Category: Thame news

ONLY the fire service and child protection will escape from the

POSITIVE news about crime in Thame, here in the latest Thame neighbourhood update from Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) C8966 Lucy Thorne and PCSO C9610 Diane Jackson. (pictured left to right)

CRIME mapping shows a decrease in anti-social behaviour (ASB) from 23 incidents to 17 in the period between September and November 2010, compared to the same period for 2009. This is a 26.1 percent reduction. Through engaging with our community and listening to people?s concerns, we are able to conduct high visibility patrols at key times in the key areas where ASB is occurring. We know our problem areas and incorporate these areas into our patrol plans, ensuring that they are well policed and any anti-social issues are addressed accordingly and dealt with in an appropriate way. If a young person comes to our attention, we conduct home visits with parents present, and we work closely with schools and our ASB co-ordinator to tackle ASB with warning letters and Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABC?s) if necessary. We engage with young people on a regular basis, attending schools and youth clubs when possible and welcome anybody along to our HYS public meetings to discuss local issues or raise concerns.

More information on crime mapping can be found on the Thames Valley Police website under local crime mapping www.thamesvalley.police.uk

Anti-social Behaviour (ASB) Info:

During January, we have had no alcohol seizures in Thame and no Section 59 warnings (where we have had to issue contracts for using a vehicle in an anti-social manner) have been issued by Thame?s PCSOs.

Anti-social driving in carparks etc:

Following recent reports of anti-social driving in the High Street, car parks and the business parks, we would like to remind members of the public that we are taking this very seriously and offenders will be dealt with by way of a Section 59 warning. Suitable advice has been given to known local young people who gather in cars regarding this matter.

Stone Throwing:

We have also received reports of stone throwing at windows following the Christmas period. One young person was dealt with and was served with a Youth Restorative Disposal. We have obtained some good information regarding the description of further possible offenders/associates. Therefore, we will continue to work from the intelligence we have received and urge people to come forward with information if you have anything further to add.

We continue to actively patrol the Phoenix Trail dealing with any ASB, fly tipping and neighbourhood concerns brought to our attention.

Community Messaging:

This free service provides information to subscribers about crime and police activity in their area via phone or email. It also includes information on what we and our partner services are doing to bring offenders to justice or combat anti-social behaviour, and information on opportunities for local residents to raise concerns with their local policing teams.
More information can be obtained via our website, and you can sign up here too:
www.tvpcommunitymessaging.org/rmwebportal/startup.aspx

Offenders brought to justice:

Fourteen offenders were brought to justice last month. These disposals included four arrests for shoplifting, two arrests for criminal damage, one arrest for burglary, two arrests for drug possession and one arrest for assault occasioning actual bodily harm (Sec 47).

Partnership Activities:

PCSO Thorne organised a cycle post coding event at John Hampden School on 13 January. This was very well received by pupils and their families and we coded over 40 cycles and scooters. The school did a very good job at advertising this event in-house. More post coding events will be held and will be advertised as soon as they are organised.

PCSO Jackson attended a Citizen Community Day on 18 January at Lord Williams Lower School, engaging with Year 8 students, looking at areas where they live and local concerns.

A monthly SOHA inspection is still being held, where we tackle low level neighbourhood disputes and social housing issues together as a joint agency approach.

Pubwatch meetings are still being held every two months.

Non Priority Activity:

PCSO Lucy Thorne would like to take this opportunity to remind young people looking for work, or looking for assistance with finding employment that a Connextions representative is available to speak with at the Young Persons Centre in Thame every Wednesday between 2pm and 4.30pm.

Planned Activity:

There are monthly operations for Country Watch.

We will continue to deploy the Speed Indication Device (SID) on a monthly basis on roads which have been highlighted for speeding.

We also ran Operation Magpie, which involved us carrying out patrols in public car parks and hotel car parks over the Christmas/New Year period looking at vehicles displaying valuables left unattended. Letters were sent out to registered owners to remind them of the implications of leaving valuables on display, especially at that time of the year. We will continue to monitor this.

A GROUP of pupils from John Hampden Primary school in Thame, donned hard hats and fluorescent jackets just like real builders this afternoon, during a visit to David Wilson Homes to see a housing development building site for themselves.

The group, from year six of the school, asked some very searching questions of Sales Director, Paul Moran and the Site Manager, David Tolmie, including: “If you stood every one of the houses you are building here at Windmill Place, one on top of the other, how high would it be?” And: “How many bricks does it take to build that many houses and how much did they cost?”

The children were particularly interested in the ecological and environmentally friendly aspects of the new homes and learned that many of them will have solar panels, warm air convertors that capture the warmth from the air outside to heat water, and re-cycled cavity wall insulation.

After the interview session the six pupils were shown how to use mortar to build a wall for themselves and the whole thing was captured on film by Emma Lowndes of ThameTV.

John Hampden School is currently working on a design for the garden in the Windmill Place showhouse garden, which it is hoped will be open sometime in March/April.

For more information about David Wilson Homes and the new homes they are building at Windmill Place, Thame, visit: http://www.dwh.co.uk/Find-A-Home/New-Developments/H4944-Windmill-Place/

TODAY, Valentine’s day, Oxfordshire County Council is inviting people to get friendly, and join up to its free car share scheme.

The service is a great way to experience the benefits of car sharing and is available to anyone travelling in or through Oxfordshire. It could even be an opportunity to meet that special someone!

The online service matches people up with potential partners as a driver or passenger. Once matched, people can choose to journey share as little or as often as they like, with whomever they like.

The benefits

The site provides numerous benefits for drivers and passengers alike.

Find drivers and passengers on-line instantly for free
Reduce the costs of fuel and parking.

Choose parameters to define the kind of person you want to share with.

Cut congestion and pollution.

Reduce the stress of driving.

The average member of the Liftshare network saves over

SOUTH Oxfordshire District Council’s Cabinet will be taking some very important decisions this evening, when it meets at 6.30pm.

On the agenda for the meeting, which you can watch live as a Webcast is sponsorship of roundabouts in South Oxfordshire, the future of concessionary fares and the council’s Revenue budget 2011/12 and capital programme to 2014/15.

Link to full agenda and documents

AN unexpected windfall from central government to Oxfordshire County Council means that the council will be able to save some of its libraries threatened with closure.

The council understands the new grant will be in the region of

THAME Town Council is angry that Henley will have its own dedicated county councillor as a result of the proposed Electoral Review, whilst Thame will have to share one with Chinnor and Aston Rowant.

The electorate numbers for Henley and Thame are very similar, say councillors. “We both have a river,” said Cllr David Dodd, “but just because Henley’s may be more navigable than ours, what’s good enough for Henley-On-Thames should be good enough for Thame!”

AFTER a ditch at the rear of homes in Cedar Crescent overflowed in recent rain causing water to almost reached the threshold of one home, the town council is to clear the ditch of overgrown brambles.

Two years ago, five homes were badly flooded and since then the council has undergone regular clearing of the offending ditch.

Some residents want the ditch filled in whilst others say it is a haven for wildlife.

THE town council has told Chinnor Rugby Club, based in Thame, that whilst it supports in principle the club’s plans for a

A married couple who stole more than

A Thame man is counting himself very lucky after a bizarre incident on his way back to Thame from Haddenham in the early hours of last Saturday morning.

Angus Lachlan, from Queens Road, Thame, told ThameNews.Net the full story: “I had just driven down the hill on the Aylesbury Road by Scotsgrove Farm, towards Thame when it happened. It was raining and I had my lights on dipped, doing about 40mph. I suddenly saw a whole line of eyes across the road coming straight at me!

“I soon realised that it was a herd of stampeding cows! I hit the brakes and felt a huge bump – the windscreen shattered and I was thrown forward on the seat belt. There were cows all around me. The next thing I remembered was the sound of the herd coming back down the hill and running past my car again, heading towards the Esso garage. I thought, ‘I’m not getting out of the car!’ After, what seemed about five minutes I was rescued by a van driver who was passing and got my car door open and called the police and ambulance.

“Although I was unconscious at first, I was pretty much OK, apart from whiplash and a bump on my head. I said to the police that I must have killed the cow that I hit but they said there was nothing in the road except a large cow with a bit of blood on it, standing and staring at us, before running off! A cow had jumped on my bonnet, smashed the windscreen, bounced on my roof and jumped off.

“The next day I inspected the damage – my car is a write-off! All the cows were rounded up including a calf which was lost for 24 hours, and all are OK. The doctor has advised me not to drive for a bit, but it looks like I was saved by solid German car construction and a very bouncy cow; I can’t help thinking that if I had been driving a convertible, I wouldn’t be recounting the incident now!”

It was very windy on Friday night (Feb 11) through Saturday morning and it is thought that a gate was blown down allowing the cows to stray from their field. Panic may have set in when they found themselves in the road, especially as there were many calves among the herd.

The farmer has apologised to Angus.

PHOTO: Angus Lochlan’s car after a cow had hit the windscreen and bounced off the roof

THE Thame and District Day Centre, which has felt in a state of limbo for the last few months, has received welcome news from its landlord that it can stay at its current location – at least for the next three years.

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust and the Day Centre are about to agree a Licence to Occupy, at an agreed rent of