Neighbourhood Watch

Todwick Neighbourhood Watch Newsletter

September 2014

Welcome to all those villagers who have signed up to the Todwick Neighbourhood Watch since our last newsletter in June 2014. We hope that you find these newsletters informative and useful and we always value your information and feedback. We do not publish anyone’s name, address or any other private details.

Annual General Meeting

Our Annual General Meeting took place on Thursday, 26th June 2014 at Todwick Village Hall. Peter Hayden, our long standing treasurer, did not stand for re-election. We thank him for his time & expertise he has put into the role. Peter will be staying on as a street co-ordinator. We welcome Mary Peters who was unanimously elected as the new treasurer for our watch. The other positions of chair, deputy chair and secretary remain the same.

Scams, Frauds & Personal Security

There is nothing new about ordinary people being relieved of their property and money by unscrupulous thieves, except in the way they do it! Beware of the email which appears to come from PayPal and addressed “Dear account holder”. The emails purporting to come from banks have been highlighted many times. One with the Santander logo actually asked for the recipients National Insurance number and their Card PIN number. In August CIFAS, the UK’s Fraud Prevention Service, became aware of an evolving fraud where a potential enquiry for goods or services is left on an answer machine with a request to return the call. Beware if the return number starts 0706 as this is a premium rate number and you will be heavily charged for it.

And just to remind ourselves that some of the old chestnuts are still around. The scam HMRC emailing you about a £400 tax refund is still doing the rounds. HMRC write to you and send a cheque. The bank with whom you have no accounts wants you to update your details. Beware the headline emails “Act now, important update”, “Payment issue”, “Amazon order”, “Update your BT Profile” and even “Inversion de Asistencia”. These are some that have been reported through since the last newsletter.

A recent newspaper article reported that a young couple had lost £42,000 through a conman who posed as their bank. If you receive a call like this and are suspicious, under no circumstances give any personal details. If you want to pursue the matter, either call in person at your bank or make a telephone call to a known and trusted bank phone number.

Then also be very cautious if you book self catering holidays on the internet, through an agent or booking company and there is no way they will allow you to contact the property owner directly by telephone. A recent newspaper article highlighted this scam where families were turning up at a villa or apartment and the owners knew nothing about them. Wherever possible pay by credit card or debit card that offers insurance.

Gas Safe

Always check if you are having any gas work done at home or elsewhere that the engineer / fitter is on the Gas Safe register. This register replaced the Corgi system.

Only people who are on the register are legally allowed to work on gas appliances. Don’t just accept his /her word they are registered – check it. Either telephone 0800 408 5500 or visit www.gassaferegister.co.uk to ensure that the workperson is qualified to work on your particular appliance.

Are you aged 13 to 17 and want to find opportunities?

Dinnington Air Cadets are looking for young Todwick people aged 13 to 17 who want to spread their wings. Learn to fly, go orienteering for the Duke of Edinburgh’s award and other exciting activities are all available in the Air Cadets. There are various training courses aimed at building self esteem and confidence for young people. For more details see the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/1325-Dinnington-SQN-ATC/206940019349034

And finally

If you would like a Sharp Phone / Fax / Answer machine please ring Richard Edley on 01909 770626 or 07808 449110 for further details.

Contact Information

S. Y. Police non-emergency calls to report crime or give information dial 101.
S. Y Police / Ambulance / Fire & Rescue emergency dial 999

Crimestoppers to give information about crime (you do not have to give your name) dial 0800 555 111 open Mon-Fri 8 am to 10 pm & Sunday 10 am to 4 pm

Action Fraud this is the government run reporting centre for fraud. Calls can be made on 0300 123 2040 anonymously or text on 0300 123 2050

Streetpride part of Rotherham Borough Council. For most general problems with bin emptying, damaged bins, street lighting, potholes & other problems associated with roads & pavements 01709 336003

Electricity emergency 0800 375 675

Crime Statistics

The reported crime statistics for Todwick for June, July & August 2014 inclusive, kindly provided by South Yorkshire Police are as follows:

Other miscellaneous thefts	2
Burglary in a dwelling	1
Criminal Damage (not dwelling)	1
Theft from motor vehicle	3
Common Assault	1
Harassment/stalking	1
Public Order – cause intentional harassment	1
Anti social behaviour	0

Thanks to all the villagers who have provided details of incidents and issues.

Thanks also to Sheila Pantry for ensuring that our village website www.todwick.org.uk shows our newsletters.

Norman Anderson (chair)