Page 28 - link magazine

28 The Link Magazine • May 1996
Things to check Senseless crimes

before going to bed On a month to month basis I normally find that our area is relatively
quiet as far as crime is concerned, writes Sgt. Terry Cuss from Westlea
Things have started to get a bit Police Station.
busier at your local fire station and This month, there are a number bus at Bloomsbury Close, Fresh-
since I last wrote we have re- of individual incidents that I want brook. As a result of the assault
sponded to 31 fires, 22 emergency to bring to your attention because the father has a badly swollen face.
special service calls and 41 false they are particularly heartless and In the early hours of Monday 15
alarms, writes Sub officer Perry senseless. April someone set fire to plant ve-
Payne of Westlea Fire Station. On Thursday 11 April at about hicles atone of the building sites at
Amongst those incidents have 9.30pm a pensioner was walking Abbey Meads resulting in damage
been assistance to a person col- along the footpath which adjoins of over £100,000. This follows an
lapsed behind a door, somebody Stokesay Drive, Toothill. He needs earlier incident at the end of March
trapped by falling timber, a rather a walking stick to get along and he when another vehicle was set
severe flooding in Great Western has a heart condition. alight.
Way following a burst water main Despite this he was approached Also over the weekend of 13/14
(at 3am), several tree and grass Perry Payne with his son Steven from behind by two young men April lighted paper was pushed
fires - perhaps the first indication night to help ensure a fire does not who knocked him to the ground through the letter box of the Doc-
summer is on the way, a fire in- break out whilst the family are and stole cash from his wallet. tor's surgery atPeatmoor. Luckily
volving a thatched roof, gas leaks, sleeping. Here are a few sugges- They then ran off in the direction only a small amount of damage
a chemical incident, numerous car tions to make routine. of Pevensey Way. resulted.
fires and a number of road traffic 1. Unplug all electrical appliances At 1130pm on Saturday 13 The first two incidents show how
accidents necessitating the rescue not designed to be left on. April, a 34 year old local man was senseless violence can arise from
of trapped persons, two of which 2. Make sure all cigarettes are travelling by bus with his teenage seemingly everyday situations and
sadly involved fatalities. properly extinguished and that son, to Freshbrook from Old Town. how low some people will sink.
You may remember fireman nothing is leftburningin ash trays. The bus was 'No Smoking' but a These offenders obviously live
Shaun Dunham was training hard The careless disposal of smoking man and two women sitting be- locally and may well have been
for this year's London marathon. materials remains one the largest hind them began to smoke. The bragging about what happened.
Unfortunately he had to withdraw causes of fire in the home and cer- father did no more than ask these Can you help?
due to a knee injury. He is obvi- tainly one of the most avoidable. people not to smoke but this was The second two incidents are
ously very disappointed but 3. Put a guard round open fires to obviously enough to cause the man worrying because someone seems
wishes to thank all those people prevent sparks from igniting sur- to attack him. He managed to fend to enjoy lighting fires, and once
who kindly offered to support him rounding materials. off the initial attack and restrain started, fires can spread rapidly,
by way of sponsorship. 4. Switch off portable heaters. the man, but was then attacked endangering lives.
In respect of fire safety matters I 5. Remember to check cooking from behind by one of the women. If you are able to help with any
am often asked what sort of checks appliances have been switched off. This allowed the man to break of these incidents, please contact
should be carried out last thing at 6. Close the doors to unoccupied free and he then kicked the father me at Westlea police station on
rooms. in the face. All three then left the 528111.
PLASTERING

What about the victim's rights?
SPECIALIST Imagine your feelings were you to stand outside one of the small chain of jewellers' shops in the Parade
in Swindon and see your own jewellery for sale in the window. This happened to me recently, writes
ALL WORK Ten Snape from Woodhall Park.
We returned home one Friday found some of my property. I have Why is the law so heavily on their
UNDERTAKEN
lunchtime to find we had been bur- duly visited the shops with a po- side? As a burglary victim, you
gled. Admittedly a very tidy bur- lice officer in tow to repossess my have no rights.
PHONE FOR
glary, for which Jam grateful, but property. I have yet to be success- So, ladies, be warned. Jam sure
FREE ESTIMATE a singularly unpleasant shock all ful. that you, like us, have marked your
AND ADVICE the same. Amongst other losses, The old cliche about possession electrical goods but not your jew-
totalling around £3,000 replace- being nine-tenths of the law, is I ellery. I have had my initials put
ment value, all my jewellery was am sorry to say, perfectly true in on the shank of my sole remaining
1I: (01193) 618414 taken. I did not have much of great this instance. The onus has always piece of jewellery. Do the same.
individual value other than a treas- been on me to prove the goods are Anything of value to you should
ured ring left to me by my late mine. Despite correctly dating a be marked. Don't do as I did and
grandmother and many of the gold and garnet ring of no great think it won't happen to you.
pieces were mass produced, as, I value, I was aggressively told it Don't think because it has very
suspect, are many items in wom- could not possibly be mine as there little value it will be safe, it won't.
en's jewellery boxes. This is where were thousands of them around, I had costume jewellery stolen too.
the major problem of repossession and 'no they could not produce None of it had any intrinsic value
DUNCAN CAR SPARES of property lies. records to prove when it sold to other than that of sentiment, like
The burglary just about capped the shop.' But they were sure it the earrings I wore on my wed-
COMPREHENSIVE STOCKS OF
GUARANTEED NEW & USED SPARES off 1995 for us personally, as it had had been in stock for a lot longer ding day and it grieves me to think
been, to borrow a phrase, quite an than was relevant to me; 'by the of it having been thrown away as
MOT FAILURES & ACCIDENT DAMAGED
CARS & COMMERCIALS 'annus horriblis' and due to finan- way, when was I burgled?' This, valueless. Don't be put in the very
BOUGHT FOR CASH cial constraints we had no house despite my regular checking of unpleasant and frustrating posi-
PARTS REMOVED BY insurance. My only hope was to their display and this being the tion of watching someone else buy
I1 OUR OWN PERSONNEL try to trace my goods and follow first time I had seen it. If the shop your jewellery because you can-
TEL: 01 793 - 820000 the recommendations of the local keepers are innocent of any wrong not prove beyond a shadow of a
UNIT 59 THORNHILL INDUSTRIAL ESTATE Burglary Sqaud Officer and con- doing, why have I met with ag- doubt that it is yours. The only
SOUTH MARSTON, SWINDON tact them if successful. gression and intimidation? Why way to prove it, is to mark it. If you
On two separate occasions, in do they not just show me or the are to be a victim, at least be a
3—C 3—C two separate local shops, I have police the relevant paperwork? victim who can fight back.

I I