Todwick Neighbourhood Watch Newsletter
September 2012
Welcome to all those villagers who have signed up to the Todwick Neighbourhood Watch since our last newsletter in June 2012. We hope that you find these newsletters informative and useful and we always value your information and feedback.
Our Annual General Meeting
Our Annual general Meeting took place at 7.15pm on Thursday 12th July 2012. All the existing committee members were voted in for a further year.
Scams – Emails – Letters – Telephone Calls
For anyone who has a computer and uses emails, please be aware of the following scam. I received an email in early August purporting to be from a friend of mine. At first glance the email address from which it was sent appeared to be genuine. The message said that my friend had been mugged in Spain and needed money urgently. It was a scam as the person was at that time at work in the UK. The language used in the email was certainly not that of my friend. Please be aware that an email may not be all that it seems at first reading.
In similar vein, please also be aware of emails asking you to validate your internet account or bank account details. Under no circumstances should you click on the link in the email, just delete the email. We also recommend that you do not reply as this shows that your email address is “live” and you could well get bombarded with junk e-mail.
A further email has been seen in the village purporting to come from the delivery company FedEx regarding an undelivered parcel. The genuine FedEx company tell me that the attachment in the scam email definitely contains a virus.
In the last month, we have been made aware that scam letters have started to reappear in Todwick. These relate to a substantial sum of American dollars, belonging to a deceased person, which the writer would like to share with you. There is no money!!
Also telephone calls relating to the repayment of “extortionate” interest rates you have paid and refunds of up to 40% of gas and electric bills paid have also been received very recently in Todwick.
As far as we are aware, no one has fallen into any of the traps, but please be aware – one may arrive in an unguarded moment.
South Yorkshire Police Commissioner
Elections will take place on 15th November 2012 to choose the new South Yorkshire Police Commissioner. This is a most important election as the future running of your police force will depend on voting in the “right” candidate for the job.
No Cold Calling Zones
Since our last newsletter, the following roads in Todwick have been sanctioned as “No Cold Calling Zones” De Houton Close, Osborne Road, Sandwith Road, Church View, Manor Way, Manor Close, Manor Drive, Roche End, Staniforth Crescent & Mill Hills. The no cold calling scheme is actively supported by South Yorkshire Police, Consumer Direct and Trading Standards. If you feel that you and your neighbours would benefit from being part of this free scheme, please let me know. Remember it is a free service. If we can eventually get the whole village onto this scheme, it will help to reduce the number of cold calls to your home.
Caravans & Motorhomes
We have recently had an incident in Todwick where a caravan was stolen from a driveway. Thankfully, on this occasion, the caravan has been returned to its owner. To help prevent further thefts of this kind, South Yorkshire Police have issued a 4 page set of guidance notes giving practical advice to protect your property. Whilst villagers who store their caravans at home should already have received a copy through their letterbox, if anyone who has a caravan or motor home would like a copy, please let Norman Anderson know by telephone or email. See contact details at the bottom of this newsletter. This offer applies to any resident of Todwick.
Euro Locks
If you have uPVC doors to enter your home and they have been in place for a few years, there is a good chance that the door locks may not be up to modern standards. You may be vulnerable to “lock snapping” or “lock bumping”. For anyone over 55, I have the contact details where you can have your locks changed for as little as £32. Please contact me for further details.
Contact Information
SY Police for non-emergency calls, to report a crime or give information dial 101
Crimestoppers to give information about crime (you do not have to give your name) dial 0800 555 111 Open Mon-Fri 0800 to 2200 hrs, Sat-Sun 1000 to 1600 hrs
Action Fraud this is a government run reporting centre for fraud. Calls can be made to 0300 123 2040 anonymously or text on 0300 123 2050.
Street pride – part of the Borough Council. For most general problems with bin emptying, damaged bins, street lighting, potholes and other problems associated with roads and pavements. 01709 336003
Crime Statistics
The crime statistics for Todwick for June, July & August 2012 inclusive, kindly provided by South Yorkshire Police are as follows:
Theft of motor vehicle |
1 |
Burglary in a dwelling |
1 |
Burglary building other than dwelling |
1 |
Miscellaneous theft |
1 |
| Anti-social behaviour | |
|---|---|
Nuisance vehicles inappropriate use |
2 |
Thanks to all the villagers who have provided details of incidents & issues in the village. Thanks also to Sheila Pantry for ensuring our village website www.todwick.org.uk shows our newsletters. For further details please contact Norman Anderson (chair)