November 2023
Neighbourhood Watch Report November 2023.
8/10/2023.
Sadly, since our last Parish Council meeting, we have had a number of break ins in our village.
7/10/2023.
Ramsden Village Hall had three feet of piping ripped away attempting to steal oil out of the tank.
10/10/2023
A property on Back Lane
Had their shed broken into by cutting through the padlock. They stole a petrol hedge trimmer and a petrol strimmer.
12/10/2023.
Same property
These criminals came back a couple nights later and from their last remaining shed stole five road bikes. They had picked the lock.
At 3am a neighbour heard and saw two males coming down the drive way and were heading towards Back Lane where they had parked a vehicle in the pull in at Normandy Chicken Farm. The neighbour ran after them but did not get sight of them but heard a diesel vehicle start up.
A next-door neighbour came round the next day to tell and show them that the wire fencing between both their properties had been cut through.
29/10/2023
A property on West Keal Road.
Stables were broken into and saddles were stolen.
It is believed they climbed over a gate behind the property and went across the field to the stables and cut through the padlock. A vehicle could have possibly been parked in the lay-by opposite the gate.
29/10/2023
A different property on West Keal Road.
Broke into shed / outbuilding and stole a ride on mower and garden equipment.
10/11/2023
Another property on West Keal Road.
These criminals went through two gardens to gain entrance and proceeded to break into a shed to steal a ride on mower, a push mower and Sthil garden equipment.
They used the stolen garden loppers and tools from the shed to cut through the wire fencing and holes in the hedging. They left these loppers behind. Tyre marks of a vehicle were seen on the mud at Rectory Lane which runs along the side of Blackberry house. This looks to be where the vehicle could had been parked. Unfortunately, no one heard or saw anything.
A property on Keal Hill had a heavy-duty chain cut to gain entrance to a shed but luckily there was nothing of value stored in it.
Another garage had a padlock cut but the garage was empty.
13/11/2023.
On Monday I went to Horncastle Police station to request a face-to-face meeting. Two police officers from the Neighbourhood Policing Team came out to see me that evening.
This gave me the chance to explain to them that after six break-ins there had
been no police presence in our village. The police had not been out and villagers felt badly let down by them.
I explained these victims rang the crimes in on a 101 and were given a crime incident number and they are then left to pick up the pieces.
I asked them about coming out for a village meeting and they said we would have to contact the station.
They said the problem with coming is it then takes officers off the road.
I explained we need to see visible policing and since we have lost our PCSO we had not seen any of that in our village.
I made the police aware how frightened and worried and concerned people are.
It’s not nice feeling going to bed not knowing whilst you are asleep these criminals
could be outside in the dark and on your property.
I asked the police if there were any connections with our break-ins and the ones at East Kirby and Hagworthingham because like us they had also been targeted. They said that the majority of break in the Wolds followed this same pattern. These criminals target a few properties and then eventually move on. I asked if they were any nearer to catching these people and they said they had intelligence which they were following up on.
I asked what they intended to do to safeguard our village. and they said they understand how vulnerable we felt and they were hoping that with the plan of action they were going to take we would feel a lot safer.
Hopefully you will be pleased to know that as from that evening because we have had so many break-ins we have now become classed as a Hot Spot Village.
Hot spot policing is a strategy for reducing crime.
Hopefully it will deter criminals from coming into our village. This means from now on we will be having a patrol car driving through our village a couple of times every night until these incidents cease.
The police officers were going back to the station to put this plan into action.
They advised us to make sure our sheds were made secure.
Consider a battery alarm. They respond to movement on door contact and a make a very loud siren noise and are easy to use.
Use extremely strong steel padlocks and use security lighting and CCTV cameras.
Make sure you secure your bikes to a lockable stand.
Property marking your tools with your name or post code.
This will make it harder for thieves to sell and easier for the police to give back to owners if recovered.
A Crime Prevention Officer will always come out if you are not sure about what security you need and advise you.
A white male was seen acting suspiciously on West Keal Road and Back Lane in our village.
He was approximately 30 years old and of medium build. He had a thick accent and was constantly talking on his mobile phone and seemed very interested in village property. He was wearing a light-coloured lumber jacket and light-coloured trainers.
He did not look as though he was dressed for a country walk. This was rung in.
A couple of villagers were driving in the village when they came across a Black
Landover 4x4, 0Y62 WVK at the top of Chapel Lane junction with Spilsby Hill.
They stopped and asked if they were ok and they said yes. It was dark but they thought the driver was a young male wearing glasses and had a moustache.
He pulled away when they turned around and came back towards them.
It was rung in.
The police said if was very important if you hear or see anything suspicious to ring it in immediately to give the police a chance to attend.
If anyone has any concerns about our village, please write to:
Marc Jones.
The Crime Police Commissioner.
The Office of Police and Crime Commissioner For Lincolnshire
Deepdale Lincoln.
Nettleham
Nr Lincoln.
LN2 2LN.
Surrounding Areas.
A male driver was stopped in Spilsby by a patrol car. He failed a breath test and had no insurance so his car was seized.
Another car in Horncastle was stopped for driving whilst disqualified, failing to stop
and for possession of cocaine.
He was remanded in custody and put before the court.
Burglars broke into a garage and shed at Stockworth Mill in broad daylight whilst the owners were home. The alarms went off and they ran away empty handed.
A property in Hagworthingham had their garage broken into at 0.100 hrs.
The criminals broke the CCTV and stole a ride on mower.
Another break-in in Hagworthingham had a garage broken into. Nothing was stolen because the house was empty but a garage door was damaged and cost £500 to replace.
They also broke into a garage next door and stole a ride on mower and other garden equipment.
In Hagworthingham a garage was broken into. They forced the hinge off the door
and stole Stihl Garden equipment.
Burglary in Aswardby. Locks sawn off and all machinery old and new stolen.
In Spilsby, fishing equipment was stolen from a van.
A group of youths were arrested in Horncastle and because of CCTV the officers
arrested three youths and the stolen property recovered.
A 34-year-old male was arrested on suspicion of theft, this was after a suspicious vehicle was seen in Wragby. A stinger was deployed and the car was stopped. Items were believed to have been stolen from farms and items used to carry out theft were located in the car. He was released on bail. Investigations are on-going.
This has led to further arrest and searches outside the county.
Whilst dealing with an unrelated matter in Spilsby area, the police found a small cannabis grow inside a person’s home. The grow has been seized and the owner has been prosecuted.
Anybody cam report concerns about drugs anonymously to Crimestoppers on
0800 555111.
A man has been charged with possession of an air weapon following an incident in Burgh Le Marsh. He was charged with possession of an weapon with intent to cause fear and violence.
Please remain vigilant and alert at all times.
If you need anything to do with NHW, please contact me on 01790 763521
or email me lindacreedy47@aol.com
Linda Creedy Neighbourhood Watch Co-Ordinator.