On Thursday night a meeting of The Erith Think Tank was held in the Conversation Room in the former Carnegie Library. The Exchange kindly hosted the event for the newly established community group. Over twenty local people attended the workshop, which was designed to identify exactly what The Erith Think Tank is, and what it will do - in essence to define a manifesto for the future of the organisation, and how it will interact and influence external institutions such as Bexley Council. Currently the overall opinion of the members of the think tank is that Bexley Council does not really understand Erith, and whilst generally well - meaning, the council members do try to impose solutions on local residents without being particularly transparent. The Erith Think Tank wants to work with Bexley Council and others in a more productive and cooperative manner to ensure that projects to benefit the town and the surrounding areas are practical, suitable for purpose and an effective use of resources. Many thanks to Architect Paul Daramola for kindly permitting me to reproduce two of his photographs above - click on either for a larger view. You can learn more about Paul on his website here.
The Bookstore Cafe in the old Carnegie Library building run by The Exchange is shortly to host a pop - up restaurant. A Vietnamese street food outlet called BOOQA will be opening on Thursday the 16th of May from 6pm to 10pm. BOOQA describe themselves thus:- "BOOQA was founded in 2016. Our inspiration came from home cooked meals created by my Aunt. Coming from a Chinese and Vietnamese background, flavours were often fused together and we grew up eating tasty and creative meals without caring where they originated from. That’s the inspiration behind BOOQA - bringing amazing and comforting flavours together and delivering the best to our customers every time. We started off with our signature dish, Japanese rice bowl. Soon we were getting more lunch time markets and introduced our Vietnamese noodle dishes. We then ventured off to start our supper club starting our Vietnamese version of a Seafood Boil". There will be a follow - up visit by BOOQA to The Bookstore Cafe in June - details closer to the second event. You can book places for the pop - up restaurant by clicking here. Incidentally, the guided tours around the old Carnegie Library in Walnut Tree Road have proved to be very popular indeed. If you would like to see behind the scenes at this historic building, there are free guided tours at 3pm each Saturday afternoon, hosted by myself. Although there is no charge for the tour, which lasts approximately 45 minutes, I would request that you pre - book a place online by clicking here. This enables us to manage numbers. I look forward to seeing you on a guided tour in the near future.
On May the second, the government announced that, after a formal question was raised by local MP Teresa Pearce, the revenue generated by the Dartford River Crossing was being announced. Around £669 million has been received by the government in income from Dartford Crossing charges since 2003. According to the Dartford-Thurrock Crossing Act 1988, the toll charges for the Crossing were only to last a 20 year period, but could be removed sooner than this if the toll revenue had recouped the cost of building the bridge. In 2003 this happened, and the structure was completely paid for. As anyone from the area around each side of the bridge and tunnels will be fully aware, as soon as the subject of the Dartford River Crossing comes up in conversation, the fact that the tunnel was meant to be free once it had been paid for is almost always the first thing that is mentioned; there is a great deal of ill - will and resentment over the way local residents feel that they have been hoodwinked. In an interview published in the News Shopper, local MP Teresa Pearce said:- "I am astonished at the amount of net income the government receives from the Dartford Crossing, especially considering that the costs of building the bridge and tunnels were cleared 16 years ago. The Department for Transport is allowed to keep all this income to spend on any transport projects it wishes. I am equally disappointed that the Transport Minister was not able to say what percentage, if any, of that huge income has been spent on transport improvements for Dartford and Bexley residents who are most affected by the congestion and pollution. He claims that the charges are in place to deter some vehicles using the crossing and therefore has a positive effect on congestion and pollution. I am not sure local people would agree. This is totally unfair on my constituents and other local residents and I will be raising further questions." I somehow think this is a forlorn hope - there is far too much money being made for the government to ever back down, especially since the ANPR system which can recognise number plates replaced toll booths at the busy crossing in 2014, and has so far generated over 3.5 million penalty charge notices for drivers who have failed to pay. A series of complaints to The Observer newspaper has shown how the system is far from foolproof, however, with cameras misreading number plates and people being pursued for fines they are unaware of. This can in turn lead to a complaints system which can appear inflexible. Thousands of those incorrectly charged simply pay up to avoid the risk of an escalating fine, according to Auto Express. Last August the motoring magazine found that while the vast majority of appeals were upheld (80 percent), only one in 25 motorists actually appealed a fine. Many more motorists who do use the crossing, one of the UK’s busiest, fail to pay the charge because of confusing signs. The only warning of the levy is a large C which is identical to the symbol for the congestion charge, the £11.50 fee for vehicles entering central London. A recent poll by the AA found that 60 percent of drivers mistook it for the latter, an entirely different fee which is not payable on the Dartford Crossing. Non-Londoners are likely to have no clue of the symbol’s meaning. When the toll booths were bulldozed to reduce congestion, it seems the levy went from being a toll to a “congestion charge” and was increased by 20 percent. This distinction was never explained, nor is the fee called a congestion charge on the website, but the new terminology gets round the fact that the levy, introduced to cover the costs of building the Dartford Bridge, is still in place 16 years after it was paid for in full - something that locals are still extremely angry about. In an interview in the News Shopper, Jonathon Hawkes, leader of Labour on Dartford Council, said the decision was “completely unjustified. It’s another example of Dartford getting a really bad deal from the crossing and shows how it is being used as a cash cow.” He added the government has written off millions of pounds in fines that could not be collected from drivers on the crossing, but was “increasing prices for people who pay fairly.” Frequent users of the crossing can create either a pre-paid or a pay-as-you-go account to pay the charge automatically, but even this does not safeguard them from fines. Tina Mackenzie of Basildon, Essex, faced a bill of £1,397 for 13 crossings because her pre-paid account dropped below the £10 minimum in November 2016. It should have been topped up automatically, but unbeknownst to her, her bank declined Dart Charge’s request for £10 due to insufficient funds, as reported in the Guardian newspaper. Nowhere on the Dartford Crossing road signs is the price of a crossing mentioned, and no payment details are given. Drivers are merely invited to “find us online” before midnight the following day, a problem for those without internet access and baffling for the thousands of overseas visitors who use the route to and from Stansted and Gatwick airports. For many of those who are erroneously fined and refuse to pay up, however, the system can prove inflexible. The Dartford Crossing is more or less a captive market since the nearest alternative river crossing is a congested 15 miles away, which means that a crucial route that was supposed to become toll free in 2003 is earning the government millions. The toll system is broken, but it is in the government's interest for it to remain that way - it is a cash cow that unfairly penalises users both local and from far away. On top of this, the increase in charges will also lead to an even further rise in number plate theft - a major local problem. Local criminals are stealing legitimate plates from parked motor vehicles in order to circumvent the automatic number plate recognition system used to charge drivers for using the Dartford Crossing. Vehicle number plate theft is now endemic in the local area. Three or four years ago it was a relatively minor issue, but now it is one of the major problems for the Police and local residents. Just how many vehicles are driving around on illegal registration plates I do not know, but I suspect that the number is far higher than many realise. Many of the number plate thefts are carried out by members of the illegal biker gang Bike Life TV UK.
If you know anyone who has a Roberts smart radio such as the 93i (photo above of my own one - click on the image for a larger view) or the newer 94i, they will need to manually rescan all of their internet radio station presets; Roberts have been massively cheeky and upgraded their internet radio station database, without mapping the new database to the presets saved on their customers radios. It is a bit of a faff using the remote handset to manually enter radio station presets, especially if the station names are long and have to be laboriously entered character by character from a menu. I have an 93i, it is a great bit of kit which I can highly recommend, but a pain to re - enter a load of stations into the presets.
If you know anyone who has a Roberts smart radio such as the 93i (photo above of my own one - click on the image for a larger view) or the newer 94i, they will need to manually rescan all of their internet radio station presets; Roberts have been massively cheeky and upgraded their internet radio station database, without mapping the new database to the presets saved on their customers radios. It is a bit of a faff using the remote handset to manually enter radio station presets, especially if the station names are long and have to be laboriously entered character by character from a menu. I have an 93i, it is a great bit of kit which I can highly recommend, but a pain to re - enter a load of stations into the presets.
The Howbury Freight Terminal Project, which has caused so many headaches for residents of Slade Green and Crayford, has finally been cancelled. The Slade Green Community Forum, who have led protests against the construction of the huge rail and road freight terminal have recently issued the following press release on the refusal of planning permission for the project:- "Slade Green Community Forum are pleased by this rejection of the proposed Strategic Rail Freight Interchange (SRFI) on Green Belt farmland near Moat Lane in Slade Green - our two biggest areas of concern (local road impact, impact on current and future passenger services) being two of the Inspector's main reasons why he rejected the appeal. The Inquiry Inspector's main reasons for rejection were: 1. Failure to demonstrate that the appellant could run freight services without negative impact on existing and future passenger services (Inspector: "I consider that it would be likely to have a material adverse effect on existing/future passenger services"); 2. Failure to actually show that they could find train paths into the proposed depot to meet the 4 trains a day minimum standard required of an SRFI (Inspector: "I conclude that there is significant uncertainty as to whether the timetable could be flexed/amended to accommodate 4 trains per day to/from the appeals site either now or in the future") 3. That the proposal would have a severe impact on local roads (Inspector: "I have significant concerns with respect to the reliance that can be placed on that modelling work submitted in support of the scheme. Having regard to the modelling results provided in evidence, with due caution, and the other Inquiry evidence, I consider that, by 2031, the residual cumulative impact of the development during ‘normal’ (non-incident) highway conditions on the local highway network would be likely to be severe."); and 4. Failure to show that London Gateway (which is brownfield) isn't an equally good and possibly better site for an SRFI (Inspector: "I conclude overall, that the appeals scheme would not be well qualified to meet the identified need for SRFIs to serve London and the South East" and "I conclude that London Gateway, a brownfield site, has the potential to provide an alternative development option for the provision of a SRFI to serve the same part of London and the South East as the appeals proposal. Under these circumstances, even if the appeals scheme was also well qualified to meet that need, in my view, the weight attributable to this would be limited.") The levels of traffic congestion and increased air pollution that the freight terminal would have brought were considered to outweigh any benefits for employment and contribution to the local economy.
The panoramic photo above - click on it for a larger view - thanks to the reV for supplying it, was taken on Friday evening at the 14th Bexley Beer Festival, which was held at the Old Dartfordians sports club in Bexley Village. The event was very well attended, despite the very changeable weather. The sports club has been the home of the beer festival for a number of years now, and the venue has always been excellent, with one notable exception; the toilets were something out of the dark ages, and were not somewhere you would want to go unless pretty desperate. This year all of that thankfully has changed. The clubhouse has been partially refitted, and a new toilet block installed. Whilst some minor building work is still to be completed, the new loos are excellent, and a great improvement on the primitive previous arrangements. Now for a bit of fun. Can you see me in the photo above? It is a bit of a "Where's Wally?" challenge - answers on a postcard please; alternatively you can Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.
Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association, starting with a report from Barnehurst ward:- "Firstly the good news. Another week on the ward with no burglaries reported. Barnehurst SNT are hoping to roll out the next batch of Smart Water property marking kits in the next couple of weeks with Westfield Road targeted. This is a great resource for the Met so please be patient as allocation of the kits across the whole Borough has to be prioritised. Crime wise, car crime seems to be the biggest problem on the Ward at the moment with 4 crimes reported in the last week. There was a vehicle taken from Eversley Avenue on the Friday 3rd May; A works van had its catalytic convertor taken from Barnehurst BR Station on Monday 6th May although the owner of the vehicle did not live on the Ward; On Sunday 5th May a vehicle in Merewood Road had its number plates taken. And on Tuesday 7th May a bike and jacket were taken from the boot of a vehicle in Erith Road. Hampton House in Erith Road continues to generate ASB around drug issues and as a result patrols have increased in the area with stop and searches carried out when just cause allows. A recent meeting at the Police Station has guaranteed the immediate future of the Ward Panel meetings. These are your meetings held to discuss all issues on the Ward, crime related or otherwise. We are looking to recruit new members for the panel. New members would have to read and sign a constitution. Meetings are held quarterly. If you are interested please contact us at Barnehurst.snt@met.pnn.police.uk". Belvedere ward:- "We have been made aware that there have been two dog on dog attacks at Lesnes Abbey Ruins over the past two weeks. Apparently there is a black male with a dark grey pit-bull / Staffordshire bull terrier which is let off the lead. The dog has then run up to dogs and attacked them. The male has been spoken to by the other dog walkers but is very uninterested in his dogs actions. He enters and leaves via the footbridge connecting to Thamesmead. If you have any information about this male or have any concerns about the dog please contact the Environmental Protection Team at Bexley Council via their website. The team attended the installation of the Reverend Simon Archer on Saturday at All Saints Church. It was a pleasure to meet Simon and welcome him to the area. The team have also attended the Guru Nanak Temple on Sunday and gave out several Smart Water kits to help tackle the Asian Gold Burglaries around the borough. The kits are designed to prevent as well as detect crime. We will be attending the temple again in the next couple of weeks. On Sunday 5th May three garages were emblazoned with graffiti in Heathdene Drive. Unknown when exactly this happened. If anyone knows of any graffiti artists please get in contact so we can make further enquiries. Over Sunday 5th / Monday 6th May a garage was broken into at Camden Court. Nothing taken on this occasion. The locked was smashed but we would like to remind people to secure their garages and sheds as best you can. If anyone has any information about this garage break please get in contact". Bexleyheath ward;- "We have had no burglaries or attempted burglaries reported on the ward over the last week which is great news. There was a report of a theft from motor vehicle on Thursday 02/05/2019 along Haslemere Road Bexleyheath, vehicle was on the driveway and door was found ajar. There were four stops on the ward at the cinema car park and one was found to be in possession of cannabis. Two more had been stopped at Martins Grove Park, one issued with a community resolution and another with a fine. At the Bowling Alley car park another group was stopped and alcohol was confiscated from the group. There have been reports of youths climbing on the roofs of some of the shops on the Broadway and we have made identifications resulting in home visits with parents to prevent any further problems. Patrols are regularly conducted on the ward which includes the areas mentioned above where they have been conducting stops". Crayford ward:- "These are the crimes of note in the Crayford area this week. Between 20.00 on 28th April and 7.30 on 29th April a silver Ford Transit van and a grey Nissan belonging to the same person were broken in to by unknown means whilst parked in Mayplace Road East and golf clubs and power tools were taken. Between 17.00 on Friday 26th April and 08.00 on Monday 29th April there was an attempt to force the door on a courtesy vehicle whilst parked to the rear of buildings at Cray Parade, Crayford Way. Between 19.00 on Tuesday 7th May and 05.00 on Wednesday 8th May a van with the registration number LX68 OEK was stolen from Thames Road. We were at Old Road last Saturday delivering Met Trace (smart water) and will continue to do this over the coming weeks. On Thursday 16th May we will hold a community contact session at Crayford Library between 15.00-16.00, please come along if there is anything you would like to discuss with us. If you would prefer to speak with total anonymity please call crime stoppers on 0800 555 111". Erith ward:- "Criminal Damage to roof of the old working man's club in Valley Road, Erith; Criminal Damage to a motor vehicle in West Street, Erith Victim was in vehicle at time; Attention Burglary at the Tropical Café West Street, Erith . Happened between 22.15 – 22.30 hours on Monday 6/5/19; Criminal Damage to a fence panel Avenue Road Erith; Theft from a motor vehicle in Thanet Road, Erith. Victim reported that hers and another vehicle had wing mirrors taken from vehicles on Monday 6/5/19 between 15.30 –20.00 hours". Northumberland Heath ward:- "This week the team have continued target area patrols focusing around stop and search for drugs offences. Intel received recently regarding drug dealing/use taking place down the alleyways at the rear of Bexley Road. On Wednesday 1st of May the team conducted searches of these alleyways, this lead to two males being stopped and searched in the back alleyway of Hengist Road, 2 males were found in possession of class B drugs, one of the males was arrested and charged with carrying an offensive weapon (knife). This was a very good result for the team as knife crime is a high priority across the London Boroughs. On Tuesday 7th May the team recovered a stolen motorbike from Sussex Road, the vehicle had previously been seen being driven around the Northumberland Park recreation ground causing ASB and a danger to members of public. The team are pleased that this vehicle has been taken off the streets and can no longer be used in crime. There has been a spate of theft from motor vehicles again this week as detailed below. Please ensure your vehicle is locked after using your electric key, it appears that in most of these offences there is no damage to the vehicle and no signs of forced entry, leading us to believe that key signal interference is taking place. There are many options to prevent this including car key signal blocking pouches available on line. On the 1st of May at approx. 18:30 hours a white Mercedes panel van was stolen from Limewood Road, the CCTV shows the hazard lights flick on/off as if a key signal was used. On the 4th - 5th of May a vehicle was broken into overnight between the hours of 17:30-02:30 in Cartmel Road, DA7 On the 4th – 5th of May a vehicle was broken into overnight between the hours of 19:30 – 10:30 in Langdale Cres, DA7 On the 5th – 6th of May a vehicle was broken into overnight between the hours of 21:00 – 11:30 in Ightham Road, DA8 On the 6th of May a vehicle was broken into between the hours of 16:30 – 16:55 in Silverspring Close, DA8 Unfortunately we have had a burglary on the ward this week, in Swanton Road, entry was gained via conservatory roof and forcing open and entering through a bedroom window".
Slade Green and Northend ward:- "McColl's shop in Forest Road was broken into twice in the last week. In the early hours of Thursday May 2nd and Tuesday May 7th. The rear door was forced open both times and cigarettes were taken both times. There is CCTV footage that has been viewed. No positive ID on either suspect as yet but there are some positive leads. The shop has now secured the back doors. 2 garages just off Hazel Road were also broken into at some point between May 2nd and May 5th. A motorbike and tools were stolen from one but they have been recovered. Nothing taken from the other one. PCSO Mark attended the Slade Green Big Local Stakeholders Conference yesterday morning (Wednesday) with lots of new partner agencies all sharing ideas going forward. PC's Mark and James have made 5 stop and searches across the ward in the last week. One resulted in a PND being issued". Thamesmead East ward:- "Burglaries - On Wednesday 01/05/19 between the hours of 01:00 - 07:30am, house keys and motor vehicle keys taken from a property in Mangold Way. The suspect/s entered through an open kitchen window. A motor vehicle stolen, ongoing investigation through CCTV. On Thursday 02/05/19 at 00:30 a property in Maran Way was entered and a mobile phone was taken. The front door key had been left in the front door. Another burglary in Mangold Way, however on this occasion the suspects were caught in the property and arrested. Crime Prevention - Close and lock all your doors and windows, even if you're going out for a few minutes..Photograph and keep a detailed inventory of each item of jewellery and keep it in a separate place. Motor Vehicle Crimes - Overnight of Monday 29/04/19 and Tuesday 30/04/19 a vehicle parked locked and secure in Manordene Road was broken into, a set of jump start cables, a new dress and a laptop bag stolen .On Tuesday 30/04/19 at 11:00pm the front and rear number plates were stolen from a vehicle in Wolvercote Road .Between the hours of 09:30pm of Wednesday 01/05/19 and 09:30am of Thursday 02/05/19 a vehicle parked outside of Osney House, Hartslock Drive was damaged. Theft from Motor Vehicle ,between the hours of 9.00am on Friday 03/05/19 and 3.00pm on Sunday a vehicle parked in Portmeadow Walk had the rear quarter light window smashed, nothing taken. Sunday 05/05/19 between 8.00pm and 11.00am Monday 06/05/19 a vehicle was broken into and some tools taken. Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention - Did you know that your vehicle is like a shop window? If you can see ANY property left on view then so can a thief . Take it with you-- Mobile phone, coins, sunglasses, can earn quick cash are irresistible to the opportunist thief. Remember the cost of replacing a window is often much more than of what's been stolen. Wallets, handbags purses and credit cards should never be left in an unattended vehicle". West Heath ward:- "There were no reported burglaries on West Heath Ward between 01/05/2019 and 07/05/2019. There were however two thefts of motor vehicles and one theft from motor vehicle. 1) The victim woke up and discovered her car a green Audi A1 index LV65NUJ stolen from her drive in Preston Drive, Bexleyheath taken between 10pm hours on Sunday 05/05/19 and 7:34 am hours on Monday 06/05/19. The victim's car keys were not taken. 2) The victim last saw the vehicle a black Ford Fiesta index NX15JYE parked on the driveway in West Heath Road London around 7pm on Sunday 05/05/19 and discovered that the vehicle had been taken at 9:45 am on Monday 06/05/19. The victim's car keys were not stolen; Theft from vehicle: The victim's car was broken into between 7am and 7:35pm on Tuesday 7th May whilst parked on New Road London. Gym bag and house keys stolen".
The end video this week features a short film illustrating what happened when criminal fly tippers were caught red handed, illegally dumping rubbish whilst trespassing on a farmers field. I somehow doubt that they will be doing it again any time soon. Please feel free to leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.
The panoramic photo above - click on it for a larger view - thanks to the reV for supplying it, was taken on Friday evening at the 14th Bexley Beer Festival, which was held at the Old Dartfordians sports club in Bexley Village. The event was very well attended, despite the very changeable weather. The sports club has been the home of the beer festival for a number of years now, and the venue has always been excellent, with one notable exception; the toilets were something out of the dark ages, and were not somewhere you would want to go unless pretty desperate. This year all of that thankfully has changed. The clubhouse has been partially refitted, and a new toilet block installed. Whilst some minor building work is still to be completed, the new loos are excellent, and a great improvement on the primitive previous arrangements. Now for a bit of fun. Can you see me in the photo above? It is a bit of a "Where's Wally?" challenge - answers on a postcard please; alternatively you can Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.
Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association, starting with a report from Barnehurst ward:- "Firstly the good news. Another week on the ward with no burglaries reported. Barnehurst SNT are hoping to roll out the next batch of Smart Water property marking kits in the next couple of weeks with Westfield Road targeted. This is a great resource for the Met so please be patient as allocation of the kits across the whole Borough has to be prioritised. Crime wise, car crime seems to be the biggest problem on the Ward at the moment with 4 crimes reported in the last week. There was a vehicle taken from Eversley Avenue on the Friday 3rd May; A works van had its catalytic convertor taken from Barnehurst BR Station on Monday 6th May although the owner of the vehicle did not live on the Ward; On Sunday 5th May a vehicle in Merewood Road had its number plates taken. And on Tuesday 7th May a bike and jacket were taken from the boot of a vehicle in Erith Road. Hampton House in Erith Road continues to generate ASB around drug issues and as a result patrols have increased in the area with stop and searches carried out when just cause allows. A recent meeting at the Police Station has guaranteed the immediate future of the Ward Panel meetings. These are your meetings held to discuss all issues on the Ward, crime related or otherwise. We are looking to recruit new members for the panel. New members would have to read and sign a constitution. Meetings are held quarterly. If you are interested please contact us at Barnehurst.snt@met.pnn.police.uk". Belvedere ward:- "We have been made aware that there have been two dog on dog attacks at Lesnes Abbey Ruins over the past two weeks. Apparently there is a black male with a dark grey pit-bull / Staffordshire bull terrier which is let off the lead. The dog has then run up to dogs and attacked them. The male has been spoken to by the other dog walkers but is very uninterested in his dogs actions. He enters and leaves via the footbridge connecting to Thamesmead. If you have any information about this male or have any concerns about the dog please contact the Environmental Protection Team at Bexley Council via their website. The team attended the installation of the Reverend Simon Archer on Saturday at All Saints Church. It was a pleasure to meet Simon and welcome him to the area. The team have also attended the Guru Nanak Temple on Sunday and gave out several Smart Water kits to help tackle the Asian Gold Burglaries around the borough. The kits are designed to prevent as well as detect crime. We will be attending the temple again in the next couple of weeks. On Sunday 5th May three garages were emblazoned with graffiti in Heathdene Drive. Unknown when exactly this happened. If anyone knows of any graffiti artists please get in contact so we can make further enquiries. Over Sunday 5th / Monday 6th May a garage was broken into at Camden Court. Nothing taken on this occasion. The locked was smashed but we would like to remind people to secure their garages and sheds as best you can. If anyone has any information about this garage break please get in contact". Bexleyheath ward;- "We have had no burglaries or attempted burglaries reported on the ward over the last week which is great news. There was a report of a theft from motor vehicle on Thursday 02/05/2019 along Haslemere Road Bexleyheath, vehicle was on the driveway and door was found ajar. There were four stops on the ward at the cinema car park and one was found to be in possession of cannabis. Two more had been stopped at Martins Grove Park, one issued with a community resolution and another with a fine. At the Bowling Alley car park another group was stopped and alcohol was confiscated from the group. There have been reports of youths climbing on the roofs of some of the shops on the Broadway and we have made identifications resulting in home visits with parents to prevent any further problems. Patrols are regularly conducted on the ward which includes the areas mentioned above where they have been conducting stops". Crayford ward:- "These are the crimes of note in the Crayford area this week. Between 20.00 on 28th April and 7.30 on 29th April a silver Ford Transit van and a grey Nissan belonging to the same person were broken in to by unknown means whilst parked in Mayplace Road East and golf clubs and power tools were taken. Between 17.00 on Friday 26th April and 08.00 on Monday 29th April there was an attempt to force the door on a courtesy vehicle whilst parked to the rear of buildings at Cray Parade, Crayford Way. Between 19.00 on Tuesday 7th May and 05.00 on Wednesday 8th May a van with the registration number LX68 OEK was stolen from Thames Road. We were at Old Road last Saturday delivering Met Trace (smart water) and will continue to do this over the coming weeks. On Thursday 16th May we will hold a community contact session at Crayford Library between 15.00-16.00, please come along if there is anything you would like to discuss with us. If you would prefer to speak with total anonymity please call crime stoppers on 0800 555 111". Erith ward:- "Criminal Damage to roof of the old working man's club in Valley Road, Erith; Criminal Damage to a motor vehicle in West Street, Erith Victim was in vehicle at time; Attention Burglary at the Tropical Café West Street, Erith . Happened between 22.15 – 22.30 hours on Monday 6/5/19; Criminal Damage to a fence panel Avenue Road Erith; Theft from a motor vehicle in Thanet Road, Erith. Victim reported that hers and another vehicle had wing mirrors taken from vehicles on Monday 6/5/19 between 15.30 –20.00 hours". Northumberland Heath ward:- "This week the team have continued target area patrols focusing around stop and search for drugs offences. Intel received recently regarding drug dealing/use taking place down the alleyways at the rear of Bexley Road. On Wednesday 1st of May the team conducted searches of these alleyways, this lead to two males being stopped and searched in the back alleyway of Hengist Road, 2 males were found in possession of class B drugs, one of the males was arrested and charged with carrying an offensive weapon (knife). This was a very good result for the team as knife crime is a high priority across the London Boroughs. On Tuesday 7th May the team recovered a stolen motorbike from Sussex Road, the vehicle had previously been seen being driven around the Northumberland Park recreation ground causing ASB and a danger to members of public. The team are pleased that this vehicle has been taken off the streets and can no longer be used in crime. There has been a spate of theft from motor vehicles again this week as detailed below. Please ensure your vehicle is locked after using your electric key, it appears that in most of these offences there is no damage to the vehicle and no signs of forced entry, leading us to believe that key signal interference is taking place. There are many options to prevent this including car key signal blocking pouches available on line. On the 1st of May at approx. 18:30 hours a white Mercedes panel van was stolen from Limewood Road, the CCTV shows the hazard lights flick on/off as if a key signal was used. On the 4th - 5th of May a vehicle was broken into overnight between the hours of 17:30-02:30 in Cartmel Road, DA7 On the 4th – 5th of May a vehicle was broken into overnight between the hours of 19:30 – 10:30 in Langdale Cres, DA7 On the 5th – 6th of May a vehicle was broken into overnight between the hours of 21:00 – 11:30 in Ightham Road, DA8 On the 6th of May a vehicle was broken into between the hours of 16:30 – 16:55 in Silverspring Close, DA8 Unfortunately we have had a burglary on the ward this week, in Swanton Road, entry was gained via conservatory roof and forcing open and entering through a bedroom window".
Slade Green and Northend ward:- "McColl's shop in Forest Road was broken into twice in the last week. In the early hours of Thursday May 2nd and Tuesday May 7th. The rear door was forced open both times and cigarettes were taken both times. There is CCTV footage that has been viewed. No positive ID on either suspect as yet but there are some positive leads. The shop has now secured the back doors. 2 garages just off Hazel Road were also broken into at some point between May 2nd and May 5th. A motorbike and tools were stolen from one but they have been recovered. Nothing taken from the other one. PCSO Mark attended the Slade Green Big Local Stakeholders Conference yesterday morning (Wednesday) with lots of new partner agencies all sharing ideas going forward. PC's Mark and James have made 5 stop and searches across the ward in the last week. One resulted in a PND being issued". Thamesmead East ward:- "Burglaries - On Wednesday 01/05/19 between the hours of 01:00 - 07:30am, house keys and motor vehicle keys taken from a property in Mangold Way. The suspect/s entered through an open kitchen window. A motor vehicle stolen, ongoing investigation through CCTV. On Thursday 02/05/19 at 00:30 a property in Maran Way was entered and a mobile phone was taken. The front door key had been left in the front door. Another burglary in Mangold Way, however on this occasion the suspects were caught in the property and arrested. Crime Prevention - Close and lock all your doors and windows, even if you're going out for a few minutes..Photograph and keep a detailed inventory of each item of jewellery and keep it in a separate place. Motor Vehicle Crimes - Overnight of Monday 29/04/19 and Tuesday 30/04/19 a vehicle parked locked and secure in Manordene Road was broken into, a set of jump start cables, a new dress and a laptop bag stolen .On Tuesday 30/04/19 at 11:00pm the front and rear number plates were stolen from a vehicle in Wolvercote Road .Between the hours of 09:30pm of Wednesday 01/05/19 and 09:30am of Thursday 02/05/19 a vehicle parked outside of Osney House, Hartslock Drive was damaged. Theft from Motor Vehicle ,between the hours of 9.00am on Friday 03/05/19 and 3.00pm on Sunday a vehicle parked in Portmeadow Walk had the rear quarter light window smashed, nothing taken. Sunday 05/05/19 between 8.00pm and 11.00am Monday 06/05/19 a vehicle was broken into and some tools taken. Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention - Did you know that your vehicle is like a shop window? If you can see ANY property left on view then so can a thief . Take it with you-- Mobile phone, coins, sunglasses, can earn quick cash are irresistible to the opportunist thief. Remember the cost of replacing a window is often much more than of what's been stolen. Wallets, handbags purses and credit cards should never be left in an unattended vehicle". West Heath ward:- "There were no reported burglaries on West Heath Ward between 01/05/2019 and 07/05/2019. There were however two thefts of motor vehicles and one theft from motor vehicle. 1) The victim woke up and discovered her car a green Audi A1 index LV65NUJ stolen from her drive in Preston Drive, Bexleyheath taken between 10pm hours on Sunday 05/05/19 and 7:34 am hours on Monday 06/05/19. The victim's car keys were not taken. 2) The victim last saw the vehicle a black Ford Fiesta index NX15JYE parked on the driveway in West Heath Road London around 7pm on Sunday 05/05/19 and discovered that the vehicle had been taken at 9:45 am on Monday 06/05/19. The victim's car keys were not stolen; Theft from vehicle: The victim's car was broken into between 7am and 7:35pm on Tuesday 7th May whilst parked on New Road London. Gym bag and house keys stolen".
The end video this week features a short film illustrating what happened when criminal fly tippers were caught red handed, illegally dumping rubbish whilst trespassing on a farmers field. I somehow doubt that they will be doing it again any time soon. Please feel free to leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.
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