Category: Missed a ThameNews story?

WITH Halloween fast approaching, on Saturday, October 31, Thames Valley Police is reminding people to make sure they spend their time trick-or-treating responsibly and have issued advise for householders.

Many residents enjoy Halloween and view it as harmless fun, but for others it can be distressing receiving visits from unexpected callers, particularly for the elderly and those who live alone.

Neighbourhood police teams in the Thames Valley will be undertaking high-visibility patrols over the Halloween period to deal with any anti-social behaviour. They also work with schools and parents to reduce the incidents of nuisance and criminal damage that can happen at this time of year.

Those who do not want to be visited by trick-or-treaters can download and print a ‘No trick-or-treat’ flyer from the Thames Valley Police website and display it in a window or visit their local station to pick up a copy.

Parents should be reminded that if they or their children see this flyer displayed, they should move on to the next house. Most people will have a pumpkin or Halloween decorations on display to welcome callers.

TVP is also encouraging people to watch the ‘Click Your Trick’  film which highlights the consequences of anti-social behaviour. The film features a teenager who was convicted of arson after he and his friend put a firework through a family home as a prank. The prank went horribly wrong with the firework setting the house on fire. Luckily nobody was seriously injured.

Supt Richard James from Thames Valley Police Neighbourhood Policing said: “This is not about stopping responsible Halloween fun but preventing anti-social behaviour linked to trick or treating. One person’s ‘trick’ can be a disturbing experience to the person on the receiving end. Not only that but one reckless trick and you could end up with a criminal record.”

Keith Williams from Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service community safety team, said: “We don’t want to stop people enjoying Halloween, but we do want them to celebrate safely. There is nothing more terrifying than having a fire at home or seeing your clothes catch fire.

“Just follow this safety advice for a safer Halloween: never make costumes from flammable materials, always check costumes and masks are labelled as flame resistant, keep candles away from children and ensure they are extinguished at night, and do not overload electricity sockets with lights. Better still, use LED candles. ” 

If you are trick-or-treating this year:
Don’t knock where you see a ‘No Trick-or-Treat’ poster.
Be visible and stick to well-lit streets.
Although Halloween is meant to be spooky, be careful not to frighten people.
Plan your trick-or-treat route before you go and let an adult know where you’ll be going and what time you will be back.
Go with an adult when possible.
If at any point you do feel nervous or unsafe:
Don’t open your door if you’re unsure who is there. Use your spy-hole, look out of a window, and use your door chain if you do decide to open your door.
Have a contact number of a close relative or good neighbour by your telephone, just in case you need to phone them.
If you are part of a Neighbourhood Watch scheme, let your coordinator know that you will be on your own at Halloween. If you are a coordinator, please identify people in your scheme that may be vulnerable and offer them reassurance.
Thames Valley Police will not tolerate any anti-social behaviour at any time of the year.

To report anti-social behaviour please call the 24 hour non-emergency number 101. If it is a crime in progress, call 999 immediately.

THAMES Valley Police is appealing for witnesses after thieves rammed the Swan Antiques Centre at Tetsworth, near Thame, with a stolen forklift truck.

The police have reported that at around 3am on Saturday morning, (24/10) offenders drove on to farmland in Clare Hill, Pyrton, and stole a Caterpillar forklift truck from a shed. They also stole a green Land Rover Discovery from the yard.

They then drove to High Street, Tetsworth, where they rammed the forklift truck into the Swan Antiques Centre, damagomg the structure of the building, removing the door and gaining entry to the centre and stealing antiques. The offenders then drove away in a convoy of vehicles travelling in the direction of Postcombe. Enquiries are ongoing to establish what exactly was stolen.

The three offenders were men and were wearing dark clothing.

Investigating officer PC Jason Walsh, from Didcot Local CID, said: “Officers are working to establish the circumstances of this burglary and the theft of the motor vehicles. Unfortunately the owner of the shop has been a victim in other burglaries previously in which high value antiques and jewellery were stolen.

“The offenders knew what they were doing and went to extreme lengths to enter the building at all costs. At the moment it is unknown what property was stolen in this incident due to the amount of damage caused and debris left behind.

“We are working to identify and locate the offenders. Reassurance patrols have been taking place in the area and any business owners or residents with any concerns can call 101 to speak to their local neighbourhood team.”

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the 24-hour Thames Valley Police enquiry centre on 101.

If you don’t want to speak directly to the police, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers (LINK HERE) anonymously on 0800 555 111 No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

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THAME Town Council has launched a new committee to monitor the ongoing implementation of the Thame Neighbourhood Plan, which was adopted in 2013.

The Neighbourhood Plan Continuity Committee will be made up of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and seven town councillors, and within it will be several Working Groups of both Councillors and representatives of the local community which will focus on specific elements of the Plan such as housing developments, transport and town centre vibrancy.

The Committee met for the first time on Tuesday, October 20. Cllr Bob Austin, who is also a member of the East Thame Residents Association, was appointed as Chairman with Cllr David Bretherton as Vice Chairman.

You can read the entire Thame Neighbourhood Plan here : LINK and all previous posts referring to the Plan HERE

Oxfordshire residents are now able to see real-time information about the air quality across the county thanks to a new website.

The website, www.oxfordshire.air-quality.info , launches this week and provides hourly updates about the level of harmful pollutants in the air and historic data, allowing residents to see trends. The website also provides information about the health impact of poor air quality and advice about how residents can reduce their own impact on air quality.

As well as being easy to use, the website has also been designed to make it as easy as possible to share the data. There are buttons to share the information on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and email.

The website has been developed by the Oxfordshire Air Quality Group, which consists of Oxford City Council and South Oxfordshire, Vale of the White Horse, West Oxfordshire and Cherwell District Councils.

It has been funded through a £20,000 grant from Defra’s Air Quality Grant Scheme after a successful bid by South Oxfordshire District Council.