Stoke Gifford Parish Council
South Gloucestershire
www.stokegifford.org.uk
Little to Nowhere
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Stoke Gifford Parish Council |
Little to Nowhere |
09/05/2008
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Free Tennis coaching taster
Little Stoke Courts
Tuesday June 10
4 - 8 pm
Stoke Gifford
Community Lunch
@ Little Stoke Community Hall,
Little Stoke Lane
Thursday 22 May 2008, 12 noon - 2pm
Phone Kate O’Brien
01454 868570 or email
to book your place by 7th May 2008
kateobrien@sbcommunitypartnership.org.uk
Funded by Stoke Gifford Parish Council
Come and join us for a FREE lunch!
•
Meet others who are involved in the community•
Come & share local information•
Come & find out about plans for the local parks•
Come & meet your newCommunity Development Worker!
Mead Park Playground
When the weather clears, residents will notice that the play equipment at Mead Park has been re-furbished. This was done by volunteers from Leyhill HMP during the week of March 5th. We were all very lucky with the weather. The Parish Council is very grateful to Kevin Jones and his men for the splendid job they have done.
Regional Spatial Strategy - Oh don't yawn
The panel report on the strategy agrees that the land east of Maules Lane justifies looking at with the possibility of mixed use development!
Anti-social behaviour (Stoke Gifford)
10/12/2007 13:17
Operations carried out on Friday, Saturday and Sunday to combat anti-social behaviour in Stoke Gifford resulted in the arrest of a male on Friday who had been causing problems in Bakers Ground and Stoke Gifford throughout the evening. This Operation is carried out on a regular basis over the weekends (read on for details):
The Operation on Friday night included Inspector Simon Ellis, Sergeant Kevin Thatcher and Sergeant Clive Johnson, working with Police officers, Special Constables and PCSOs.
On Saturday night a door at Mcolls Store, Bakers Ground was smashed. A suspect has been identified and enquiries are being made.
On Friday and Saturday large groups of youths were dispersed from Stoke Gifford, mainly from Tesco Express and Mead Park .
A welcome new member to our Neighbourhood team is Special Constable Bradley Cole. He joined us for his first duty on Saturday night.
View the story on the website: http://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/newsroom/ViewStory.aspx?nsid=11021Dispersal Order (Stoke Gifford)
The Dispersal Order, which covers the whole of Stoke Gifford including Smithcourt Drive and Bush Avenue, has now been in place since 26 October 2007 (read on for details):
If anyone is involved in anti-social behaviour in the dispersal area, Police or Community Officers can ask them to leave the area immediately or by a certain time if they live in the area, or ask them to leave and not return within 24 hours if they do not live in the area. Their name and address will also be requested to be kept and monitored, and anyone behaving in an anti-social way will be dealt with appropriately.
The Order was requested because of the increase in anti-social behaviour in areas of Stoke Gifford. The Order covers a range of anti-social behaviour problems including large noisy gatherings, vandalism, threatening / intimidating behaviour. Operations are carried out over weekends to combat this behaviour and there has been a significant decrease in the number of complaints received.
If you witness any anti-social behaviour in the Dispersal Area please call 0845 456 7000.
If you require any further advice and support call South Gloucestershire's Anti-Social Behaviour line on 01454 868582.
The Dispersal Authorisation Notice can be found in all local shops.
The draft plans for the developments of our parks is now available.
See the link on the left Parks Plans.
Bus Routes in Little Stoke & Stoke Gifford as from 6th January 2008
70 City Centre – Filton Avenue – UWE F
71 City Centre - Filton Ave – Kingsway – Bradley Stoke (Tesco) – Woodlands Lane WC
72 City Centre - Filton Ave – Kingsway – Baileys Court – Bakers Ground - Bradley Stoke (Tesco) - Woodlands Lane WC
73 City Centre – Filton Ave – Parkway – Orpheus Avenue - Brook Way – Woodlands Lane - Aztec West - Cribbs Causeway F
73A runs evenings and also serves Little Stoke Lane
73B runs evenings and Sundays and also serves Baileys Court
312 Thornbury – Aztec West – Stoke Lodge – Little Stoke Lane – Parkway – UWE (continues in the off-peak to Frenchay and Fishponds) SEV
318 Keynsham – Kingswood - Frenchay – UWE – Parkway – Little Stoke Lane – Stoke Lodge - Cribbs Causeway F
319 Bath – Kingswood - Frenchay – UWE – Parkway – Little Stoke Lane – Stoke Lodge -– Cribbs Causeway F
517 Avonmouth – Westbury - Southmead Hospital – Kingsway – Parkway – UWE - Frenchay - Emersons Green WC
518 Shirehampton – Westbury - Southmead Hospital – Kingsway – Parkway – UWE – Frenchay – Downend - Emersons Green WC
581 Hanham – Fishponds – UWE - Filton Abbey Wood Station – Parkway – Hatchet Road – Winterbourne – Yate – Chipping Sodbury WC
625 UWE - Parkway – Kingsway – Stoke Lodge – Coniston Rd – Cribbs Causeway (Mall & Asda) – Severn Beach WC
X84 UWE – City Centre via M32 F
Additional services during peak periods on Mondays to Fridays:-
X73 Bradley Stoke - Brook Way – Orpheus Avenue – Hatchet Rd - Westfield Lane - City Centre F
74 & X74 Bakers Ground – Baileys Court – Orpheus Avenue – Hatchet Rd -– Westfield Lane - City Centre F
Operators: F – First WC – Wessex Connect SEV – Severnside Transport
Timetables can also be viewed on South Gloucestershire Council’s website. Go to www.southglos.gov.uk and select B from the A-Z index of topics. Then click on B and select “bus timetables”.
The Green Space Strategy of Stoke Gifford Parish CouncilA. What do we want to achieve from our Parks?
The Council will seek to maximise the use of the parks and open spaces by residents of all ages and to maximise the involvement of users of all ages in the care and development of the parks. By so doing it would anticipate these general outcomes:
* An increase in the provision of facilities in the parks
* Enhancement of the quality and diversity of the environment
* Enhancement of the ability of residents of all ages and abilities to improve their health through physical activity through the development of more and better facilities,
* An improvement in community interaction and a promotion of cultural diversity through resident involvement in the parks and open spaces
* Increasing residents’ sense of collective ownership by formally involving diverse groups of people.
B. Preliminary Actions
* To have a range of equipment in each park so that a wider range of people and activities are supported
* To have several ‘Friends Groups’ – ideally one for each green space and at least one for each park.
* To have a 3 year rolling revenue and capital investment programme.
The Green Space Strategy cont.
C. Where do we start?
* Allotments
* Bakers Ground Playground
* Forty Acres [40 acres]
* Green at Bakers Ground - by Nursery
* Green space off Britannia
* Green corridor between Maple/ Farley and Wrington/Chalcombe
* Green area off Hawksley / Flats
* Green corridor from Oak Close to Hercules
* Green on Ratcliffe (opp Fabian)
* Green on Ratcliffe (opp Gadshill)
* Green at Railton Jones Close
* Green at Highfields
* Little Stoke Park 32 + acres
* Meade Park (14 acres)
* Mike Gallivan Memorial Fields (12 acres)
* Recreation Ground, North Road (7 acres)
* Rough Ground between Rec and railway embankment
D. Where are we now?
Meade Park has a Friends Group
Meade Park has had a big litter pick
Meade Park has residents picking up litter
Meade Park has new equipment June
Meade Park has two rustic benches May / June
Meade Park has 2 new litter bins May
Meade Park has 2 more litter bins October
Two new footpaths ordered
5 chicane entrance barriers installed October/November
Car Park extension idea discarded
Consultation with parents on children’s equipment in hand
Lighting on footpaths – spec and quote awaited but help would be appreciated
Do we have a further development / Action Plan for Meade Park?
The Friends Group have a list : footpath lighting, skate facility, active equipment for younger children.
Two meetings held to try to create a skaters design group tour in February
Meade Park
Obtain costs for wish list
Regularise Friends meetings
Consultation with parents re children’s equipment
Budget
Fundraising - Changing Spaces (Lottery)
Recreation Ground, North Road
Consultation with parents re children’s equipment imminent
Improvements
Equipment
Friends Group
Fundraising - Changing Spaces (Lottery)
Little Stoke Park & Mike Gallivan Mem. Field
Consultation
New equipment
Replace old with new (how)
Friends of the Park Group
Fundraising - Changing Spaces (Lottery)
Stoke Gifford has had a civil parish council since they were first created – in 1894. This is the first tier of local government, and you will be able to vote for a new administration on May 3rd.
Parish Councils have many powers if they choose to use them. The basic responsibilities of Parish and Town Councils are to make the lives of their local communities better by representing the whole electorate within the parish, delivering co-ordinated services to meet local needs and striving to improve quality of life in the parish.
ARMY CADET FORCE
The Stoke Gifford detachment meets in the building adjacent to the Stokes Medical Centre and St Michael’s Primary School off Ratcliffe Drive.
It operates on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1030 hours to 2130 hours.
The Detachment Commander is Trina Hamblin, and she is keen to recruit more cadets
Tel 07971 330775
THE STOKES VOLUNTEER BUREAU
0117 940 2056 and leave a message or your name and number.
The Co-ordinator, Nicola Brownlie, works Tuesday, Wednesday
Outreach venues are :
Filton Library
Old School Rooms, Stoke Gifford.
Coniston Community Centre, Patchway.
The Library, Bradley Stoke.
Would you like to do something constructive with some free time? Call Nicola
HARRY STOKE
On February 16th a Special Meeting of the South Glos. Development Control Committee endorsed the officer’s reasons for refusing the Crest Application.
Officer reasons included the application extending into the Green Belt, not proposing to generate 10% energy on site, and no proposals to use non CO2 energy sources.
The applicants have gone to appeal anyway, and no doubt there will be more dialogue.
Litter
As we all know, most of the litter off the through roads is locally generated.
Harvey Webb, co-ordinator of the group of volunteer litter pickers in Stoke Gifford, is keen to recruit people who would like to form a Little Stoke Group.
Call Harvey on 01454 777838 or call
Brenda Wakeham on 01454 201943
Social Car Community Transport Scheme Wants to Come to Your Area!
Four Towns & Vale Link are keen to expand their Social Car scheme.
An emerging part of the services offered is the Social Cars; this is where volunteers use their own vehicle to take one or two individuals to venues which are not so easily accessed by the minibuses. Many of the journeys that would be covered by the Social Car scheme would be to access medical appointments where it is important that the client arrives at a set time.
To make the service work best Four Towns & Vale Link are seeking to recruit more volunteers willing to use their own cars and who will receive a mileage allowance towards the cost of providing the journeys. To make things easier they can arrange to collect the contribution from the client to save anybody getting embarrassed.
Volunteers do not have to be available every day; we appreciate any time that you can volunteer for the scheme and even an hour can make a difference to someone who is in real need.
The most popular facility offered by the scheme is the Dial a Ride service which carries many thousands of passenger every year giving access to routes which would otherwise be difficult to get to without the specialist transport that Four Towns & Vale Link have at their disposal.
If you know of someone in your area who would benefit from this new type of service or of someone who would be willing to volunteer, then please contact Four Towns & Vale Link on 01454 868526
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH SCHEMES IN STOKE GIFFORD
* Poplars :Bakers Ground
* Charles Avenue :Collins Avenue, Grange Avenue, Kingsway, The Close, Lawford Avenue, Rossall Avenue* Dighton Gate :
* Elizabeth Crescent :
* Harry Stoke Road (South)
* Kings Drive
* Bush Avenue, Gypsy Patch Lane, Smithcourt Drive :
* Ash Close, Oak Close, Silverbirch Close,
* Railton Jones Close :
* Lutyens Watch :
* Stoke Park Keepers Watch
Should anyone be interested in joining a watch, or would like information about setting up their own, they can contact the NW Administrator, Theresa Caple on 0117 9312503
or at theresacaple@avonandsomerset.police.uk
STOKE PARK
Stoke Park is not really big enough to have a Community Safety Group of its own. However, if there were a Residents Association, it could thus participate in the Community Safety Group of Stoke Gifford.
Neil Pirie would be happy to help establish one
01454 865202 stoke.gifford@btconnect.com
TENNIS COURTS AT LITTLE STOKE
Junior coaching can be arranged to suit
Ages 5 – 10
Phil Easter is the coach 01454 613507
Phone the office on 01454 865202
If you use the Severn Tunnel Junction train services you might be interested in the campaign to save them. Note that First Great Western re-instated some of the stops at STJ, after saying it was not feasible. There needs to be more public pressure on them and the Dep. for Transport to enable more commuter stops at Patchway [at no cost], and thus removing some cars from the congested roads.It is with great sadness that I have to report the death of Mrs Betty Kilminster in the early hours of March 14th. She had been a Parish Councillor for over 33 years and will be greatly missed.
On behalf of the Council condolences to Eddie and their family.
Neil Pirie
Clerk
THE WEB SITE
A good number of Local Councils have lots of information about activities and organisations in their area on their web site. Do you have any suggestions for ours?
DO YOU USE THE PLAYGROUND at MEADE PARK ?
Your opinions and ideas and comments would be appreciated.
Skate facilities Yes [ ] No [ ]
‘active equipment’ - like spider wires [ ]
items that require use of arms or legs [ ]
items like those in the play area now [ ]
We also need to decide about the future of the equipment in the existing children’s play area :
Replace with similar [ ]
Replace with more active [ ]
There is a range of catalogues in the Parish Council office, which it would be good if some resident / parents viewed
Some photo copies are at the notice board
Stoke Gifford Council and the Friends of Meade Park (Group), are working to enhance and improve and increase facilities for the whole community at Meade Park.
To date, there have been replacement rustic wooden benches, four new litter bins, two new dog bins, a new path (pending), two new seats awaiting installation) and the ‘active equipment’ near the car park.
Outstanding – as far as we are currently aware – are : Skate facilities and ‘active play facilities for 5 – 12 year olds.
The equipment in the toddlers area is tired.
What should replace it?
Comments on here – leave at counter
e-mail stoke.gifford@btconnect.com
North Bristol Advice Service
Do you have Council Tax or rent arrears?
At North Bristol Advice Centre we help many clients who have Council Tax or Rent arrears.
All too often people contact us when a council tax debt has already been passed to bailiffs. This incurs extra costs and heightened stress as well as making it harder to arrange payments. We can help you to prevent bailiff action if you contact us as soon as you are in arrears.
With Council Tax you need only miss 2 payments to be taken to court - which results in an extra debt of £75 in court costs and a liability order being made. If you do not respond to this the debt will be sent to the bailiffs.
(NB For debt – bailiffs do not have an automatic right of entry – you do not have to let them in. They can however legally get access through unlocked doors and windows).
An example:
A client had Council tax arrears of £700 from 2002, By the time she came to us in 2006 she still owed £650 even though she had already paid £750. The court costs and bailiffs fees (including visits) had doubled the original debt. If she had come earlier, before court action, she could have avoided these extra costs.
Rent arrears can lead to repossession of your house. Contact us as soon as your rent account is in arrears. You may be eligible for housing benefit to reduce the arrears. We can help you to arrange affordable repayments of the arrears.
We can also help you to negotiate realistic repayments of other debts such as water rates, gas, electric and telephone or if you are struggling to pay bank loans, overdrafts, credit/store cards, catalogues, etc
Don’t ignore debt – it won’t go away. By seeking advice as early as possible your charges will be less and your levels of stress will be reduced.
We do not charge for our services and confidentiality is assured.
We are on Gainsborough Square – next to the chemist. We hold drop-in sessions on Mondays and Fridays between 9.30am and 12.30pm and we also have appointment sessions at Little Stoke Community Hall. Call to make an appointment on 0117 951 5751
LITTER PICKERS
Walking his schnauzer dogs, Monty and Winston, local resident Harvey Webb became increasingly concerned at the quantity of litter in the area. Finding that South Glos. Council had a limited budget, preventing an increase in litter collections in the area, Harvey made and installed 7 litter bins at the Recreation Ground, North Road.
Harvey then recruited a team of 12 local volunteers who now meet on the first and third Sunday of the month and give an hour of their time to tackle problem areas of litter. They also collect in the immediate area of their homes.
South Glos. Council have noted they are receiving fewer complaints from the public and their staff were reporting a marked reduction in evident litter.
‘Support from Cleansing in Yate has been fantastic’ says Harvey. ‘They provide black bags, gloves, long handled litter pickers and if necessary, fluorescent yellow jackets to ensure safety when picking close to busy roads. First thing on a Monday they collect the bags we have filled, which to date numbers about 250.’
Harvey singled out Alison Richards at South Glos. for her enormous assistance.
Following the success in Stoke Gifford, Harvey would like to offer his expertise in organising groups od like- minded residents in other parts of the area. If anyone would like help in getting a group off the ground, make contact with Harvey on 01454 777838Night Flights into Filton
Royal Mail are running night time flights into Filton, you can see an explanation here. If you have concerns please contact Cllr Brian Allinson who is on the airfield liaison committeeAdvertising Signs on Roundabouts
A planning application has been made for Display of non-illuminated safety message signs with various company names and logos. A total of 36 signs spread over 9 roundabouts. Location: 9 Roundabouts at Patchway and Bradley Stoke, South Gloucestershire. Application No: PT06/2737/ADVWALLSCOURT FARM
The REDROW MASTERPLAN has been published
This is the general layout proposed for 1250 dwellings on the ex-Hewlett Packard land which lies between Stoke Park / UWE and Lockleaze and the MoD
Interesting that they propose to build the 30% which will be managed by a Housing Association to a higher standard than the ones for sale.
They reckon the development will take 10 years – the Inspector rushed the inclusion of the site into the Local Plan on the basis that it would be complete by 2011.
Fortunately, South Glos. now has a Design Brief for developments, which should help to inform the quality of the site and have energy supplies such that there will be reduced CO2 emissions.
INVESTMENT
The Parish Council has ordered two new larger litter bins to replace the yellow post mounted bins at the bus stops in Foxden Road.
The Parish Council has now installed two more litter bins in Meade Park, two rustic benches and at the time of writing, two steel seats are on order. Also on order are two new footpaths for the Park.
THE STOKES VOLUNTEER BUREAU
0117 940 2056 and leave a message or your name and number.
The Co-ordinator, Nicola Brownlie, works Tuesday, Wednesday
Outreach venues are :
Filton Library
Old School Rooms, Stoke Gifford.
Coniston Community Centre, Patchway.
The Library, Bradley Stoke.
Would you like to do something constructive with some free time? Call Nicola
ACTIVE SPORTS EQUIPMENT
The manufacturers , who removed the Sky surf just before the school holidays because of a design fault, replaced it during the w/e Oct 28/29 with a ‘Twin fly’. Do you like it? Phone or e-mail below
Buses available for Stoke Park residents
318, 319, 517, 518, 581 and off peak 312
These all go up and down Coldharbour Lane.
Buses on the Stoke Park side (up) go to UWE, and Parkway Station.
Buses going the other way go to Frenchay Hospital, Keynsham, Bath (318/9) or Emersons Green (517/8), or Thornbury (312)
Buses from the interchange at UWE itself will get you into Bristol City Centre
Community Safety News in Stoke Gifford
The Safer and Stronger Communities Partnership of South Gloucestershire is trying to record numbers of people who do voluntary things with ‘recognised groups’.
The Community Safety Group of Stoke Gifford successfully applied for money to provide chicane barriers at 5 Meade Park entrances, to try to stop people riding motor bikes at speed into the Park. We know it is an offence to ride a bike in a public park, but….
The Group got the similar chicane installed at the entrance to Gadshill Drive from Winterbourne Road.
The Group has just agreed to pay for anti-moped barriers in the footpath between Fabian Drive and North Road.
An outstanding proposal from the group is to increase and improve the quality of footpath lighting between Maple Close and Chalcombe Close. A specification and quote have been obtained and we await a decision from Safer and Stronger Communities Partnership.
A suggestion was made to change the title of the Newsletter. One or two ideas have come in - Stoke Folk; Stoke Matters; Little Stoke to Stoke Park, Parish of Little Stoke....................................
Quite a number of people have apparently said they like the existing title.
'Nowhere' is an area on no-mans land between Winterbourne Parish and Stoke Gifford, reached by the footpath from the junction of Harry Stoke Road, Church Road and Hambrook Lane. It came about as a result of an error in map drawing.
Allotments
Our allotments off Bush Avenue are well managed by the Little Stoke Garden Society.
There is at present a waiting list of 17. We are soon to have 3000 new dwellings in the Parish. National guidance recommends 10 per 1000 people.
The Parish Council is considering asking for an extension eastwards of the existing allotments. The cost would not be enormous, and it might be possible to pay for it with S 106 money from Crest and Redrow.
The Parish Council would welcome feedback from residents on this idea.
e-mail or phone Neil Pirie: stoke.gifford@btconnect.com & 01454 865202
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THE REALLY GOOD NEWS
NORTH BRISTOL ADVICE SERVICE HAS NOW APPOINTED A NEW ADVISOR, AND THE SESSIONS AT LITTLE STOKE RESTARTED IN JUNE.
To make an appointment for the Wednesday afternoon session, phone 0117 951 5751
Welfare Benefits, Social Security, Housing, Money, Debts, Employment Issues
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Climate Change
S Glos is aiming to reduce CO2 emission. It has produced a ‘Climate Change a Strategy and Action Plan’ for consultation.
Hard copy in the Parish Council office. Otherwise look on S Glos web site.
Any suggestions?
New Easy Access Trails Booklet
Parts One & Two are in the office
Each has 10 easy circular walks with history and pictures. Each walk is in a different parish in South Gloucestershire.
Part Two has a walk in Stoke Gifford. The Parish Council contributed £500 towards the cost of the booklet.
(Thanks to Dennis Richards and Adrian Kerton)
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Dogs
Harvey Webb has made a difference to the Recreation Ground at North Road.
He also asks dog owners to pick up always!!!
The Parish Council is considering the question of whether to apply Dog Control Orders anywhere in the Parish
Contact Harvey on 01454 777838
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MEADE PARK
There is a Friends of Meade Park Group, which you are welcome to join. The next meeting is on September 19th. Please let Neil Pirie know if you intend coming.
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Parks Strategy
This is being worked on at the moment. The objective is to have a planned programme for the Parish Council (and you as residents) to improve all the parks and green spaces in the Parish, to increase facilities for young people with the aim to create alternatives to anti social behaviour, to make the parks and open spaces more used by all residents, and finally, to have an active Friends of the Park Group concentrating on each park.
At the moment, we have one group serving Meade Park.
If you would like to be involved in improving a park you use, please get in touch with Neil Pirie on 01454 865202
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HARRY STOKE DEVELOPMENT
The problems which the Parish Council identifies with this impending development, are:
bullet If the adjacent ‘green belt’ land is also going to be used for ‘mixed use development, it would be much better to know first, to achieve something holistic.
bullet The whole site should be ‘Secure by Design, not just the dwellings to rent ‘affordable’
bullet A centralised power system should be adopted, to a) reduce the use of carbon fuel, b) to utilise some solar power, and c) to potentially provide power at UWE, the Hewlett Packard site and the housing behind Filton Cemetery.
bullet The proposed road through the site will put more traffic on Great Stoke Way & Brierley Furlong
bullet Commuters will try to use the through route to avoid the MoD roundabout
Some blame can be placed on the Local Plan Inspector, who set an arbitrary timescale. Some blame on the slowness of the Subregional Spatial Strategy, and some on South Gloucestershire for not having enough staff to deal with Crest Nicholson.
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News from HP - and that isn’t the sauce – it is Hewlett Packard land
This is the second of the three large housing developments [1200] south of Parkway Station.
Can we persuade Redrow to make them very eco friendly, low energy use, and more sustainable?
As from next June, all house sales will have to be accompanied by a Home Condition Report, which will also include an Energy Performance Certificate. The home’s performance is rated in terms of the energy use per square metre of floor area, energy efficiency based on fuel costs and environmental impact base on CO2 emissions
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PHONE THE POLICE
Incidents need to be phoned in to the police. The more which are logged in, the more likely we are to get more resources. 0845 456 7000
You can contact the Beat Officer, on 0117 945 4835