WANT A TV? - DON'T BE A MUG.

The latest alleged 'scam' to come to my attention is one involving television sets. An official looking letter arrives outlining the good news. It is of course a 'very special offer' and you have been 'pre-selected' but you must 'hurry' or you will miss out on your 'unclaimed' television. All you need to do is send in the £29.99 'TV Acquisition fee' and it will be despatched forthwith. Now come on ladies and gentlemen, do you really think you are going to get something worth £29.99 or more? I didn't think so.

If it sounds too good to be true………… it probably is.

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH SIGNS.

My colleagues in the Community Safety Department at Salisbury now have Neighbourhood Watch gatepost signs available for you to buy. They don't cost much (ONLY £2.30 - What a bargain!) and are very easy to fix to a gatepost or lamppost or anything else you might deem appropriate. If you would like one for your village, street, lane etc please let me know and I will get some. Research does show that this sort of sign does put criminals off and that must be a good thing.

LADIES, HANDBAGS PLEASE.

Now I am really trying hard to keep my equal opportunity, sexual equality and all things fair and even hat on but I must tell you it is not easy. Why, I hear you shout with great interest! Well, it is handbags that have got me going. Handbags, handbags, handbags. Every time someone rings up to say that they have had their car broken into and that their handbag has been stolen I close my eyes and the room echoes to the resounding thwack of my forehead hitting the desk. I'm sorry ladies (and of course any gentlemen out there with handbags) but I fail to see why it is necessary to leave a handbag in a parked car. They are presumably called handbags and not carbags for a reason.

Please, please, please do not leave handbags in cars.

Thieves know that handbags are left under car seats, under blankets, under old bags, coats, towels or whatever. Basically if they see something with a handbag shaped lump under it they will put the window in to have a look. If you must carry a handbag then the contents are obviously important to you and it would be extremely irritating, upsetting and inconvenient to have it stolen. Don't leave it behind for a thief. You may have got away with it in the past and you may get away with it in the future but it could happen, because it does happen.

WILTSHIRE IS THE SECOND SAFEST COUNTY IN THE COUNTRY TO LIVE IN BUT THIEVES ARE OUT THERE. IF YOU SEE ANYTHING SUSPICIOUS GIVE US A RING

REPORTED CRIME
TISBURY & MERE SECTION - JULY 2002

CHICKLADE - 17th Thief drove onto garage forecourt filled up his car with petrol and sped off without paying. (PC Mark Steele)
EAST KNOYLE - 27th Male arrested on suspicion of drink driving. Later released as he was under the legal limit. (PC Jerry Wilkins)
GASPER- 17th Landrover stolen in broad daylight from outside house. (PC Dave Mills)
MAIDEN BRADLEY - 1st Lawnmower stolen from back garden of house. (Crime desk) 6th Chainsaw stolen from tractor shed at farm overnight. (PC Mark Steele) 13th Quad bike stolen from grain store on farm overnight. (Crime Desk) 23rd Burglar entered house via unlocked window during the day and stole property from inside. (PC Dave Mills)
MERE - 1st Thieves broke into office at quarry and stole reflective jacket and wall heater. (PC Graham Briant) 5th Window of empty house smashed. (PC Graham Briant) 11th During the day a house was entered via an unlocked window, a laptop computer was stolen. (PC Dave Mills) 9th Car broken into in Clements Lane, speakers and wallet stolen. Male arrested in possession of the stolen property. (PC Graham Briant) 10th Male found in possession of Cannabis resin. (PC Graham Briant) 18th Handbag stolen from locked parked car at Mere Down. (PC Graham Briant)
SEMLEY - 20th Stone used to smash car window, handbag stolen from inside. (WPC Lucy Deakin)
STOURTON - 8th Quad bike stolen from unlocked shed on farm. (PC Dave Mills) 14th Burglars smashed window to get into workshops at Stourhead, alarm sounded and they left empty handed. (PC Dave Mills) 19th Male arrested for assault at Stourhead. (PC Dave Mills)
SUTTON MANDEVILLE - 23rd Chainsaw and hedgetrimmer stolen from unlocked van as occupant worked nearby. (PC Mark Steele)
TISBURY - 11th Golf clubs stolen from car that had been left unlocked during the morning outside the Victoria Hall. (Crime Desk) 15th Window smashed on parked car spare wheel stolen. (WPC Lucy Deakin) 18th Samsung mobile phone stolen from car via open sunroof during day. (WPC Lucy Deakin)
TOLLARD ROYAL - 7th Three mobile phones reported stolen in separate incidents at 'The Big Chill'. (Crime desk) 20th Male arrested for indecent assault at The Larmer Tree Festival on behalf of Dorset Police. (PC Paul Wilson)
WARDOUR - 19th Laptop computer stolen from house. Door left open, occupant at home, daylight. (WPC Lucy Deakin)
WILLOUGHBY HEDGE - 1st Thief smashed glass to gain entry to kiosk in layby and stole cash. (PC Jerry Wilkins) 1st Whilst cashier at Service Station was busy thief entered stock room and stole large quantity of cigarettes. (PC Graham Briant) 6th Female drove onto garage forecourt refuelled her car and drove off without paying. Car had been stolen from Warminster. (PC Jerry Wilkins) 22nd Male drove onto garage forecourt, filled up with petrol and drove off without paying. (PC Jerry Wilkins)
ZEALS - 10th Burglar broke into house during the day and stole a television and stereo system. (PC Dave Mills) 12th Items stolen from workshop by business partner of owner. (PC Dave Mills) 15th Two mobile phones stolen from bar of The Bell & Crown. (PC Dave Mills) 24th Tractor stolen overnight from Wolverton Lane. (PC Dave Mills) 26th Thief stole cheque from chequebook and tried to cash it. (PC Dave Mills) Bet 10th and 28th 600 green fence posts stolen from a field at Whitecross. (Crime Desk)

ALL REPORTED CRIMES ARE INVESTIGATED BY YOUR LOCAL POLICE OFFICERS. ANY INFORMATION YOU MAY HAVE THAT MAY ASSIST WITH THESE INVESTIGATIONS WILL BE LOOKED INTO AND IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.
PLEASE DON'T WAIT TO BE ASKED, GIVE US A RING.

YOU CAN JOIN THE GROWING NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO RECEIVE THIS BULLETIN BY E-MAIL EVERY MONTH, CONTACT ME AT TISBURY mark.steele@wiltshire.police.uk

You can also access the bulletin including previous copies and a wealth of local information on the following websites:
www.tisbury.co.uk, www.swallowcliffe.com, and www.nadderfocus.com.

Tisbury 01747-870203 / Mere 01747-860268 (General Enquiries)
Police Control Room 01722-411444 (To report incidents)
CRIMESTOPPERS 0800 555 111 (Anonymous reporting)
EMERGENCIES '999' (Crime in progress, persons in danger etc.)