Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • Action Against Uninsured Drivers – (Contributed)

    THAMES Valley Police continue to work with the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) to crack down on uninsured and unlicensed drivers.

    A magnetic poster was launched in February, which was produced to stick on the side of vehicles recovered under Section 165 of the Road Traffic Act and boldly warned drivers ?No insurance, No Vehicle?. After some testing the posters proved to be unwieldy and as a result new A3 stickers have been produced to get the message across.

    The power to seize uninsured vehicles was introduced in the Thames Valley in February 2006 and gave Roads Policing Officers the power to immediately seize any motor vehicle which is being driven without insurance or by an unlicenced driver.

    The owner then has the choice of signing away the ownership of the vehicle to police, who will arrange its disposal or they can return to a police station with valid insurance and driving licence and pay a

  • Kerb-Side Glass & Food Waste Collection Likely

    THE Kerb-side collection of both glass and waste food is likely to be part of a new contract for the future disposal of Thame’s waste.
    One of Thame’s District Councillors, David Dodds, set out details of SODC’s plans, in a report last night to fellow town councillors.
    He explained that an invitation to new tenderers will be published next week, and that the new arrangements should be in place by April 2009.
    He said: “We are well aware that a large amount of glass finds its way into rubbish sack and landfill.”
    Cllr Dodds added that latest figures show that re-cycling and composting in the South Oxfordshire District are both up, and that last month, the total amount of waste collected went down by 200 tonnes.
    “The figures show that overall, we are winning the fight,” he concluded.

    Photo: Cllr David Dodds

  • New Disability Access Rules For Taxis

    NEW regulations coming soon will mean that all Taxi companies licenced by South Oxfordshire District Council, must have a some vehicles that comply with the 1995 Disability Descrimination Act.
    The new rules will come into effect when the taxi companies next apply for their licences to be renewed and will apply to all new licences.

  • Police Authority Defends Local Priorities Criticism

    THE Thames Valley Police Authority has today responded to criticisms following a poor performance assessment by the independent Audit Commission.
    Thames Valley Police Authority Chair, Christine Weston has supported the efforts of Thames Valley Police following the publication of the Force?s performance assessment for 2007, and pledged to work with the force to improve the one headline area where the force was found to be performing poorly – local priorities.
    She said: ?I am disappointed by our rating of poor in local priorities. I feel it fails to recognise the work we have done on neighbourhood policing.
    ?This was the first year this area has been assessed and following advice from the Home Office, we set ourselves extremely tough targets.
    ?Along with ten other forces, Thames Valley Police failed to hit those targets, but we have already started work to ensure we will improve in this area next year.
    ?However, it is a mark of our success that despite an ever-changing population and the increasing financial pressures this brings, residents? perception of police performance continues to be rated as good/excellent.?

    Mrs Weston welcomed good ratings in the areas of public protection, dealing with serious crime and managing resources and efficiency.
    She said: ?I am pleased to see our excellent performance in bringing offenders to justice and sanction detections.
    ?The performance assessment reflects a recent independent survey by the Audit Commission in which Thames Valley Police were among the UK?s best forces for recording crime data.
    ?That is reflected in our excellent performance in recording incidents of domestic violence.
    ?However, a good performance in recording crime does impact on our crime statistics and that has resulted in a deterioration of our performance in tackling crime.
    ?Thames Valley Police Authority is monitoring this situation closely and we have been pleased to see that crime has fallen in Thames Valley this year.?

    Thames Valley Police scored seven points out of a possible 21 points scored across the spectrum of police forces. The government’s Police Performance Assessments rates the 43 UK forces in seven different categories, with a rating given of excellent, good, fair or poor.
    The categories were tackling crime, resources and efficiency, serious crime and public protection, protecting vulnerable people, satisfaction and fairness, implementation of neighbourhood policing and local priorities.

    Although Ministers have argued that it is “erroneous” to compile a national league table from the statistics, which compare similar forces rather than all forces as a national group,” using the points system – three points for an “excellent” rating, two for “good”, one for “fair” and minus-one for “poor”, Thame Valley came second from bottom, with Bedfordshire appearing to be the worst performing force.

    Photo: Thames Valley Police Authority Chair, Christine Weston

  • Thame Cattlemarket Lobbying For Restriction Changes

    THAME Farmers Mart Ltd, which runs Thame Cattlemarket, is currently lobbying Boris Johnson MP, other local MPs to change the restrictions currently in place because of foot and mouth and blue tongue desease among farm animals, which it says is crippling the farming industry.
    Currently no farm-to-farm movements of livestock are allowed throughout Oxfordshire and the other home counties, and no animals are being sold at Thame.
    A letter sent out this week by Simon Draper,
    Auctioneer/Director at TFM Ltd, reads:
    “Dear Sir
    We e-mailed your office last week to impress upon you the problems that are arising over the Foot and Mouth disease controls and the Bluetongue Protection Zone that are in place in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.
    “The new restrictions put in place a week ago are making it virtually impossible to sell cattle and sheep for slaughter with the Bluetongue Protection Zone. The Meat Hygiene Service state there is slaughter capacity for 2500 cattle and 8000 sheep within the 150km PZ per week, which is not even 25% of the capacity required.
    “Over the next few weeks the cattle and sheep industry will grind to a standstill in these areas and huge welfare problems similar or worse to the 2001 FMD outbreak will be seen and with no welfare destruction scheme put in place by government, farmers are open to huge loses and possible prosecution.
    “A lifeline to all farmers within the Bluetongue Protection Zone would be to allow cattle and sheep to travel direct to slaughter to abattoirs outside the PZ which are only too willing to take stock. These movements should be either direct from farm or through a market collection centre.
    “There are only two markets in the immediate area, one in Oxfordshire (Thame) operating 1 day a week as a collection centre and one in Buckinghamshire (Winslow) which is temporarily closed, we as market operators cannot continue in such light for too long, access to these abattoirs would ease some of our problems and ease greatly the welfare issues described earlier.
    “I would ask you to use any influence you may have to assist in the easing of our burden as soon as possible.”
    TFM Ltd said:”We are doing everything possible to lobby government to get these regulations altered and have the full support of:

    ►The Livestock Auctioneers Association
    ►The National Beef Association
    ►The National Sheep Association
    ►British Meat Producers Association
    ►Assured British Meat
    ►Reading Animal Health
    ►Bucks & Oxon Trading Standards

  • New Voices Wanted

    IN the run-up to its 50th anniversary in 2011, Thame Choral Society is keen to build up the strength of the choir to enable it to do justice to that special occassion.
    The society is therefore keen to attract new members in all voices.
    Thame Choral Society is a medium/small, mixed voice choir singing a range of interesting and varied music, performing two or three concerts with orchestra, each season, often with soloists of national repute.
    Its next concert, on December 8, at St Mary’s church in Thame, will include music by Bach, Christopher Rouse and Elgar, and there will be carols for all to sing.

    To learn more, either just turn up to a rehearsal on any Wednesday in term time at 7.30pm, at the Adult Education lecture room at Lord Williams’s Lower school, or either ring Judith Newenham on 01494 488687, or visit the society’s website: www.thamechoralsociety.co.uk
    NO AUDITIONS ARE REQUIRED

  • No Goals For Thame At Hoyport (Contributed)

    DESPITE having 80% of the possession, Thame failed to turn possession in to goals and slipped to their second successive 1-0 defeat at mid-table Holyport last Saturday (06/10).
    Holyport opened brightly and took the lead in the seventh th minute when a speculative 25-yard shot from the impressive Chris Woods dipped under the bar at the last second to beat Thame keeper, Michael Higgs.
    Once they had scored, Holyport was content to sit back for the remainder of the game, soaking-up Thame pressure and hitting them on the break. As a result, Thame had the majority of the play but struggled to break down a resolute Holyport defence. For the remainder of the first half chances were few and far between, with the best chance falling to striker Nathan Jack who failed to connect when well placed eight yards from goal.

    The second half continued in similar fashion, with Luke Ricketts on the wide left for Thame posing real problems for the Holyport defence with his pace, trickery and crossing ability. Indeed, the best chance of the second half fell to Ricketts, forcing a fine save from the Holyport keeper with a drive from wide left. Despite a change in formation and the introduction of manager Mark West, Thame were unable to force an equaliser with Adam Rhodes seeing his goalbound shot deflected over the bar with a few minutes remaining.
    Holyport 1 – Thame United 0

    Thame will be hoping to reverse their recent fortunes when they face Bisley Sports at home (AFC Wallingford) on October 13, (3:00pm kick off).

    Thame United: Mike Higgs, Ansell, Graves (West), Matt Higgs, Hocking, Connelly, Cowan (Reading), Rhodes, Catlin, Jack, Ricketts.

    Thame United Reserves comprehensively beat Wokingham & Emmbrook Reserves 3-0, to move to the top of the Reserve Division 2 East. The Reserves will be looking to maintain top-spot as they face Chinnor Reserves at Station Road, Chinnor on 13th October (3:00pm kick off).

  • Win for Chinnor RFC Against Reading

    PHOTO: Chinnor’s Richard Williams runs in a Try – Score: Chinnor 30, Reading 10. Match Report to follow.

  • Thame’s October Fair

    THIS YEAR’s Thame October Fair will be arriving in the Upper High Street car park, on Thursday evening, October 11, and will be open to the public on Friday and Saturday, October 12 and 13.
    The Upper High Street Car Park will therefore be closed to all vehicles from 8am on Thursday (11/10) until 12 noon on Sunday, October 14.

    This year’s Thame fairs are being watched very closely by Thame Town Council and Environmental Health officials, who have come up with new agreements with the Showmen’s Guild about noise levels and other anti-social complaints from residents in the town centre.
    The current agreement runs out in two years time and there is pressure from some quarters to have the fair, which has grown over the years, to be moved to an edge of town site.

  • Preventing Unwanted Halloween Knocks In The Night

    THAMES Valley Police Force is aiming to cut down the number of ?Horrible happenings? on Halloween night with a publicity campaign.

    A ?ghoulish? poster will be distributed to police stations, libraries and community centres across the force area.

    It will show anyone out on Halloween night which houses will not answer a knock on the door.

    Thames Valley Police is asking that anyone displaying a ?Sorry, no trick or treat here? sign should have their privacy respected, and festive callers should leave them alone.

    The initiative, which has been successful in previous years, aims to reduce fear among elderly and vulnerable households.

    It can also make Halloween more enjoyable and safer for young trick or treaters by making it easier and more obvious for them to see where they will not be welcome.

    Parents can get some hints and tips on how to make the evening as safe as possible for their children by downloading a special Halloween leaflet (see below).

    Steve Smith, Force Crime Reduction Manager for Thames Valley Police, said: ?The idea behind the campaign is to make Halloween as enjoyable as possible for those who want to celebrate the occasion.

    ?We don?t want to stop anyone from enjoying themselves, but we do want to try, as far as possible, to reduce incidence of behaviour that may leave people frightened, or which puts people in danger or at a disadvantage.

    The campaign has been run by both the Hampshire Constabulary and Thames Valley Police Force, and is part of a new system of collaboration between the two forces.

    To get a download a copy of the poster and leaflet, log on to www.thamesvalley.police.uk/reduction/saferhomes/safehome/safe6.htm or visit your local police station.