Pirbright, Worplesdon, Jacobs Well, Stoughton & Normandy - My Neighbourhood - Surrey Police

Give thieves the cold shoulder this Christmas
West Surrey Police is urging householders to give thieves the cold shoulder this Christmas by taking some common sense precautions

The advice is being issued alongside West Surrey’s Operation Teal 2 an awareness campaign launched to coincide with a seasonal increase in burglaries partly due to Christmas and the greater availability of high value items in homes being bought as presents

Temporary Superintendent Ian Chandler said: “We are specifically targeting burglary and car crime this Christmas and reminding people to take a few simple security precautions to ensure that thieves don’t spoil your Christmas. There are a number of things you can do to keep yourself safe from thieves over the festive period, if you are out shopping, or storing Christmas presents or food, or going away to visit friends and relatives

“Don’t let a burglar have a merrier Christmas than you!”

• Don’t keep large stashes of Christmas shopping cash at home. Consider paying for your festive goods using cheques or credit cards? If you have more than one credit or debit card, store them separately

• Store large Christmas gifts securely. Garden sheds and garages are handy for storing big presents like bicycles. But unlocked sheds and garages provide rich pickings for burglars. Make sure your shed or garage has strong locks on the windows and doors. Hanging thick net curtains in the windows helps obscure valuable items.

• Bottles of bubbly, crates of wine and beer? Try to store them in your home, perhaps in a spare bedroom or under the stairs. If you must put them outside, keep them under lock and key in a secure shed or garage.

• Put Christmas gifts out at the very last minute. Piling pressies under your Christmas tree before December 25 is a great way to advertise your holiday goodies to opportunist thieves looking in windows. Hide presents out of sight so the only one who can find them is Santa!

• Travelling at Christmas? Don’t load your car with presents the night before you leave as you may wake up to find someone other than Santa has paid a visit. A thief wouldn’t have given your car a second glance if all those lovely gifts hadn’t been on display. Save yourself the heartache and misery by waiting until you are ready to hit the road before filling your car boot.

• Lock away valuable goods that are hard to replace over the festive period like cash, credit cards, passports, jewellery, cameras, etc.

• Permanently marking valuable Christmas presents you receive helps safeguard them in future. Marking kits are inexpensive and could get help get your possessions back if they’re stolen. Another good idea is to keep photographs of your valuable belongings and a short written description noting any unusual details.

• Give your home a Christmas present. Make sure your front and back door locks are up to standard. If not, fit new ones. Add a security chain and a door viewer – invaluable for screening unwanted callers. Trim back shrubs in the garden which can screen any unwanted guests onto your property and think about planting prickly hedges on the boundaries – an excellent deterrent if your fences are not too secure.

• After Christmas, don’t advertise your new goodies. Leaving large computer, TV, video and appliance boxes outside for rubbish collection is a great way of letting everyone – including thieves – know what you’ve got in the house. So carefully dispose of packaging by tearing up boxes and putting the pieces in sealed bin liners.

Written by FIN: 2449

Protect your garage!
Surrey Police urges Guildford residents to be on their guard following a series of garage break-ins in the borough.

There have been a number of similar offences in which external garage blocks have been targeted by intruders. Police believe cordless power tools may have been used to damage the locks at these premises. However, nothing was stolen in any of the incidents.

Guildford Crime Reduction Advisor, PC Steve Cake, encourages garage owners to consider making security improvements. “If you own or rent a garage which is away from your own home, you can’t keep an eye on it 24 hours a day,” he says. "But there are ways in which you can reduce your chances of becoming a victim. Thieves usually like to work under cover of darkness, so fitting a security light with a motion sensor can be an effective deterrent. And there are several good secondary locking devices on the market which can provide extra security. A local DIY shop should be able to advise you on these products.

“In addition, valuable items such as bicycles and power tools should be locked up individually inside the garage, and preferably marked with your postcode using a UV pen. This will help police to recover these items if they are stolen.”

Residents are advised to keep their eyes and ears open. In particular, listen out for power tools being used at unusual times. Any suspicious activity should be reported to Surrey Police on 0845 125 2222, or to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.


Lead thefts increase
Following an increase in lead thefts in the boroughs of Guildford, Surrey Heath and Waverley, West Surrey Police is advising local businesses and residents to ensure they protect their premises against this crime. The rise in these incidents reflects the increase in monetary value of the metal.

Superintendent Ray Marley said: “While the value of lead is not at the highest we have seen it over the past year or two, it remains an attractive target for thieves, so I would recommend taking whatever precautions you can. Valuable materials can be security marked, which not only acts as a deterrent but can help trace stolen property, identify offenders and support prosecutions.

“One such method is to use weatherproof DNA grease which when applied to a material such as lead remains on its surface and, if touched, stays on the skin or clothing for some weeks. If the lead, clothing or skin is examined within this period it is possible to say exactly which premises it came from. This can give sufficient evidence to investigate the crime and support a prosecution. Your local Crime Reduction Advisor can provide further details of how to protect property and general crime prevention advice.”

Recent incidents of lead theft include:
• Offenders targeting a boarded-up building in Merrow which had a 12' x 6' section of lead stolen from its roof on the evening of Tuesday, 3 November

• A school in Frimley targeted by thieves who stole £1,000 worth of lead flashing from the roof some time between 30 September and 4 November. This was discovered when workmen went to investigate a leak

• A Frensham resident returning from holiday to find his property leaking and discovering that £1,000 worth of lead flashing had been stolen from around windows. This theft happened between 15-24 October


Inconsiderate parking at Wood Street School
There are still problems with inconsiderate parking outside Wood Street School during drop-off and pick-up times. We have written to parents/guardians advising them of the parking rules. Please be mindful of where you park when collecting or dropping-off your child. Tickets will be issued if you cause problems by parking incosiderately!


Suspicious caller in Stoughton
There has been an increase in suspicious activity in the area. A woman knocks on doors and, claiming she has run out of fuel for her car or needs insulin for her diabetic daughter. She asks occupants for cash. If you recieve a visit from this woman — do not give her any money and report the incident to Surrey Police on 0845 125 2222.


Pirbright parking problem
We advise parents be mindful of inconsiderate parking in Dawney's Road during drop-off and pick-up time at the school. Some people are parking and blocking the road and are even taking to parking in residents' driveways, thereby causing obstruction. Dawney's Road belongs to the Ministry of Defence which will be looking to carry out enforcement if the situation persists.

Written by FIN: 13466