be a ‘Pedlars Licence’ or work permit. This is not valid and they are breaking the law if they are using anything like this. They may also hand over a card saying they are deaf or dumb.
According to the Police, the bag of household products is supplied by someone who employs them. The male/female is supplied with a full bag of household products (including the typical tea-towels!) and charged a minimal sum for the contents. It used to be £35. They can keep whatever they make, above this amount.
Usually they are deposited in an area from a transit
van and given a list of streets to work. An hour or so later they are picked up and dropped off in another location. They often work from 9am to 9pm.
They will knock on a door, offering cleaning items which they know are cheap and of very poor quality; the householder also knows they are rubbish but that is part of the scam. Many people will purchase items and pay them out of their good nature as they have fallen for their story or, just to get rid of them. There have been cases of elderly residents handing over large sums as these people can be very persistent and confrontational.
The price for whatever has been purchased usually comes to a note – usually £10. The householder disappears to get this and according to the police, this is when the scam begins. When the note is handed over, the person examines the condition and how long it took the person to get it. If it is crumpled, they accept it and move on. If it is crisp flat and new, they are much more interested and may engage the person in more conversation, to obtain details about them. As they leave they will smell the note. If it is slightly musty, it is an indication that there is more in the property.
These addresses and the addresses of elderly and vulnerable people are noted. They are then handed to the employer and there is a small amount of cash handed over for each one. These addresses are then sold in prisons and pubs. If there is a later break-in, the employer expects a further cut of the proceeds.
Police advise that in almost every case of a stop check – the people have long strings of convictions for burglary and violence. They use the skills learnt during their criminal activity to identify possible targets.
Please do not open your doors to strangers. Do not buy goods these people offer you on your doorstep
Action Fraud Reports
Action Fraud has received 63 reports about a scam in which fraudsters target people with offers of “low cost” loans or “free” government grants. What the victims aren’t told is that the money they’ll receive is actually an advance payment for Universal Credit. The criminals use the personal information they’ve obtain under false pretences to make an application in the victim’s name. After the fraudsters have taken their “fee” from the advance payment, the victim is then left to pay back the total amount once their repayments begin.
How you can protect yourself:
- Never share your personal or financial information with someone you don’t know and trust, especially if it’s in response to an offer of “free money” or a “free grant”.
- Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) staff will never approach you in the street or ask for your personal/financial details over social media.
- If you have concerns about your benefits, you should visit www.gov.uk/contact-jobcentre-plus.
- If you suspect your identity may have been stolen, you can check your credit rating quickly and easily online. You should do this every few months anyway, using a reputable service provider and following up on any unexpected or suspicious results.
Expanding The Watch
Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinators met on July 10th. Items from the discussions included:
Establishing the Watch in new housing areas.
Further progress has been made in this area with new Co-ordinators coming forward.
- An additional 2 Co-ordinators have come forward in The Grange. It is felt that there are now sufficient in that area.
- St Lytham’s Park has 1 additional Co-ordinator making 2 in all. This area would benefit from more Co-ordinators.
If you live in St Lytham’s Park and are interested in helping to deter crime in your locality, would you consider becoming a Co-ordinator? If so, please contact our Secretary/Treasurer Jackie Gauci on 07876 207843 or jackie.gauci47@gmail.com
Reports from Co-ordinators
- There are many other Watch groups in the Vale, brought together by the Vale of Glamorgan Neighbourhood Watch Committee. It was noted that the Wenvoe Watch is the most active with cover over the whole village.
- Lead has been stolen from part of the church roof. You may have noticed scaffolding around some of the church; this is a replacement non-lead roofing.
- There have been two unsuccessful attempts to break in to a property in The Grange. Police attended and local Co-ordinators are aware of the incident.
- There have been reports of dog attacks in the village. Residents are asked to keep their dogs under control or safely enclosed.
- To mark their 50th year South Wales Police arranged visits to the Public Service Centre at their headquarters in Bridgend. This is where 999 and 101 calls to the police come in and are acted upon. Three Wenvoe Co-ordinators went and were impressed by the commitment of the staff and the liaison with Fire and Ambulance services, both of whom have staff at the Call Centre.
Alan French
Next Co-Ordinators Meeting
Wenvoe Neighbourhood Watch AGM
The AGM of Wenvoe Neighbourhood Watch took place on 20 February 2019.
Two new Co-ordinators were welcomed, one covering Springfield Close and the other Old Market. There are now 32 Co-ordinators covering the whole village including most of the new housing developments.
A small number of criminal acts were reported from within the village. Fly tipping occurred at St Lythams but was cleared very quickly by the Council after notification by the Co-ordinator. On another occasion vehicle headlights were stolen but the thief was caught, and the headlights returned. In one area it was reported that residents were proposing to install a surveillance camera in response to local thefts.
On the Saturday after the meeting some lead was stolen from the roof of the Church. If anybody has any information about this, please would they contact Vicar Jon.
Residents are advised to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity or criminal act to their Co-ordinator. If unsure of your Co-ordinator please contact Alan French: 02920 59 8092.
Officers elected for 2019 are:
Chairman Alan French
Vice Chairman Trevor Case
Secretary/Treasurer Jackie Gauci
Minutes Secretary Bert Bates
Future Co-ordinators meetings in 2019 are July 3 and October 23.
Alan French
Dogs Are Clever…But They Can’t Do This
The Vale of Glamorgan website reminds us that it is an offence for us not to remove any faeces deposited by our dog. If we take our dog for a walk and it fouls in a public space it is our responsibility to pick it up. If we fail in our responsibility, we could be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice of £75 or be prosecuted which could result in a fine of up to £1,000.
People living in the village are meticulous in caring for the environment in which we enjoy walking our dogs. We always take bags on our walk, pick up after our dog and dispose of waste in any council litter bin.
It seems however, that some people may have forgotten the recent campaign ‘Dogs are clever….but they can’t do this’. Please call into our 
local library and purchase your dog waste bags at £2.00 for 100 bags and help us to continue enjoying a clean environment. As the Dog Kennel Club points out: ‘Owners who do not meet their responsibilities only contribute to growing anti-dog sentiment and give dog owners a bad reputation within their local communities.’
Scams – How to Stay Safe
STAY SAFE
SCAM – We have recently had a number of victims of a scam in the Penarth/Barry area. Each time these individuals were called and asked to withdraw large amounts of cash from the bank. Each time they alleged they were police officers and not to tell anyone. If the bank ask why you need the money they are giving the victims a number of excuses, e.g. new kitchen, new car.
Please let’s encourage everyone to talk openly about Scams. The police will never ask you to take money out. Always contact 101 or 999 but ensure the line is cleared before dialling. (Listen for a dial tone).
VISITORS – Please be vigilant when letting people into your homes.
There has recently been a theft in a Barry property, where by a man has alleged to be from the water board. He has entered the property to speak with the resident, whilst another male has entered the property and has stolen a handbag.
Do not let strangers into your home, ring companies to clarify and always check for ID.
FRAUD ADVICE
FRAUD ADVICE
We have had a number of complaints in relation to bogus charity collectors cold calling at resident’s homes in The Vale of Glamorgan and Cardiff.
In some cases, fraudsters have used the name, logo and charity registration number of a genuine charity to appeal for donations and keep the profits.
If you are cold called by a charity collector, you have several choices, but always err on the side of caution. A polite ‘no thank you’ should do, or you could choose not to answer the door, or put up a ‘No cold callers’ sign.
If you do speak to a doorstep charity collector, ask to see their official badge and permit – but don’t commit to anything. Once again, check with the official charity itself, either online or over the phone, to see if they are making house calls in your area.
If you are concerned about whether a collection is genuine you can:
- try to contact the charity to check that the collection is legitimate
- see if the leaflet only gives mobile numbers or none at all, as this could be a sign that they are not collecting on behalf of a legitimate charity
- give your donations directly to your local charity shop or any official clothing points
- get your friends and neighbours involved, and contact your Neighbourhood Watch
If you have any concerns in relation to this, or wish to report a crime or anti-social behaviour contact the Police on 101.