Southern Division

Please note Chorley Newsletters can be found on the Newsletter Page.

Rivington Livestock Worrying

PC 3024 Matt Lee Adlington Community Beat Manager.

“Over recent months there has been a significant increase in cases of dogs worrying/attacking Livestock

in the Rivington and Anglezarke area. As a result of this the Adlington Neighbourhood Policing Team are planning to work in conjunction with United Utilities, Chorley Council Neighbourhood Officers and Greater Manchester Police to overcome this issue.”

“We will be increasing patrols throughout the area and will seek to take positive action against anyone not taking steps to keep their dogs under control. Anyone within the Rivington and Anglezarke area found committing offences of Livestock worrying or having a dog dangerously out of control will be prosecuted and an application will be made for the dog to be kept under control or destroyed. Owners even face arrest for criminal damage if Livestock belonging to a farmer is attacked and damaged.”

Finally Farmers do have a statutory defence to immediately destroy any animals found attacking, or worrying their livestock.

 

Open Spaces Watch Launches in Chorley

  Lancashire Police and Chorley and District Neighbourhood Watch are calling on local residents and visitors to help protect the areas open spaces, as part of a new initiative to drive down crime.

The group are set to launch Open Spaces Watch, as part of Not in my Neighbourhood Week (2nd to 6th November).

This new initiative involves encouraging residents and visitors to the areas many parks, gardens, and other open spaces to keep a look out and report any unusual activity.

Margaret Rushton, Crime Prevention Officer at Chorley Police said, “We believe this is the first scheme of its kind on this scale in the country and we are encouraging members of the public to help us to protect the facilities at our parks and open spaces. We know from what the public have told us that ensuring Chorley is a safe place to live, and maintaining high quality open spaces are both important issues. Although this area already has low levels of crime, I am confident that by working together with the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) and the public, the Open Spaces Watch scheme will help to make our open spaces even safer.

“A substantial amount of us are workers, dog walker, ramblers, joggers, fishermen and women, birdwatchers and have other interests which involves being in the open spaces surrounding Chorley. In a similar way members of Neighbourhood Watch schemes work together to protect the places they live we are asking these people to sign up to protect the open spaces.

“Our aim is to reduce anti-social behaviour and in doing so encourage greater use of the open spaces for sport and recreation”.

A number of organisations have already been contacted to join the scheme including The Friends of: Astley Park ; Cuerden Valley Park ; Yarrow Valley Park ; The River Yarrow; and Healey Nab, together with United Utilities, British Transport Police, The West Pennine Moor Advisory Group, Chorley Borough Council and British Waterways.

Members of the scheme will be kept you up to date with regular newsletters and will be given a credit card sized card with useful points contact numbers for members to inform the different agencies of any problems they encounter.

Anyone interested in joining the scheme should contact Margaret Rushton, Community Crime Prevention for Chorley Police, on 01257 246384.

Working with Young People

 

SRNWA are hoping to forge links with young people from different organisations encouraging them to get involved with their local Neighbourhood Watch Schemes.

A coordinator in each area is going to visit a different youth organisation to discuss Neighbourhood Watch and what young people can do to help the schemes. Coordinators have suggested ideas e.g. helping to put a newsletter together, look out for the elderly in their areas, help deliver newsletters and also discuss the importance of being good neighbours.

During the visit property marking kits will be given out and the young people will be shown how to mark their property. Personal attack alarms will also be given out and other useful items.

Neighbourhood watch coordinators will also be able to help with badge work and awards to encourage young people to become community minded.

Cash has been earmarked to provide the equipment and coordinators will be going to the young people's organisations very shortly.

 

SPREADING THE WORD TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

 

The children on the photograph are the ones who took part in the colouring competition on the estate. £30 was donated by LNWF to provide prizes for the competition

A new Community Notice Board on The Cawsey, Penwortham was formally unveiled by the Mayor of Penwortham Councillor Jim Hothersall on Monday 19 October.

  The idea for a board at this location was suggested by resident John Kidman on behalf of the local Neighbourhood Watch Scheme. Additional funding was supplied by South Ribble Borough Council's Penwortham Area Committee, the police and former County Councillor Howard Gore.

It will enable the community in the area of The Cawsey to be kept in touch with a variety of local events including Town Council, Area Committee and Police and Community Together (PACT) meetings.

Councillor Jim Hothersall said:

This is an excellent partnership initiative which has brought together a number of local bodies to improve the way we get our information across to local residents. I would like to thank all those who have contributed to the venture.

 

 

RAILWAY WATCH

Chorley & District Neighbourhood Watch Association during October 2003 formed a unique partnership with British Transport Police whose aims were to improve the “safety” awareness of people, who live close to, the commuters who utilise the facilities of the railways and the youngsters who are regularly attracted to these specific areas. Part of the remit of this group was to look at the location of the new Fairview Youth Community Centre, in Adlington, and its close proximity to the main Manchester railway line. The group was responsible in getting all the agencies working together to ensure that this site was as safe as could be made, bearing in mind its location. The main point of “safety” of the children possibly crossing the line to the Centre would be addressed by British Transport Police and the Schools once this facility was opened. Other issues were raised at these meetings that included the safety of youths, who persistently utilise the facilities at the Stations as a meeting ground and a communal play area. With the potential of serious injury, and possible death, it is important to get this message across to each generation as the situation arises.

It was decided that all members, and co-ordinators, of CADNWA would when passing, or utilising the railway network, that they would visually check stations, and fences around local routes, and ensure that any problems would be passed back to the British Transport Police for onward transmission to the relevant department. There have been numerous meetings between the different parties with one of the main causes for discussion initially was the lack of information regarding who should be contacted in the case of a problem on the Railway, so one of the first priorities for the group was to make the telephone number for BTP widely available. Other problems, which have subsequently manifested themselves with the travelling public, have included the subject of resources for parking that have been abused, for a long period. This is now being addressed, initially by signage being erected, and the targeting of local culprits advising them that they should be utilising the railway network, if they park within their confines, and then ultimately when everything is in place the issuing of fines to endorse the restrictions placed on the Railway Car-park system. One of the other factors that have been addressed is the issues regarding fencing, where they are currently implementing the erection of chain link, instead of wooden fencing that was easier to destroy, or climb. It is hoped that this will be replicated across a number of stations locally. CADNWA are always interested in meeting local residents, of the Association, who live close to the Railway network, and who would like to become involved with Railway Watch and possibly become an active member.

Should you, or a member of your community be interested please contact Margaret Rushton, MAPS Team, Chorley Police, 01257-246384.

Contact for British Transport Police 0800-405040

FARM WATCH

Chorley & District Neighbourhood Watch Association decided in conjunction with Southern Division of Lancashire Constabulary to launch a Farm Watch Scheme in the Chorley & District area during September 2008. This was achieved by contacting all our local Farms and offering them an opportunity of joining the Scheme.

What is Farm Watch?

Farm watch is a partnership between the farming community, the local Neighbourhood Policing Team and the community in general. It encourages vigilance and communication, not only between individual farmers, but also with the Police The very nature of the farming business means that there is a great deal of capital spread over a large expanse of land. This is often portable e.g. stock and equipment and therefore can be easy to steal. While farming property cannot be totally impenetrable, steps can be taken to reduce the risk of crime and the measures need not be costly.

The aims of Farm watch:

• Reduce opportunities for crime to occur.
• Strengthen community spirit so that everyone works together to protect their area
• Improve communication between both the farming community and the Police
• Report any suspicious incidents as they occur.

How the Farm Watch Scheme was set up:

• Canvassing of all the farms in the Chorley & District area to establish the level of interest for a Scheme
• Once sufficient interest was generated a date was agreed for the Scheme to go live.
• Arrangements to be made to conduct a meeting for members, and the Police so that crime prevention and all aspects of Farm Watch can be discussed.

All farm watch members are encouraged to report crimes and suspicious incidents to the Police as soon as possible. Whilst any information is welcome it is obviously better to pass this on as soon as possible. Any unusual incident, which raises the slightest seed of doubt, in a farmer’s mind, should be reported straightaway. No one will accuse them of time wasting, as they know their local inhabitants and anyone who is a stranger with obviously no reason to be around the area should make the landowner curious. If further observations fail to remove that doubt, then contact should be made with the Police immediately.

The communication of pertinent information via ringmaster system, e-mail alerts, and the Neighbourhood Watch website, will keep all members of the Scheme informed of any problems as they are manifest within our local farming community.

The encouragement of marking their property to ensure that, should it be stolen, that it can be identified and returned to its rightful owner.

Future projects are the Promotion of the Farm Watch Scheme through lamp post signs, which can be designed specifically for the Chorley & District Farm Watch Scheme

The possibility of regular meetings to discuss issues and promote better working practices across the district.

Anyone requiring further information regarding Farm Watch, in the Chorley & District area, is asked to contact Margaret Rushton on 01257-246384