Thames Valley Police in Wargrave have arrested a woman on suspicion of stealing tools from a vehicle in Wargrave.
On Tuesday (9/3) a call was made to police at 11.25am to report tools being stolen from a van in Wargrave.
At approximately 1.30pm, a 35 year-old woman from Sherbourne Drive, Woodley was arrested on suspicion of theft from vehicle and released on police bail until 20 March.
Thames Valley Police ~ Wargrave
Here is the latest Twyford/Ruscombe, Sonning/Charvil/Hurst and Wargrave/Remenham neighbourhood update from Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Nicola Shepherd:
There has been an increase in burglaries in the last month mainly concentrated in Twyford. There have been seven burglaries and attempted burglaries in Twyford, one in Hurst and two in Wargrave. Point of entry is usually at the rear of the property through a window by smashing it, or by forcing the lock on patio and back doors. I urge residents to make sure that your windows and doors are all locked and secure, ensuring that the key is not left in the lock or within view. If you are to leave the house empty I would suggest making the house appear occupied by leaving a light, radio or TV switched on.
Thames Valley Police is warning people to be vigilant to thieves posing as police officers after an incident in Wargrave on Wednesday 17 February, and three other similar incidents in the Thames Valley area on the same evening.
The incident happened shortly before 11.30pm at an address in Victoria Road, Wargrave, when three men forced their way into a property and claimed to be police officers there about a dead cat.
One of the men then detained the 81-year-old man and his 69-year-old wife in their living room, while two other man searched the house.
The men left with nothing after doing a messy search, both victims were unhurt but badly shaken.
We urge people to be vigilant to this type of crime and never let anyone in your home without first verifying who they are. A legitimate police officer will not mind waiting while you check. You can do this by asking to see their photo identification and calling 0845 8 505 505 to verify this.
This month has had very few reports of anti-social behaviour (ASB) in all areas. We have increased our patrols around Twyford Railway Station, Pennfields estate, Hurst, Wargrave and East Farm Park. However the team have received reports of youths riding motorbikes around Pennfields estate, Twyford. We have increased patrols and spoke to those concerned. In addition to regular neighbourhood patrols police are still running Operation Lion Cub across the Wokingham area which runs every Friday and Saturday night. This operation has been very successful and levels of ASB have decreased in general. If you are a victim of repeated ASB and would like to talk with one of your neighbourhood police, please contact us on 0845 8 505 505.
The neighbourhood team are responding to residents concerns of ASB involving mopeds driving on pavements by increasing patrols and gathering intelligence from local businesses in the Longfield Road, Twyford.
A 15-year-old girl from Pennfields, Twyford was charged this month under Section 5 Public Order Act 1986 for an offence which occurred on 8 December 2009. She attended Maidenhead Youth Court on 25 February. This relates to incidents in Pennfields, Twyford.
On the evening of Tuesday 16 February two men were arrested by police after a short car and foot pursuit in the Sonning area. After an extensive search involving the police helicopter two 25 year-old men from Reading, and Theale, were arrested for drug possession (class B and A), driving offences. They are on bail until 2 April.
There has been an increase in thefts from cars and thefts of number plates across the Wokingham area. There have been seven reported cases of car crime across the Twyford area and two thefts from motor vehicles in Hurst. Number plates have also been stolen from a car in Charvil and we have had vandalism caused to a car in Wargrave. Car parks, including Waitrose and residential areas are being targeted, so we advise that people make sure their cars are empty of all belongings when parked at home or away. There are products for sale in most car and bike shops which are designed to keep your number plate more secure. The cheaper option is security screws which come with caps and adhesive, these are easily fitted and most shops will fit them for you. There is also a type of number plate, the ‘secureplate’ that once fitted to the car cannot be removed without destroying the number plate.
We continue to patrol and issue tickets where parking is a problem, whether it is double yellow lines, residents parking only or obstructive parking. Most parking issues are concentrated within Twyford. Areas of concern are Station Road, Wargrave Road, The Grove, Hurst Road and parking outside the shops along London Road. I would like to remind drivers that it is a non stop/drop off zone outside the shops along London Road Twyford. These are busy residential roads and inconsiderate parking causes congestion, danger to pedestrians and lack of space for the residents.
There are also parking issues in Wargrave, drivers dropping children off to school and working within Wargrave. While we will enforce where necessary we will also use our discretion in how we deal with the problem i.e. by giving words of advice to the registered owner. Could I please ask all local residents and businesses to ensure that visitors to their premises please park in a considerate manner that will not cause an inconvenience to other people?
The neighbourhood team is still involved in the Empty Car Campaign which also involves Community Wardens and Wokingham Borough Council car employees and volunteers. We have been patrolling car crime hot spots and checking vehicles for personal belongings on display. We will also be giving out Empty Car Campaign posters to local Public Houses.
We have conducted speed indication surveys using the SID (speed indication device) across Twyford, Ruscombe and Remenham. SID work was conducted along Ruscombe Road and six cars were going over the speed limit. Letters will be sent to the owners of these vehicles to make them aware of their speed. There were no vehicles in excess of the speed limit along Remenham Lane, Remenham at the time the SID work was conducted. Our next SID is planned to be conducted in Hurst and Twyford.
At the beginning of the month we had a school talk at Polehampton Infant School with PC Eke, Schools Liaison Officer and PCSO Nicola Shepherd. It was a ‘safe and sound’ talk with year six and was well received by school and pupils.
We held a Pub watch meeting at the Wee Waif where the Empty Car campaign was discussed. Following the meeting we visited all public houses that attended the pub watch and handed out the empty car campaign posters.
PCSO Jackie Daniels and PC Terry Neblett attended the Remenham Parish Council meeting on the 8th February to discuss the speeding issues along Remenham Lane.
PCSO Chalmers attended Hurst Parish Council meeting where she responded to residents concerns regarding recent criminal activity in the area.
PCSO Anne Chalmers has been visiting the primary schools in the Hurst area, talking to staff and children whilst performing foot patrol at school collection times.
During the month we worked in partnership with Wokingham Borough Council Community Wardens. PCSO Chalmers and community wardens were able to identify general litter which has subsequently been removed by Wokingham Borough Council.
Details for further meetings:
* 4 March Police Surgery, Sheeplands Garden Centre, Hare Hatch 10am-12pm
* 5 March Police surgery, Recreation Ground, Recreation Road, Wargrave 10am-12pm
* 13 March Have your say, Twyford library 10.30am-11.30am
* 27 February Waitrose Twyford Crime reduction day 3pm – 5pm.
* Wargrave and Twyford, Closed Neighbourhood Action Group meeting Piggott School early March.
Good news stories:
The team would like to thank PC Sarah Bartlett for all her hard work and enthusiasm during her short stay at Twyford Neighbourhood Team.
PCSO Anne Chalmers and PCSO Nicola Shepherd have a ‘Safe and Sound’ school talk lined up for Dolphin School on 9 March. We also have ‘Safe and Sound’ talks lined up with local Guides groups in Sonning and Twyford and will be greatly looking forward to them.
PCSO Shepherd has been making contact with the local Age concern and Bridge House. Also popping in on residents that have had recent burglaries to make sure that they are alright and getting the necessary aftercare.
PCSO Jackie Daniels is working with the family affected by the recent distraction burglary in Wargrave and has the Age concern handyman on board to help.
Sonning village are starting to prepare for their by-annual scarecrow event which will be held on May bank holiday (30-31). We will be looking forward to the event as we know it will be enjoyed by local residents and visitors to the village.
PCSO Chalmers is planning to conduct SID work in Hurst next month. And PCSO Shepherd is planning to conduct SID work along London Road, Twyford next month.
You can contact your neighbourhood policing team by calling 0845 8 505 505 or by visiting www.thamesvalley.police.uk and following the neighbourhood policing links.
Thames Valley Police ~ Twyford
The Twyford Singers are presenting the St Mark Passion by Charles Wood on Sunday 28th of March for their Easter concert at St Mary’s Twyford. This is a beautiful work with flowing melody and sonorous harmony in the exquisite choral sections.
The choir is delighted to welcome back soloists Ronan Busfield and Simon Whiteley who sang at last year’s Easter concert. Ronan and Simon are both Lay Clerks at St Georges Chapel, Windsor Castle and have busy professional solo careers. Ronan Busfield, who formerly conducted the choir, will sing the tenor soloist as the Evangelist, with Simon Whiteley covering the bass solo for Jesus.
Tickets for the concert at 7.00pm cost £5 including refreshments, and are available on the door or by telephoning 0118 934 2406 or 0118 934 5985.
The Twyford Singers are keen to welcome new singers, in particular Tenors and Basses. They have been so successful in attracting new Sopranos and Altos that they now need more men! For those interested in joining the choir, please contact the choir secretary on 0118 9698326. The Singers are a friendly choir and meet Tuesday evenings from 7.45pm to 9.45pm at the URC Hall in Twyford.
Thames Valley Police in Twyford would like to make motorists in the area aware of some simple measures they can take to protect their vehicle from being broken into.
Over the night of Wednesday 3 February a vehicle in Victoria Road Wargrave had its rear windscreen shattered. Although nothing was stolen, there have also been other incidents which have not been officially reported to police, including one in Amberley Drive, Twyford.
Twyford Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Jackie Daniels said: “I have advised victims to report these crimes to Thames Valley Police as I would with all victims of crime. If nothing else, it can help us to build a complete intelligence picture of crime in the area and enable us to focus our efforts accordingly.
“If anyone has any information on this – or any other Twyford crime – they should contact the neighbourhood policing team via the police enquiry centre on 0845 8 505 505.
“If you don’t want to speak to police and don’t want to leave your name contact the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.”
Wokingham Borough Community Safety Partnership is asking motorists to “make it tough for the opportunist thief”, and cut down on the amount of thefts from motor vehicles.
Stephanie Meyrick , Wokingham Borough Council’s community safety officer, said: “Often people invite thieves to take an interest in their vehicle by leaving valuable items in open view. Thieves also know that people leave laptops and bags in the boots of their cars so it’s not safe to leave anything valuable in your car at all.”
The Wokingham Borough still remains one of the safest places to live and work and the Community Safety Partnership is working hard to reduce car crime in the Borough.
We are asking people to assist us in not only removing all valuables from their cars but also to report anything suspicious to Thames Valley Police 0845 8 505 505 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Tips to avoid becoming a victim of Twyford car crime:
* Always park in a well lit area
* Lock all your doors and close your windows
* Never leave anything valuable in your car, as it only takes a few seconds for a thief to smash your window and take off.
* Do not leave a jacket or coat on display in your car. A thief may think that it’s hiding your laptop or handbag.
Thames Valley Police ~ Twyford
Here is the latest Twyford/Ruscombe, Sonning/Charvil/Hurst and Wargrave/Remenham neighbourhood update from Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Jackie Daniels:
It has been a busy month for the neighbourhood team, especially as the snow caused some problems. Working in snowy conditions did bring its problems with getting around but as normal the neighbourhood team worked well together to get around the issues of the snow and ice.
The team would like to welcome PC Sarah Bartlett on her Neighbourhood Attachment with us before she joins the response team at Loddon Valley in February.
There have been two burglaries reported in the area of Wargrave and Remenham, both properties were empty due to the householders being away on holiday over the Christmas period. Properties targeted are usually empty – residents have been out for the evening or are on holiday leaving their homes looking dark and empty. I encourage residents to make their homes appear occupied when they are not in by, for example, leaving a light and TV on or investing in internal timer switches.
If you are not at home – take steps to make it look as if you are. Ask a friend or neighbour to park on your drive, use timer switches on lights and radios. Cancel any usual deliveries and ask a friend or neighbour to push any mail delivered through the letter box and pop in daily to draw your curtains.
Incidents of anti-social behaviour (ASB) cause concern for the community but due to the recent bad weather reports of ASB have reduced apart from the throwing of snowballs.
A resident of Hillands in Wargrave reported youths on a garage roof on News Years Eve, but on officers attendance the youths had dispersed.
The neighbourhood teams across the local police area are involved in Operation Lion Cub. The operation has dedicated officers to deal effectively with unruly behaviour on Friday and Saturday evenings. More information on Operation Lion Cub visit www.thamesvalley.police.uk/lioncub
Unfortunately we had to issue a number of £30 Fixed Penalty Notices on vehicles parked in dangerous positions (e.g. junctions and double yellow lines) in Wargrave this week. I would like to remind drivers that the Highway Code and common sense must be adhered to.
We have identified that theft from vehicles is becoming a concerning issue. The neighbourhood team has identified that many of the thefts from vehicles occur from pub and restaurant car parks, with vehicles windows being smashed and items then removed.
These crimes are not just isolated to pubs and restaurants but also in residential areas of our community for example a parent on the school run had her handbag taken from under the drivers’ seat whilst she was parked outside Crazies Hill Infant School.
The neighbourhood team are now involved in the Empty Car Campaign, which involves all the neighbourhood team, community wardens and Wokingham Borough Council car park employees. It involves parked vehicles being checked and if found to be displaying items in the vehicle, the vehicles details will be taken down and the registered owner of the vehicle will be written to and given some advice.
If members of the public see any suspicious activity around a vehicle, such as a person checking if doors are open or looking into car windows, please contact the police immediately.
Unfortunately the team have not had the opportunity to use Speed indication device (SID) as much as planned due to the adverse weather conditions, however please be assured your concerns regarding speeding hot spots across the northern parishes are being acted upon. If there are any locations that you feel need this attention please contact the neighbourhood team.
Whilst out on patrol I have noticed that drivers are still flouting the law regarding the use of mobile phones whilst driving. Even more worrying and dangerous is this has been happening in the adverse weather conditions, with a high number of vehicles having young children as passengers – once again I am asking for common sense to be used. The only permitted use of a mobile phone while driving is using a hands free kit. Even that will be unlawful if you allow a call/text etc. to distract you whilst driving. With or without hands free, if you are driving badly, you can also be prosecuted for careless driving or dangerous driving which carry much higher penalties. If you kill someone in an accident caused by phoning or texting etc. you can expect a lengthy sentence of imprisonment (e.g. up to 7 years for phoning and worse if you are texting). The fixed penalty for driving whilst using a hand held mobile phone is a £60 fine and three penalty points.
On 15 January a fixed penalty notice for £80 for Section 5 Public Order was handed out to a 17-year-old-old boy who was shouting and swearing in the street. This was issued under the Operation Lion Cub neighbourhood policing initiative which is aimed at ASB.
On 16 January a group of youths were stop checked and as a result alcohol was seized from their possession in relation to a crack down on under age drinking.
In the early hours of 17 January a car with four occupants was seen and stopped in Reading Cricket and Hockey Club. The males and the car were searched under Section 23 of the Misuse Use of Drugs Act but no drugs were found
Toby Day, a 34-year-old man from School Road, Hurst, was charged with the offences of assault and affray on 12 January. He was remanded in custody and appeared at East Berkshire Magistrates court on 20 January and was released on court bail until 10 March.
Two cars were issued with Anti-Social Behaviour Section 59 warnings relating to a careless and inconsiderate driving incident in Waitrose Car Park, Twyford during the recent bad weather conditions.
In response to concerns from local residents and businesses in The Grove I have issued £30 Fixed Penalty Notices and have liaised with some of the local businesses along the London Road who said that The Grove gets so full of cars that the delivery Lorries can not fit down and deliver goods to the shops via the service road which in turn is affecting their businesses.
In response to complaints about the local businesses using residents parking all day and not leaving enough room for the residents, I have spoken to the local businesses to work toward a resolution.
Due to the recent adverse weather conditions we have been checking on an elderly residents in the area of Orchard Estate to make sure they are OK. If everyone could check on elderly neighbours during the cold spell in particular it would be appreciated.
On the 16 January PCSO Nicola Shepherd attended a public meeting with SGT Mark Smith and Parish Councillors Scott Clark and David Hymers, in Twyford library. One complaint was received from a local resident about school parking issues at Colleton School along Colleton Drive, she said that the school has changed the time that parents can drop off their children from 8.30am – 8.45am to just 8.45am otherwise they will have to pay £3. She was concerned that this will cause more parking issues as everyone will be dropping off at the same time, I will liaise with Colleton School and discuss this concern.
PCSO Shepherd arranged a school talk with Polehampton Junior School on 1 February with PC Les Eke, our Schools Officer.
PCSO Anne Chalmers was called to a group of youths causing a disturbance outside an Indian Restaurant in the High Street, Twyford. She asked the youths sweep up the snow balls they had thrown and apologise to the staff and customers of the restaurant.
We have received reports of vehicles being driven in an anti-social manner. PC Bartlett, PC Butler and PCSO Chalmers have issued warnings to the registered owners of one car and one moped. The Neighbourhood Police team will continue to monitor and respond to reports of anti social behaviour involving vehicles.
We have received a report of possible drug taking activity in East Park Farm, Charvil. Hypodermic needles and other paraphernalia have been found by the Wokingham Borough Council community wardens. In addition to our regular patrols of the area, PCSO Anne Chalmers is working closely with Wokingham Borough Council Community Wardens, conducting joint patrols and environmental audits. If any residents have any information, would they please contact their Neighbourhood policing team on 0845 8 505 505
I’m sure we were all taken by surprise when the snow fell so deeply, even more surprised by how long it stayed. I’d just like to pass on my thanks and gratitude to all the neighbours who went out of their way to help each other out, in particular the residents of Little Glebe in Sonning; I witnessed a real heart warming community spirit
Speeding and car crime remain the top priorities for the neighbourhood team. We are regularly conducting speed surveys using the speed indication device (SID). This month PCSO Anne Chalmers and PCSO Jackie Daniels conducted speed surveys using the SID on Hinton Road, Hurst. Any identified individuals travelling in excess of 30mph will be contacted by the Neighbourhood Police Team. The results of the survey will also be passed to our Traffic Police Team.
PCSO Anne Chalmers and PCSO Jackie Daniels held a Police Street Briefing in the Hurst Village Hall Car Park, We fully appreciate that, at this time of year residents may not want to stand out in the cold. I’m currently working to establish a regular inside venue of our police meetings, – the dates, times and location of these meetings will be published on our web page, please come along and meet us.
A resident of London Road, Twyford stopped PCSO Nicola Shepherd and PCSO Anne Chalmers at Waitrose in Twyford and gave feedback that ASB has been significantly reduced over the last ten months on Jubilee Corner and she wanted to pass on her thanks to the neighbourhood team.
Police Surgeries:
4 March 10am – midday – Coffee Shop Hare Hatch Sheeplands Garden Centre
5 March 10am – midday – Recreation Ground, Recreation Road, Wargrave
You can contact your neighbourhood policing team by calling 0845 8 505 505.
Thames Valley Police ~ Twyford
Thames Valley Police officers have arrested a man in connection with a robbery at Hurst Stores, Twyford on Thursday (28/1).
A 34-year-old man from Reading was arrested at 5.30pm on 28 January on suspicion of robbery. He has been released on police bail until 26 February.
Anyone with information about robbery or any other crime should call the Twyford neighbourhood policing team, via the 24-hour Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505 505.
If you don’t want to talk to police or give your name, call the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.
Thames Valley Police ~ Twyford
One of the rarest birds in Britain is currently putting in an appearance at Wokingham Borough Council’s Dinton Pastures Country Park in Hurst.
This stocky member of the heron family is a secretive bird. Its brown patterned plumage makes it very well camouflaged and normally difficult to spot in the reed beds it feeds in.
“It is the bittern’s dependence on reed beds which makes it a red list species and one of the most threatened birds in the UK” said countryside officer Simon Bartlam.
However, at Hurst Dinton Pastures these elusive birds are being spotted regularly as they drop into the reed beds at dusk. Fraser Cottington, from Friends of Lavells Lake and a keen bird watcher, said: “They seem to mostly come in from along the River Loddon, but do a lot of circling, landing in the tree tops above the Loddon and generally putting on an amazing show before coming in to roost in the reeds around White Swan Lake. This is probably the only site in Britain where you are practically guaranteed to see a bittern at each visit and up to three can regularly be seen at a time”.
Bitterns like to spend the winter in patches of reeds with a good food supply of fish, eels, frogs and insects. At Dinton Pastures, Hurst the borough council’s countryside service has been extending the reed beds on White Swan Lake and Lavell’s Lake. Thanks to this extension of habitat, the country park has become a regular site for bitterns to spend the winter. During the recent cold snap the lakes were frozen and there were worries that the bitterns would have problems feeding on fish, frogs and insects, so roach, sprats and eels were thrown into the reeds to help them out!
“We are very pleased these fabulous birds approve of our habitat management and we hope they continue to be a regular feature of winters here for many years to come” added Simon Bartlam.
Wokingham Borough Council ~ Hurst
The Twyford neighbourhood policing team wants residents to have their say about any issues in the area.
Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Jackie Daniels is holding the following police surgeries in March:
4 March, 10am to 12pm at the coffee shop Hare Hatch, Sheeplands Garden Centre
5 March 10am to 12pm at the recreation ground, Recreation Road, Wargrave
Jackie said: “We want to hear what issues the residents have in their neighbourhood and this is the ideal opportunity for them to come along and raise any concerns with the team.
“We look forward to meeting as many people as possible on the day.”
The Twyford neighbourhood policing team can be contacted on 0845 8 505 505
Thames Valley Police ~ Twyford
As well as tackling the top three priorities, the neighbourhood policing team in Twyford and the northern parishes of Wokingham Local Policing Area (LPA) made a number of arrests in January.
On 15 January, a 17-year-old boy was issued a £80 Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) under Section 5 of the public order act for shouting and swearing in the street. This was issued under the Operation Lion Cub neighbourhood policing initiative which is aimed at tackling anti-social behaviour.
On 16 January, a group of youths were stop checked and alcohol was seized from them as part of a crack down on under-age drinking.
In the early hours of 17 January, a car with four occupants was seen and stopped in Reading Cricket and Hockey Club. The men and the car were searched under Section 23 of the Misuse Use of Drugs Act but no drugs were found.
Toby Day, a 34-year-old man from SHurst, was charged with assault and affray on 12 January. He was remanded in custody and appeared at East Berkshire Magistrates court on 20 January and was released on court bail until 10 March.
You can contact your Twyford neighbourhood policing team by calling 0845 8 505 505.
Thames Valley Police ~ Twyford
Thames Valley Police officers seized drugs, believed to be class A, and arrested a man and woman, after executing a warrant at an address in Milestone Avenue, Charvil on Friday (22/1).
A 35-year-old woman from Holyport, Maidenhead and a 38-year-old man from Milestone, Charvil, were arrested on suspicion of drug possession and were given adult cautions.
In conjunction with this warrant, 39-year-old Michael Kent of Charvil, was arrested at the Texaco garage on the A4 and charged with possessing a class A drug. He has been bailed to appear at Reading Magistrates court on 5 February at 9.15am.
PC Kyle Bateman, Charvil neighbourhood specialist officer, said: “We executed a warrant at roughly 8pm on Friday, acting on intelligence we received from the community on drug activity at the address.
“We rely on information from the community and we do act on it. I’d like to encourage the public to continue to report any suspicious behaviour to us.”
Anyone with information about those supplying drugs can call their Charvil neighbourhood policing team, via the 24-hour Police Enquiry Centre, on 0845 8 505 505.
If callers don’t want to talk to police and don’t want to give their name, they can call the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.
Thames Valley Police ~ Charvil