All posts by Secretary of the SRRA

Minutes of the South Ruislip Residents Association Quarterly Meeting Held at St Mary’s Church On Wednesday July 27th 2016

In attendance were 45 residents and 9 committee members.  Councillors present Cllr Alan Kaufmann. Apologies were received from: Frances Jones, Margaret Wallis, Cllr Kelly and Cllr Duducu

1 .0   Meeting Opened 20:02

Minutes signed off.  Item 3. Pedestrian access.  Walkway to be open when the commercial site is opened for access from Long Drive.

2.0   Police

Update from Ward Sgt James Burgess. Many moves in the Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) for South Ruislip.  Insp Rob Bryan has been promoted to Chief Inspector in charge of SNT’s.  Sgt Burgess has three constables, new and all keen and adept.  Sgt Burgess has been in the police for thirteen years. Mostly in neighbourhoods.  Ward Sgt for 8 weeks.

Complaints about Field End Rd, Paddock Road, drug use.  3 drugs arrests including 70 wraps of heroin.  Also cannabis.  Also complaints in The Fairway.  Vehicle and knife seized.  Sgt Burgess said that they were successes as a result of information from residents, so please inform the police.  They want more information.  Personally to the SNT, by dialling 101, twitter and email. Don’t mind the route, just get them the information about local criminal activity.

Burglary figures.  In May, 11 down to 2 in June.  In a recent case a burglary was started, the alarm went off and the burglar was scared away by alarm.  First break in for a while.  The message from the police is take sensible precautions and reduce your risk.

One gentleman asked about cycling on pavements which Sgt Burgess explained was an issue he was hot on.

Discussed children riding on bikes recklessly in Queens Walk and Mount Pleasant.  Cllr Kauffman mentioned Kings College as a good diversion for attention and hinted at plans for South Ruislip for BMX course/skateboarding and things of that ilk. “Watch this space”.

No plans to reopen the satellite police station on The Runway in South Ruislip.  But plans locally to improve visibility of police by walking in the ward. Aim to be on the ward for shifts including on late shifts up to midnight.

Brackenbridge.  Issues with kids on motorbikes.  The police have seen this as well whilst walking in parks near West End Road and Bridgewater Road in the field.  Comments that they were gathering in White Butts.

Complaint about a noisy motorbike in the area.  Details taken by the police.

3.0   RAF Northolt

Hannah OC Operations and Squadron Leader James Tenniswood, Media and communications officer.

Round up of recent occurrences.  There are two thousand people on the unit.  The looked after the spare for Marine One which was brought in by C17.  They have been involved with Exercise Griffon Strike in Cornwall, taking senior MOD and ministers there via helicopter to watch the drill.

Keeping them most busy – flights for Senior Ministers and Royal Family.  Parliament in recess so a little quieter.  But there have been a lot of short notice flights recently.

Also they site the two helicopters for London Air Ambulance.  Their flying times are limited by sunlight.

Flight safety.  Concern about local drones activity.  Need users to stick to the CAA regulations.

Lasers.  Being shone on planes are a risk to the sight of pilots.  There are hotspots for lasers use in Field End Road and Long Drive.

Wingfield Way.  Hedges cant be cut at the moment due to nesting season.  Not cut April to July.  Can do it in August and they will do.

The station was awarded Station of the Year by RAF Benevolent fund, for raising funds, £53,000 for this charity and raised £230,000 in a year for all the charities.

Questions about a quirky and noisy plane which was identified as a Piago airplane.  Belongs to Italian air staff.

Comments that there are a lot of helicopter movements at the moment.  The RAF representatives said they felt the number of movements for them was low, but there the base has a helicopter lane route over RAF Northolt.  Apart from exercises not many there really.  Just fly over head.

Maintenance on runway to take place in the next two years.  But waiting and don’t know when.  It will close for 6-9 months for fixed wing aircraft.

Comment from the floor about Project ARC meaning RAF Northolt could take up to 50,000 movements at year. 12,000 cap per year is the remit subject to ministerial approval.

Operational tempo meant that the RAF Northolt open day is a staff only event.  However in 2017 the idea is a community open day so there will be a focus on local people getting tickets rather than plane/RAF buffs.  They will advise more at the next RAF/community meeting.

4.0   Reports Treasurer

Current account £329.24 and deposit account £13,362.89 in reserve at 25th July 2016.  Outstanding £140 for a newsletter and ID tags £15.

5.0   Chief Road Steward

Thanked the Road Stewards.  Vacancies for Exmouth Road (40) Queens Walk (22) West End Road (12).  Discussed Lanyard’s.  The lanyard was the expensive part of the fit out.

Mahlon Avenue & Hardy Avenue did not receive a newsletter from Kate.  Discussed the routine of the newsletters going out.

Geoff reiterated the need for up to date list of houses and the roads.

6.0   Ward Councillor – Allan Kauffman

Rubbish Bins.  Spate of domestic waste in waste bins.

Roads to resurfaced Brackenbridge Road, Abbots close, Down Barnes, White Butts and Stafford Road.  Next challenge is the pavements.  First is Long Drive.

Green Flags – most awards in Hillingdon in the country.  Awarded to parks for amenity and trees. Very proud of Hillingdon’s Green spaces and this award.

Bridge at South Ruislip Station Approach: Looking for a proposal from officers to improve the immediate area of the bridge, passed to TFL for £350,000.  Ruislip Manor work cost £11 Million.

Complaints about weeds on Rydal Way. Sent photos to Cllr Judy Kelly.   Comment on weed sprayer on a quad bike, being done at speed so possibly ineffective.

Complaint about bridge and pigeons at Ruislip Gardens.

7.0   Lidl

Lidl will be on major planning on 24th August.  Recommended for approval. Watch for the details on the website.  One of the issues was with Benson’s for Beds delay as an island in the car park.  Plan to open by end of March next year

8.0 ARLA Site

Cited to open one week before Easter.

Shopkeepers in The Fairway complained about spaces being taken up being used for spoil. Parking spaces to be returned for customer use from Allan.

Have started the road widening.

9.0   HS2

Action Alliance against HS2.  Cost currently £55 Billion.  Spent £1 and a quarter billion with nothing to show for it.  We believe part of Europe wide high speed rail link, but this idea is broken in London anyway.  Expected downturn in the economy and so anti groups are hoping HS2 might be a casualty.

Meeting Closed.

Macmillan Coffee Morning – Saturday 1st October 10am to Noon Eastcote Methodist Church

Lynne Kauffman, Editor of the SRRA Newsletter has mentioned that her church at Eastcote Methodist Church are organising a coffee morning on Saturday 1st October ten till twelve, for Macmillan.  The church is one of the lovely buildings in Pamela Gardens.

From Lynne….

” Please join us again this year on 1st October 2016 for our amazing Macmillan morning

From: :10-12 noon

At: Eastcote Methodist Church, Pamela Gardens Eastcote HA5 2QU

Delicious Coffee , tea or soft drinks, Sensational cakes and cookies.  Lots of gifts to buy, games to play.  Plus ‘Kiddies’ corner

Amazing company – especially if you join us!!”

If you are there for a coffee and a cake, it might be a good chance afterwards to take a quick walk round Eastcote House Gardens which is very close and might help to burn off a few cake based calories.  Only lived in South Ruislip for seventeen years and not got round there myself yet!

Eastcote Methodist Church Macmillan Morning 1st October
Last years organising committee

Anyone who has had support from Macmillan will know their fantastic work.

Website back up!

Not sure if sleeping or just dead

This is the kind of post that dying websites make.  You see it so frequently on blogs.  Months pass since the last post and then one which says yes we are back and going to post on a regular basis, and that is normally made three years ago with nothing else added!

We have had technical issues with the site after a change of hosts was forced on us after a data back up failure.

But those are now past us (that will put the kiss of death on it!) and we look forward to sharing the SRRA news with you!

Jeremy

 

 

Mayoral Elections Today

Have made the short walk to the Polling station at St Swithun Wells this morning with my wife. Lovely short walk in the sunshine discussing candidates. Almost romantic – we know how to live it up don’t we.

The SRRA would strongly encourage you to exercise your democratic right and vote today.

How To Vote Mayoral Election
How To Vote Mayoral Election

MINUTES OF THE SOUTH RUISLIP RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION QUARTERLY MEETING HELD AT ST MARY’S CHURCH – WEDNESDAY APRIL 27TH 2016

Minutes of the South Ruislip Residents Association

Quarterly Meeting Held at St Mary’s Church On Wednesday April 27th 2016

In attendance were 65 residents and 11 committee members.  Councillors present Judy Kelly and Eddie Lavery.

Apologies were received from: Jenny Hunt and Cllr Kaufmann, PC Jack Duerden.

April 2016 SRRA Quarterly Meeting
April 2016 SRRA Quarterly Meeting

1.0   Minutes signed off and Vice Chair Sid Jackson opened the meeting.

2.0   Police.

Manor and Cavendish

Acting Sergeant Tristan Brown has recently taken on this role. His dedicated ward officers are Sarah Fordham (Manor) and Ajay Shah (Cavendish).

His 2 dedicated PCSOs are Gurbinder Sandhu and John Dickens (John is currently on a small squad delivering MetTrace kits across the Borough)

The following officers are also part of the team: Aidan Young and Nathan Francis

South Ruislip

Sergeant Karl Spour is the new sergeant. His dedicated ward officer is now James Burgess

His dedicated PCSOs are Kara Remick and Anne Marie Chapman-Bennett

The following officers are part of the his team: Allan Webster, Jack Duerden, Maz Solanki and Charlie Mitchell (joins in June)

Rabournmead Drive

Skeletal remains were found.  The police believe they have identified the person.  The person had been missing since last year.   The polices working hypothesis is that the person, sadly,  died sleeping rough.

3.0   Brian Varley from Bellway Homes

Bellway Homes are the construction company building the residential homes at the ARLA site.  Construction will be fully complete in two years time.  Sales of the first phase opened at the weekend.  They are sold out on the first release.  They are working on the site with other construction companies Simmons and Stace, who deal with the commercial side of the development.

Questions/Comment from the floor:

Site access for pedestrians.  Bellway are creating a pedestrian walkway through from Station Approach which will be at the side of the Middlesex Arms.

Traffic will be separate from the shopping side of the development giving residents their own access to the site.

Drawing showed trees on the plans, but these have all been removed.  Established trees removed in the construction phase but other trees and landscaping will be planted at the perimeter. This will be completed towards the end of the development.

Question about affordable / housing association properties and quantity and proportion of these.  163 plots in total and there are 18 shared ownership homes which will be affordable and 18 rented units to let via a housing association.  No HA yet appointed to manage these.

What of car parking at the site? Parking is one space for one flat/property.  Generally thought to be low, but meets regulations etc.

Are these properties all sold to overseas buyers?  Not really, many local buyers, property advertised locally and many sold to local people.

4.0 Report from the Chairman

ARLA Site

Sid visited the ARLA site.  Impressive.  On target for completion by end of year.  Likely to be open around Easter next year.  The Focus site entrance opposite West Mead (now Aldi / B&M) will close and entrance will be part of the overall scheme.

Lidl

First phase plans approved for the development at Victoria Road, but the larger development is still waiting points to be cleared and planning application then will go to planning committee meeting.

HS2

Seeing movement in MP’s positions from opposition to mitigate the disruption that construction will cause.  See this as a sign that work will go ahead.

5.0   Treasurer’s Report

Current account balance £1,229.88.  Reserve £12,361.33.

No questions for Colin.

6.0 Chief Road Stewards Report

Hunting for Road Stewards for The Fairway, Diamond Road, Royal Crescent.  Wingfield Way.

Simple task to visit the houses and deliver.  Collecting the money is also simple, can be completed in a way that suits you.

7.0   Secretary Report

Nothing to report

8.0 Officers Election

The following officers were returned as standing for the following year.

Name Position
Vice Chair Sid Jackson
Treasurer Colin Hook
Chief Road Steward Geoff Taylor
Secretary Jeremy Wasden

9.0   Cllr Judy Kelly & report from Cllr Alan Kauffman who submitted in Writing

SKLP

Cllr Judy Kelly petition raised from local residents on Harvey Road re the disruptive behaviour from the site.  SKLP were better neighbours in 2014, but were more disruptive later last year with a poorer response from council officers and the police to the issues raised by residents.

Keen to improve the situation again for residents.

Youth Club at South Ruislip

Conversations with councillors have been ongoing. Set up meetings about way forward.  Report update when know more.

Block of Flats opposite South Ruislip Station on Great Central Avenue

Much work especially by Cllr Kauffman.  Flats will house people in need of temporary housing.  They can house up to four people.  Owned by Hillingdon but leased to a housing association.  An open day is being arranged by the provider to view the flats for local residents.  Date tba.

Yellow Lines on Field End Road

Now painted.

Corsa’s illegally parked in Brackenhill

Cat and mouse with council officers.  Now not advertised.  Looking at parking meters.

Bridge at South Ruislip

Looking to improve Station Approach.  Written to mayor, designers worked site.  Bridge is very dark.  When it floods can’t get through.  Walls seep moisture.  Perhaps put cladding on, raise pavement by two foot and raise light levels.  Circa £353k cost to improve.

10.0 RAF Northolt

Station Commander here next meeting.

The runway is going to be resurfaced next year.  New base to the tarmac needed, very invasive work.  Therefore the runway is going to close next year for around 9 months.

Display. Question from floor about whether flying displays will be affected following crash at Shoreham. Sid felt not as displays not aerobatic.

Flybe.  Wrote wanting to fly from Northolt.  Sid said feeling was it won’t happen.  Can’t operate scheduled flights as military has priority.  Once start to have a schedule the military would lose control.  There are also restrictions on aircraft passenger numbers due to ambulance cover, fire covers etc.  Not in foreseeable future.

Part 2 SRRA Meeting. 

Tea Break SRRA Quart Meeting April 2016
Tea Break SRRA Quart Meeting April 2016

Secretary Jeremy left, and Lynne Kauffman kindly completed the minutes for the evening.

Item Discussion/requests Action
11 VC Jackson carried out a vote to verify the proposed and seconded officers of the executive.

There was an overwhelming positive vote for all all committee members carried forward.

Open invitation to any member who wishes to attend the executive meetings 9thJune, 14July.

12 Update requested on the ground between the library and the youth centre on Victoria Road. Cllr Lavery stated that it was council owned land. Cllr Kelly reported on the site history for the development of the site. Cllr Kauffman and Cllr Kelly to investigate.
Members question Question on the fly tipping opposite the dentists on Northolt Avenue. To be resolved through an Members Enquiry.
Members question Use and development of the site on Station approach that was previously a nursery. Cllr Kelly though it was to be used for a day centre. Lunch club was mentioned but there is already a lunch club held at St Mary’s church hall 3 x per week run by Good Neighbours the club includes transport and outings. Publicise the lunch club in the newsletter to attract new members.
AOB from the committee.
  • GT(Chief Road Steward) raised the issue of identification for road stewards- use of photographs was suggested by a member. GT requested support still required for deliveries.
  • LC community report – Jim O’Neill walk almost impassable because of lack of drainage- suggested use of the Chrysalis fund to improve drainage.
  • CH no points to raise.
  • Non committee member(editor of newsletter) LK promoted the open meeting on EU for all South Ruislip residents 29th April 7:30 at the Ramada Hotel.
Still required

Diamond Road

Royal Crescent

The Fairway

West End Road

Wingfield Way

 

 

To be reported by Cllr Kelly

AOB from the floor
  • Question raised ‘Are we likely to see more of Boris once the election is over.
  • Northolt Avenue fly tipping repeated
VC to invite Boris Johnson to a meeting. Cllrs mentioned BJ’s surgery on Friday evening.
VC thanked members for attending meeting closed at 9:28pm.

Date of the next meeting 27th July.

 

Police – CAVENDISH & MANOR – CRIME UPDATE – W/E 10/04/2016

From Tristan Brown of the Met….

Operation Bumblebee Poster 1 – When a stranger calls…

Operation Bumblebee Poster 2 – UPVC Security

Operation Bumblebee Poster 3 – Improving Security 

 Welcome to your weekly update.  Within these updates I will focus on local crime and the issues effecting you and the local community.  My last crime update has been very well received with some excellent feedback.  If you feel you have prevented a crime, seen some suspicious activity, and you believe other readers would benefit from knowing, please reply and it will considered for entry in to the next crime update.

 I aim to send these updates on the Monday of the following week.  However, this will be dependant on shift patterns and availability of data.

 Crime

Burglaries

05-04-16 to 06-04-16 – Overnight – East Mead, Ruislip – Suspects have attempted to gain entry to the property by damaging a rear door.  Ref 0906756/16

 05-04-16 – PM – Sacred Heart RC Junior and Infant School, Herlwyn Ave, Ruislip – Two male suspects have been seen to enter school playground and attempt to gain entry to the school via the hall doors.  Ref 0906780/16

 08-04-16 – PM – Whitby Road, Ruislip – Suspect’s have forced an upstairs window (accessed from a flat roof) and carried out an untidy search within.  Several items of property stolen. Ref 0906969/16

 26-03-16 to 10-04-16 – Bempton Drive, Ruislip – Tool marks found to front UPVC door and side window smashed.  Ref 0907085/16

 Motor vehicle crime

07-04-16 to 08-04-16 – Overnight – Warren Drive, Ruislip – Motorcycle stolen from front garden of property.  Registration FX51ONG.  Ref 0906894/16.

 06-04-16 to 07-04-16 – Overnight – Beverley Road, Ruislip – Vehicle damaged.  Large scratches along both near and offside.  Ref 0906991/16

 Theft – Person

No incidents reported.

 Robberies

No incidents reported.

 Assaults

No incidents reported.

 If you were a witness to any of the above crimes or have any information, please call 101 or make contact by either of the means below.

 Drugs

Over the last couple of weeks we have been receiving reports of suspicious activity possibly concerning drug use/supply.  Please report any incidents of this nature to us.  This information is crucial if we are to build a picture of what is happening and where.  We collate this information, look at trends and work to identify and arrest offenders.

 Crime Prevention

Burglary and its prevention and detection will remain our priority.  There are some simple steps residents can take to safeguard themselves.  These include the fitting of an alarm or dummy alarm box.  Ensuring all windows and doors are locked.  UPVC doors need to be locked with the key as well as lifting the door handle.  Use a timer to illuminate a lamp at dusk.  The list goes on and there are further suggestions in the leaflets below.

 Don’t be a victim of burglary.  Follow this advice.

 Have you been a witness to any suspicious behaviour that may be of interest to your local Police officers?  Please let us know.  All information is gratefully received.

 From our newsletter

COURIER FRAUD

Last week a North Hillingdon elderly resident was contacted by someone pretending to be from the Surrey Police. These fraudsters can seem very believable and unfortunately they were able to con the resident into withdrawing money and handing it over to a courier believing it was being taken to the police.

Police, banks or other agencies or companies will not ring up and ask you to withdraw money ever. Do not withdraw money and hand it over to a courier because someone claiming to be in authority has told you to. Don’t ring any numbers given to you by the fraudsters and if they tell you to hang up and ring 101 to check, don’t as this is also a scam – they leave the line open and simply pretend to be the police. Hang up and ring someone you know first so you know they are off the line. Then ring 101 and report to us immediately.

THEFT FROM TRANSIT VANS

Our neighbouring police forces are seeing an increase in theft of tools from Ford Transit vans. The vans are being opened with devises that apparently over-ride the locking mechanism – no key needed and they don’t have to force entry. Sadly, in this day and age of modern technology, it seems there is always a devise available to bypass keyless entry. Our advice is to empty your van over night. Whilst this is not always practicable, a solid lock across all doors is also recommended. Whilst many van owners put them on the back doors, the other entry points are often overlooked.

As keyless entry becomes more widespread, our advice for all vehicle owners is to consider using a good old fashioned steering wheel lock.

FAKE £50 NOTES

Shop owners – please be aware that a number of fake £50 notes are doing the rounds. Please be very cautious of anyone trying to break a large note or asking for change from it. Those trying to offload these notes often target small businesses with single members of staff. Please ask your employees to be vigilant and if they are concerned, call police straight away.

  Do you own a dog?

From Wednesday the 6th of April, it is now law that all dogs must be registered and micro chipped by the time they are eight weeks old.  This falls under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.  Dog owners are also required to keep their contact details up to date.

 If local authorities discover a dog without a microchip, owners will have 21 days in which to have one fitted or face a fine of up to £500.

 For further information, have a look at www.dogstrust.org.uk/help-advice/microchipping/

 Latest scam email

Have you received an email from an unknown source requesting payment for an outstanding invoice?  Does the sender know your address?  You are likely to have received the latest scam email.

Earlier in the week we were contacted by a concerned resident who had received such an email.  They all follow a similar format:

 ———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Dear **** *****,

Regarding the amount due 1635.14 GBP, we act on behalf of Particle Technology Ltd in order to collect the outstanding account value of your debt.

We would like to remind you that the amount above was due for payment on 31.03.16 but as no payment has been received, your invoice is now considered as overdue. Please find a printable version of your invoice at the following link:
[http://*/basso*pb.co*m/in*dex.p*hp?ygoq=*648ef2eja*******]http:/*/basso*pb.co*m/in*dex.p*hp?ygoq=*648ef2eja*******

Original invoice will be sent out to:
**** *****
*, ******* ***********
Ruislip, Middlesex HA4 ***

In order to avoid further costs, please forward the payment to us and transfer the amount due not later than 12.04.16

Best regards,
Willie Ferguson

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

People are falling victim to this scam.  Don’t be fooled by the fact your name and address are known.  Clicking on the link (which I have disabled in the above message) will install a virus on to your computer.  This virus then encrypts victims’ files and demands a ransom be paid before they can be unlocked.

 Neighbourhood Watch

Are you interested in setting up a neighbourhood watch scheme for your road?  Get in touch and we will be pleased to help you.

 Ruislip Manor SNT       0208 721 2549            Email: manorward.snt@met.police.uk

 Cavendish SNT    0208 721 2550            Email:  cavendish.snt@met.police.uk

 Follow Hillingdon Police on Twitter @MPSHillingdon

Follow Insp Bryan on Twitter @MPSHillingNorth

HS2: Campaign Update and House of Lords Deadline

0203 286 8701
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Dear SRRA,

Campaign Update and House of Lords Deadline

On 23 March the HS2 Hybrid Bill was voted through at third reading in the House of Commons by 399 votes to 42.  This means that it will now move to the House of Lords for consideration.

This message for those of our supporters who live near the route of Phase 1 of HS2 and are therefore entitled to petition in the House of Lords. 

Timing in the House of Lords

The HS2 Bill had its first reading in the House of Lords on 23 March (a procedural stage where there was no vote) and the House of Lords Petitioning period has now begun.  It commenced on 24 March and will end at 5pm on 18 April.

Petitioning Process – what can you do?

The House of Lords petitioning process works in the same way as the House of Commons process in that those people who are affected by the HS2 project can submit a written document – a petition – setting out what you would like to see changed in terms of better mitigation or compensation in your area.  Once you have submitted a petition you can either appear in person in the House of Lords to ask the House of Lords Select Committee to implement the changes you are requesting or you can appoint someone else to appear on your behalf.  This can be any individual such as a local representative, councillor, member of your local action group etc.   We would recommend that the most effective way to make your case is to appear in person and explain to the committee what you would like.  Technical expertise is not required and the Select Committee will be very sympathetic and helpful to individual petitioners appearing and making their cases.   However if you can’t be there in person it is still better to submit a petition and have someone else represent you than submit nothing.

How do I submit my petition?

The good news is that the rules in the House of Lords are slightly different to the House of Commons in that it is now possible to submit petitions by email or by post and you are no longer required to submit it in person or via your MP.  You still have to pay a fee of £20 – even if you have petitioned already in the House of Commons.  For a full guide to petitioning please click here to review advice provided by the House of Lords

This also includes a template petition to which you can add the points you would like to raise.   Please note that if you send a petition by email you must also follow it up with a paper version sent by post (but this can arrive after the 18 April deadline).

Can I petition on the same topics I petitioned on in the House of Commons?

Yes you can.  If the mitigation or compensation which you requested in your House of Commons petition was not addressed or granted then you can petition on the same topic in the House of Lords.  Whilst the House of Commons Select Committee did make some changes to the HS2 project by granting additional tunnelling/deeper cuttings etc in some areas we believe that there are still a great many areas where the plans remain deeply unsatisfactory and further changes are required to effectively mitigate this project.   If you believe that the points made in your first petition were not addressed you can even use the same wording in your House of Lords petition.

The House of Commons Select Committee didn’t listen when I petitioned, is it really worth petitioning again?

We believe that it is because the House of Lords Select Committee is a totally separate body which will be new to the issues.  Often members of the House of Lords are experts in their fields and they are also less confined in terms of being “whipped” to vote for a government project.  We believe that there is a good chance that the House of Lords may be more independent minded and open to making changes than the House of Commons.

This will be your last chance to achieve any changes to Phase 1 of HS2.  The deadline is 5pm on Monday 18 April.

HS2AA

Weekly Crime Update: Cavendish Ward

From the Cavendish SNT is this very local update.  Look forward to one for the South Ruislip ward;

Dear Readers,

Welcome to your weekly update.  Within these updates I will focus on local crime and the issues effecting you and the local community.  My last crime update has been very well received with some excellent feedback.  If you feel you have prevented a crime, seen some suspicious activity, and you believe other readers would benefit from knowing, please reply and it will considered for entry in to the next crime update.

I aim to send these updates on the Monday of the following week.  However, this will be dependant on shift patterns and availability of data.

Crime

Burglaries

17-03-2016 to 20-03-2016 – Field End Road, Ruislip – Suspects have kicked the rear door off the hinges and entered the property. No items stolen. Ref 0905611/16.

21-03-2016 – PM – Bideford Road, Ruislip – Suspects have entered property via a rear door.  Jewellery and cash stolen.  Ref 0905739/16.

21-03-2016 – PM – Oak Grove, Ruislip – Suspects have forced entry via a rear door.  No items stolen.  Ref 0905740/16.

21-03-2016 – PM – Seaton Gardens, Ruislip – Suspects have gained entry by smashing a rear patio door and forcing a kitchen window.  Witness has seen four IC1 males leave the venue and drive away in a black saloon vehicle.

Motor vehicle crime

22-03-2016 – Overnight – Ashburton Road, Ruislip – Suspects have entered vehicle by an unknown method and damaged ignition barrel. (See crime prevention below) Vehicle not stolen.  Ref 0905818/16.

24-03-2016 – Overnight – Windmill Way, Ruislip – Suspects have stolen a Silver Honda CBF-4 motorcycle with registration FX05YXN.  Ref 0905995/16.

25-03-2016 – PM – Denbigh Close, Ruislip – Number plates stolen from vehicle. Ref 0906058/16.

Theft – Person

No incidents reported.

Robberies

No incidents reported.

Assaults

No incidents reported.

If you were a witness to any of the above crimes or have any information, please call 101 or make contact by either of the means below.

Crime Prevention

Motor vehicle crime

Over the last few months there has been an increase in the number of ‘theft from’ and ‘theft of’ motor vehicles.  Many of these crimes have been reported where there has been no sign of forced entry to the vehicle or the vehicle has been stolen with the lawful owner still in possession of the keys.  I have made contact with PC Pick of Thames Valley Police who has been in contact with an expert at the vehicle testing centre in Thatcham.  He has offered the following information;

There are currently two main locking systems for vehicles.  These are key fob and keyless entry.  Both can leave your vehicle vulnerable to crime if certain precautions are not taken.

Key Fob entry

The system works by sending random combinations of code to the vehicle each time the fob is pressed.  Therefore, thieves copying the code is useless so they have come up with another way to prevent you from locking your vehicle.

Thieves are overcoming this by jamming the signal from your key fob to your vehicle by using a number of different devices.  These devices can be purchased from as little as £2 from the internet and come in many forms such as garage door openers and house light controllers/dimmers.  Many of these devices act to block your key fobs when you attempt to lock your vehicle.

Thieves are able to block signals in whole areas such as car parks or streets by hiding these devices in bushes with a clothes peg activating the device for long periods of time and without the need for them to be in the vicinity.

There is a solution.  Once you have activated your key fob, YOU MUST ensure the lights have flashed indicating the car has received the signal, and then check the vehicle is locked by lifting a door handle.

Keyless Car entry

The signal for a vehicle with keyless entry cannot be jammed so thieves will simply smash a window to steal your property.

The signal used for vehicles with this form of security system is unchanging and broadcasts continuously between the fob and the vehicle.  IT CAN BE COPIED. 

Fobs made by different manufacturers use different ranges and the signal can vary in terms of strength and useable distance.  This is the distance between the vehicle and the range in which the vehicle will be unlocked.  This can be up to 30 feet from the vehicle.  For many people this could be less than the distance between your vehicle and where you leave your keys once inside your home.  YOUR VEHICLE MIGHT NOT BE LOCKED.  Alternatively, if your fob is transmitting continuously, the distance between where the device is in your home and the pavement, driveway etc. may be sufficient for a potential thief to copy the signal.  Once copied the thief can not only enter your car but also steal it or any property within it.

The advice from Thatcham is as follows;

If you have a vehicle with a keyless entry system, keep the key in a ‘Faraday Cage’ where the signal cannot escape.  This is the same advice as given to us in relation to tap credit and debit cards.  You can now purchase small metal credit card cases at an affordable price.  You can then remove the plastic card holders and keep your key fob in there.  Search for RFID blocking case/wallet.

DO NOT leave anything on display that a thief may find attractive.  This includes any electronic/valuable items such as phones and sat navs, but also be aware of other items such as bags, child seats and clothing.

Have you been a witness to any suspicious behaviour that may be of interest to your local Police officers?  Please let us know.  All information is gratefully received.

Neighbourhood Watch

Are you interested in setting up a neighbourhood watch scheme for your road?  Get in touch and we will be pleased to help you.

  Ruislip Manor SNT       0208 721 2549            Email: manorward.snt@met.police.uk

 Cavendish SNT    0208 721 2550            Email:  cavendish.snt@met.police.uk

 Follow Hillingdon Police on Twitter @MPSHillingdon

Follow Insp Bryan on Twitter @MPSHillingNorth

 http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/  The UK’s national fraud and cyber crime reporting centre.

APS Tristan Brown | Team 3 North SNT  | Hillingdon Borough

MetPhone 741801 | Telephone 020 8246 1801

Address Ruislip Police Station, 5 The Oaks, Ruislip, HA4 7LE

NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED

Follow Insp Bryan on Twitter @MPSHillingNorth

Follow Hillingdon Police on Twitter @MPSHillingdon

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Unsolicited calls – Unwanted Pressure to Sell a Property Locally

I have been made aware that an elderly neighbour, who lives alone, received an unsolicited telephone call from a lady purporting to be from a well know local estate agent in Ruislip Manor.

 The caller tried to suggest that it was in my elderly neighbours best interests to sell her house. My neighbour stated that she had no intention of selling her house and the caller apparently did not take no for an answer and said that she would call back in a month and pop around to have a cup of tea and discuss the matter further.

 My neighbour was understandably upset by this episode and I have asked her to call 999 should the lady caller turn up at her home.

 I have reassured my neighbour that she did the right thing by refusing to be drawn into this situation. I have informed the estate agent that it appears that someone has used their name and have made the Police Safer neighbourhood team aware of this incident.

 Perhaps members of SRRA could make their neighbours aware of this please, just in case this is not a one off incident.

 Regards

 Steve Graham,  Committee Member SRRA

North Hillingdon Safer Neighbourhoods Policing: MARCH update

Local Police Update:

MARCH
 
Dear Readers,
 
This month I would return to my most popular topic – good work by your local police.
Good Work (all undertaken by your local Safer Neighbourhood officers)
A detective in the making: Last month PC Stawiecki identified a pattern of shoplifting offences and established they were being committed by the same pair of thieves. He gathered all the necessary evidence from a number of stores then arranged an early morning visit for the pair. His excellent evidence meant both put their hands up and were charged with 11 offences.
Calling 999 unnecessarily affects our ability to deal with proper incidents: PC Foley and PC Moore dealt with a local resident who was calling police on a daily basis making a variety of accusations including that his neighbour had a gun. The officers identified that the person was in need of medical care and were successful in getting him to hospital for a mental health assessment. Since then the bogus calls have stopped, giving us more time to respond to real emergencies.
Villains – we know what you look like: Having local bobbies means the faces of criminals are well known. After parking meters in Eastcote were targeted by thieves, PC Brown trawled through CCTV footage and identified the main offenders. PC Brown set about locating the offenders and caught them in the act of counting the money they had just stolen from another parking meter! As a result of her hard work and perseverance PC Brown secured 6 charges of theft against these offenders.
Villains – we know what you look like part 2: Police received a call to a woman heard screaming in a local address. PC Foley recognised the address and realised it was likely to be a person subject to a non-molestation order returning to the address. He informed his colleagues of who he thought it was. PC Hamilton and PCSO Parihar were in the area and spotted that person going past them in the other direction on a bus. Their eagles eyes meant they were able to stop the bus and arrest the person for breaching the order.
Villains – we know what you look like part 3: I think you get the point – local officers with local knowledge mean local crooks are often captured. PC Foley again, this time investigating a theft of a wallet from a local store. PC Foley was able to identify the suspect on the CCTV and make an early arrest. The strength of evident against this person meant he fully admitted the offence when interviewed.
A police uniform can work magic: Whilst on patrol PC Christmas was approached by a man who said he had left his wallet in a local pub the night before. When he realised his loss he contacted the pub but they told him they didn’t have it. He was convinced that he had left it there. PC Christmas attended the pub and was insistent that they tried a bit harder to find this wallet. His persistence paid off, the wallet was found and returned to the owner with everything still inside it. The owner was really happy that police had managed to help him out where he felt that he was not able to do anything further himself.
Traffic signs apply to everyone: Sgt Fanton and her team have carried out a number of traffic operations in Northgate where there is a no right turn sign from Ducks Hill Road. This was in response to complaints from residents in Northgate that the route was used as a cut through and the restrictions flouted by drivers all the time. Approximately 40 cars were stopped and warned about their actions. Other offences were also identified and resulted in several cars being seized and drivers being reported.
Youth disorder: In recent weeks Ruislip High Street and the fast food outlets there have seen a rise in youth disorder. A range of tactics have been used to try and get this under control. At one end of the scale PC Murphy and PC Brown arrested two youths for public order offences – those kids are now subject to the judicial system because of their behaviour and because they were also found in possession of drugs. Sgt Charlston and I have also met with local fast food restaurant managers, agreeing on a number of tactics to make their restaurants less of a haven for bad behaviour – yes, that includes officers sitting in the restaurants drinking coffee. We are reclaiming the space, not putting our feet up! The names of those we deal with (the majority of whom are very local) are being shared with the local secondary schools who will also be educating these young people. This work is still ongoing.
Bad days have long lasting consequences: PC Groome investigated an incident where a man purposefully dragged his key down the side of a car parked at a local gym. There was no reason for him to do this and no previous relationship with the owner of the car. He seemingly was having a bad day and decided to take in out on an innocent person’s car. PC Groome arrested him and he has been charged and will be attending court.
Don’t be a bad neighbour: PC Low secured a 10-year Criminal Behaviour Order against Celia Tan at her sentencing hearing at Harrow Crown Court this month. Celia Tan had subjected her neighbours to a campaign of malicious and escalating harassment which included her driving at the neighbour’s children. She was also given a 2-year suspended sentence in addition to the 5-months she spent on remand prior to the trial. There is no doubt this woman made her neighbour’s life a misery and PC Low’s excellent work has finally brought her to book.
Acting on information received: PC Christopher acted on intelligence received from local residents and execute a search warrant at an address in Eastcote. He arrested one person for drug offences and a police style acrylic baton was also recovered from the address. Ring 101 or Crimestoppers if you know of wrongdoing, or speak to your local officer.
Partnership working: Sgt Kerr and his team carried out another joint operation with Immigration Services targeting illegal workers and anti-social behaviour in Bradfield Road as a result of complaints by local residents. A police dispersal order was put in place whereby 17 persons were issued notices and 7 were arrested for immigration offences.
Disgusting: A family was being harassed over a period of time culminating in dog faeces being smeared over their front door and car. PC Moore worked hard to link the suspect to the crime, eventually getting sufficient evidence to secure a charge of criminal damage. The victim and his family were very grateful for PC Moore’s efforts in finally dealing with an individual who was affecting their lives.
Remember, this is a snapshot only of what your local officers are up to. They do so much more on top.
Rob
 
Inspector Rob Bryan
Hillingdon North Safer Neighbourhoods
Hillingdon Borough
Phone 020 8246 1816 | Mobile 07500097182 | E-mail robert.bryan@met.pnn.police.uk | Twitter @MPSHillingNorth
Address Ruislip Police Station, The Oaks, HA4 7LE
 
Follow me on Twitter @MPSHillingNorth
Follow Hillingdon Police on Twitter @MPSHillingdon
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