Here are the ‘alerts’ relevant to us as well as surrounding villages. These “alerts” are received from Thames Valley Police, and other sources, such as fellow villagers or other villages.

If you would like receive Thames Valley Alerts directly then you can register here (also under  useful links) you may also want to see our local neighbour police site which can be found here Banbury Rural . Remember to call 101 to report any unusual activity.

Village Burglaries – Appeal For Information 05/12/2016 15:21:07 [163099]

Neighbourhood officers are asking residents in the villages immediately surrounding Banbury to check their security measures following a recent increase in house burglaries.

Five incidents have been reported in the last fortnight in the villages of Wroxton, Shutford, Cropredy, Upper Tadmarton and further, towards Chipping Norton. Officers making door-to-door enquiries believe that it’s possible that other attempts on nearby properties have also occurred but not been reported to police.

Any suspicious activity or individuals must be reported to 101 unless you are witnessing a crime in action when you should dial 999.

In isolation you may not think what you’ve seen is important but it helps police build an intelligence picture of criminal activity in your local area. The clearer the intelligence picture, the greater the chance of stopping the problem.

Prevention is better still. Comprehensive advice on home security can be found on the Thames Valley Police website.

Out-buildings and vehicles are also targets for opportunist thieves so do not ignore these when considering how to deter criminals. CCTV is becoming more and more popular, but this is only a useful tool if kept in full working order and regularly checked so you know if anyone has been observing your property while you were out.

If you don’t want to speak directly to the police, you can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111

Prevent The Theft Of Heating Oil 16/09/2015 15:51:35 [124131] ‏

A message for anyone who uses heating oil as their main source of heating.

With the recent increase in the cost of fuel, domestic heating oil is becoming a target for thieves. Following these simple ideas can act as a deterrent.

Don’t be left out in the …

CCTV can deter thieves and record any tampering or theft
Oil levels check these often and report any irregularities
Location of your oil tank, so it is in view of the property
Defensive planting can deter thieves, grow prickly hedges

Consider using security lighting to illuminate your tank, use an alarm for oil levels or build a cage around the tank.
It is difficult to secure such a valuable asset as it is kept outside, often in full view and has to be accessed easily by your fuel supplier.
If damaged by thieves it could also cause an environmental catastrophe.

Sergeant Becky Fishwick from Banbury and Bicester Rural Neighbourhood Team said: “We would urge residents to put locks on their heating oil tanks and, where possible, keep any access gates to gardens locked and secure as a preventative and to deter offenders from targeting.

“Remember to check the oil level in your tank regularly. Look for spilt fuel, marks on locks or anything else suspicious and report this through the non emergency 101 enquiry centre.”

For anyone wanting specific crime prevention advice on oil tank security, please contact Michelle Miller, Community Relations Officer on 01295 754570.

If you have been a victim of heating oil theft we urge you to report it to us immediately on the 101 no. if you witness a crime occurring, please call 999.

Antiques Roadshow – Broughton Castle Sun 21 June 09/06/2015 13:10:23 [114371] ‏

(Please do not reply directly to this email, please use the Reply button at the bottom of this message)

Message sent by

Michelle Miller (Police, Community Relations Officer, Cherwell LP

Hello

We are pleased to announce will be in attendance at the Antiques Roadshow when they visit Broughton Castle on Sunday 21 June. We will have a crime prevention stand offering advice on how to protect your valuables.

The doors open at 9.30am and close at 4.30pm.  Entry to the show is free and no pre-registration is required. 

Some of Britain’s leading antiques and fine arts specialists will be on hand to offer free advice and valuations to visitors, who are invited to raid their attics and bring along their family heirlooms, household treasures and car boot sale bargains for inspection by the experts.

People with large pieces of furniture or other big items can send details and photographs of their objects to: antiques.roadshow@bbc.co.uk or write to Antiques Roadshow, BBC, Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2LR Telephone: 0117 974 2395. It may be possible to arrange to look at the items in advance and organise transportation to the venue.

For more information about planning your visit to the Roadshow go to www.bbc.co.uk/antiquesroadshow

We look forward to seeing you there

Burglary Non Dwelling- Wroxton 07/06/2015 17:24:56 [114156] ‏ ‏

Message sent by

Chris Kidd (Police, Police Community Support Officer (PCSO), Cherwell LPA)

Overnight between 3rd and 4th June 2015 offenders unknown have gained access to a garage on Main Street, Wroxton and have stolen boxes of champagne.
We do not wish to alarm you, but you may be able to help us to catch those responsible and assist in preventing further offences in your neighbourhood.
If you have any information you would like to provide us please contact us on the below details.
Did you see anything suspicious?
Or do you have any information which you believe may be connected to this offence?
If you can help, we would like to hear from you.
Please ring the Non-Emergency Number on 101 and quote Occurrence number 43150153912

Theft From A Garage & A Shed – Horley 21/05/2015 13:00:26 [112450] ‏

Offenders have broken into a garage in Horton Lane.  A strimmer, hedge trimmer and chainsaw have been stolen.
A garden shed in Wroxton Lane has been broken into.  Offenders have broke the padlock from the door.  A strimmer and a mountain bike have been stolen.
Please alert neighbours and remain extra vigilant. If you saw anything suspicious in your area or have any information that may help with police enquiries please telephone Banbury Rural  Police Team  on 101.
Alternatively if you have information that could help us but wish to remain anonymous, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.     

Caravan Stolen- Horley 10/04/2015 10:41:46 [108194] ‏

This is to advise you that a caravan has been stolen from a field in Horley. Persons unknown cut through two hedges and a fence to gain access to the caravan. This occurred sometime between 7pm on Wed 8 April and 9am on the 9^th. No description of the caravan is currently available.

As always we ask that you remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to us as a matter of urgency on the non-emergency no.101.  If you have information that could help with our enquiries, but, you wish to remain anonymous you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Thank you on behalf of the Banbury Rural Neighbourhood Team

 Domestic Oil Thefts In North Newington Village 26/03/2015 11:27:55 [106716] ‏

We have had 5 x domestic oil thefts in North Newington in the last 9 days. 1 in School Lane, 1 in Main street and 3 in Park lane. Please alert neighbours and remain extra vigilant. If you saw anything suspicious in your area or have any information that may help with police enquiries please telephone Banbury Rural  Neighbourhood  Police Team on 101. Alternatively if you have information that could help us but wish to remain anonymous, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Village Alert: Theft from a Garage– Little Lane- 5/2 to 8/2/15

– Between Thursday 5th – Sunday 8^th February

Offenders have gained entry to a garage and stolen a pushbike. Please alert neighbours and remain extra vigilant.  If you saw anything suspicious in the area or have any information that can assist with police enquiries, please telephone Banbury Rural Neighbourhood Police Team on 101 with information or 999 for immediate police attention

Alternatively if you have information that could help us but wish to remain anonymous, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. 

 Village Alert: Door Step Traders – 6/2/15

This week’s Banbury Guardian warns of the rise of doorstep traders and the link to burglaries. A Horley resident recently had an incident of a  guy trying to sell items from a bag on his shoulder. He said he was selling goods as he was on a new scheme helping to rehabilitate ex offenders. The  police are saying many of these doorstep traders have fake ID’s and they are just scouting round the villages for vulnerable properties or people.

It is recommended that you report this type of non emergency activity to the Thames Valley Police on 101.

Village Alert: Notice Anything Odd Sunday Evening ? – 8/1/15

Last Sunday evening (Jan 4th) a car parked on Wroxton Lane had one of its rear windows smashed, nothing was taken. Also on the same evening another car at the other end of the village was damaged (details not known).

If you remember anything odd about Sunday evening or see any suspicious activity you can report it to Thames Valley Police on 101.

Village Alert: Courier Fraud – January

This is a message sent via Thames Valley Alert. This information has been sent on behalf of Thames Valley Police

(Please do not reply directly to this email, please use the Reply button at the bottom of this message)

Message sent by

Tom Jennings (Police, Communications Officer, Thames Valley Police)

Thames Valley Police is warning the public to be vigilant after another spike in “courier fraud” in the Cherwell area. Courier fraud is when a victim is asked by an offender, pretending to be from their bank or the police, to withdraw money. The offender then hires a courier or taxi to pick up the money from the victim. There was a spate of offences in Cherwell in 2014, with 37 attempts and six successful courier frauds, and, since the start of 2015, there has been a re-emergence in the Banbury area, with three attempts and one successful fraud. Offenders target vulnerable members of society, including the elderly, and for this reason the incidents have been described by a senior officer as a “sickening”.

Courier fraud normally involves the following:

• Vulnerable members of the public receive an unsolicited phone call from the fraudster, who purports to be from the police or the victim’s bank, stating that their systems have spotted fraudulent activity on the victim’s account or accounts.
• The victim may then be asked to ring the bank or police back on a genuine number – 999 or 101, for example. This helps convince the victim that the call is genuine. But the fraudster keeps the telephone line open so, even though the person calls the bank or police, the call does not go through. Instead, they are unknowingly connected straight back to the fraudster.
• There are many variations to the next stage of the scam, but one of the most prevalent is that the fraudster then requests that the victim assists the police investigation by withdrawing a large sum of money from their bank and taking it home.
• A courier will then attend the victim’s home and collect the package containing the cash. These couriers are normally local taxi drivers or courier companies who have been asked by the fraudster to collect the package on their behalf.

If you receive such a call from fraudsters, end it immediately. In order to clear your line from the scammer, wait at least five minutes before making any calls. Alternatively, call the police from another phone line. Do not hand over any money or other items a result of this type of phone call, and report the incident to your local police immediately. Det Sgt James Bonner, from Banbury Local CID, said: “This type of crime is sickening and deliberately targets the elderly and vulnerable members of our community, who are often duped into handing over their life savings to these criminals.“It is vital that members of the public are aware of this re-emerging scam to prevent further victims, and follow the crime prevention advice we have issued.“Police officers or banks will never ask you to withdraw cash or handover bank cards and PIN numbers. If you or elderly family members receive these types of call, immediately report it to your local police station, ideally in person.”

Thames Valley Alerts 2014

This is to make you aware that over the last 6 weeks we have had 4 reports of theft from churches occurring in villages surrounding Banbury. They are as follows:

21/10/14 –  – Church of St Peter and St Paul, Deddington – Henry Hoover stolen
21/11/14 – 23/11/14 – Church at Barford St Michael – 2 x priest chairs stolen
23/11/14 – 08/12/14 – St Peters Church, Hook Norton – Projector stolen
28/11/14 – St John the Evangelist at Hempton – 2 small ornaments stolen

We ask the public to be extra vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to us on the non-emergency no.101. If a church has been targeted in your village by thieves please let us know immediately.