Neighbourhood Watch advice
There have been a number of garage, van and shed breaks in Bognor. Police have increased patrols in the area, but we ask that you please take extra care to make sure your home, garage, vans and sheds are secure. Items stolen include power tools, other tools and bikes, so property and bike marking should be considered for extra peace of mind. To get your property security marked, you can attend one of the Police Surgeries advertised at www.sussex.police.uk (the nearest ones are at Bersted Green Learning Centre in Hazel Road, or at Tesco in Shripney Road) or you can take items to Bognor Regis Police Station, where there are also many crime prevention leaflets. You can register your property and upload photographs of it free at www.imobilise.com
PCSO Michelle Davies has given us a simple crime prevention exercise: Take a moment to look at the front of your house. Could you get to the rear with little effort? If so your side gates need to be more secure or re-sited to the front of the property and an appropriate lock added. Can you see your front door and windows clearly with no obstructions? Keep foliage to a manageable height – 1 metre is suggested, which will enable your neighbours and friends to keep an eye on you and your property; and is your path clear to the front door (no excuse for a caller to wander off to the side or rear)? Is the approach to your property well-lit? This will protect your approach as well as preventing trespass. Perhaps consider adding a security light and/or a noisy (gravel) path, or consider adding prickly planting to the front/sides of your property – Pyracantha and Blackthorn are nature’s barbed wire and look good too!
Finally, remember to always put your tools away and secure them – garden spades are very popular tools for intruders. More information can be found at: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/security
If you receive a call asking about your home and welfare, try to get details of the company name or use 1471 to see if there’s a number and report it to Sx Police.
Dogs on leads? We are often asked whether it’s ‘the Law’ for dog to be kept on leads. There is no general requirement for dogs to be on leads, only on specific sites where there should be signs in place. There is a new rule that allows an authorised officer to require a dog to be put on a lead, but only if it is causing a nuisance. For full information see http://www.arun.gov.uk/cgi-bin/buildpage.pl?mysql=4929 However, it is ‘the Law’ that people walking dogs must clean up behind the dogs, with failure to do so punishable by a hefty fine.
We wish to thank all neighbours, friends and also the PCSOs who kept an eye on the elderly, ill and vulnerable during the bad weather. We sincerely hope you will continue to keep an eye on your neighbours, no matter what the weather, because ‘everybody needs good neighbours’!
