Author: Sonja Francis

THAME Police are appealing for information, and warning the public to be on their guard after distraction burglars struck at an elderly woman?s home in the town.
In Rooks Lane, Thame, at around 5.30pm on Saturday, May 6, an 83-year-old woman saw a man and a woman waving to her from the street.
They then apparently called at the door and claimed to be trying to contact a neighbour and asked for her help.
Uninvited, the couple went into the house and spoke with the woman before leaving.
She became suspicious and discovered that two purses containing a small sum of cash and cards had been stolen from a cabinet.

The couple were described as both white; the man is around 5ft 8ins ? 5ft 10ins, well built with short, gingery brown hair. He was clean shaven and wearing a dark jacket and trousers.
The woman was around 5ft, slim with dark hair in a ponytail.

Det Con Mick Hooker, of Thame CID, said: ?I am very concerned that distraction burglars have targeted a vulnerable woman in her home and I need help from the public.
?I urgently need to hear from anyone who lives in, or was travelling through, Thame who may have seen this couple in the area of Rooks Lane.
?They may well have been walking through the area, looking or maybe calling at other houses trying to identify a possible opportunity and it may be that a member of the public saw or had contact with them and did not realise their intentions.
?They would probably have had a vehicle nearby and so if you saw a couple matching this description travelling nearby I need to hear from you.
?Finally, I must urge everyone to take precautions against distraction burglars and to look after their friends, family and neighbours and ensure they are aware of the risks.?

Anyone with information can contact Det Con Hooker at Thame police station via the Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505 505.

If you have information but do not want to speak with police or do not want to leave your name you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

21st CENTURY Thame, the Thame partnership, recognises the contribution made by volunteers in the town and is planning an event to both recognise and celebrate them in our community.
Volunteering Day is on June 3, in the town hall, and will include the presentation of certificates to a wide range of volunteers by a local celebrity.

Organisations can book a place to display information about their work and a table will be provided. The Town Hall will be open from 9am for organisations to set up their stands and displays.
The day itself will run from 10am to 4pm, and be opened by the Mayor. The Lord Williams Lower School Drama group will perform short theatre sketches during the day, and a coffee shop will provide refreshments throughout the day.

Anyone who wishes to nominate someone to receive a certificate congratulating them on their work as a volunteer, can obtain a booking form from the One Stop Shop at the town hall or apply on line at the council’s website: http://www.thametowncouncil.gov.uk

More information about the event can be obtained from Alison Isherwood, 21st Century Thame, Thame Town Council, on 01844 212833 or e-mail her at 21CT@thametowncouncil.gov.uk.

SCHOOL swimming in Buckinghamshire should be a lot safer, following the introduction of new safety rules, drawn up after the drowning of a Stokenchurch pupil at Thame’s Jubilee pool in July, 2004.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) of Buckinghamshire County Council was called in after the death of Nathan Matthews, and found that the trip had been properly organised and that the staff at the Thame pool were trained and qualified in teaching swimming and in lifeguarding.

However, after visiting the county’s school swimming pools, the HSE issued BCC with an Improvement Notice stating that the council’s safety requirements were less stringent than those at the leisure centre.

The new regulations are expected to be passed by the county council’s cabinet today, and all school pools re-opened next month.

The new regime will include that schools must be aware of how many teachers and helpers were needed for each class, that training needs must be assessed and provided for, and it will include the necessity for the water to be clear, so that any child on the bottom of the pool can be clearly seen. Caps or dark glasses will be required to be worn to ensure that glare from the water does not prevent helpers seeing what is happening at the bottom of the pool.

It has been reported elsewhere that Ian Park, the county council’s Physical Education Adviser, has said:
* that all teachers were trained and qualified in resuscitation and had attended courses in how to deal with risks and emergencies and what to do with the rest of the class if an accident occurred.

* If staff did not have the training, the pools could not open.

* “School swimming is safe. It was a high-risk activity but a vital life skill.” (Bucks Free Press)

A WOMAN was taken to hospital yesterday, following a two-car collision in which her car ended up on its roof.
Witnesses at the scene, by the slip road into the Thame Service area, reported that the woman’s car was hit from behind by a second vehicle that failed to stop after the incident.
The road was closed for a time after the accident, which happened at about 4.40pm.
Fire Officer, Andy Ford from Thame, who attended the accident, said that the woman was treated for a hand injury at the scene before being taken by ambulance to hospital, and that she was very lucky to have escaped more serious injury.

NB Thame Fire Officers and other emergency services also attended a previous accident, the day before, (Saturday), close to the Golf Driving Range, also on the Long Crendon Road.
Here, occupants of two cars involved in a head-on crash, where, according to Fire Office Andy Ford, apparently saved from serious injuries by airbags and seatbelts.