Crime: 1 July 2013  

One of our members who lives in Central Windsor, has sent us some of his domestic CCTV footage.  He has not suffered any crime, but the footage shows a woman and a young lad last Friday, really looking around his front garden, where his bike was chained up.  They walk past, looking in, then walk back, then open the gate and ring his bell.  They then look through the windows and leave.  The young lad – aged about 9 or 10, walks back in and tries the bell – looking in the windows again as he does this !  The owner is sure they were after his bike chained up nearby.  He also sent another clip, which shows a man jumping over a garden fence opposite.  In neither case, do we have a crime recorded and the chap may simply have forgotten his house keys – but we will check both incidents out fully.

Insp. Mike Darrah, your new Neighbourhood Inspector (you will find his picture on your TVP Website Neighbourhood Page – just follow the links below to see who is on your team) would like to thank that NHW member.  He feels it would also be a timely reminder that we should all check our CCTV every once in a while.  Just because we haven’t had a crime, does not mean that someone hasn’t tried, while we were out – which could be on the footage.  Can everyone just keep an eye on it and if it comes up with anything you feel is suspicious, email it to me.  Just watching the woman and the young lad as they approach – looking into houses and gardens - more than where they were going - would be enough for me to have rung them in on the 101 number.  If we are out at work – who knows who is out there ?  Hopefully our CCTV will show us.  In this connection, I have attached a Handout containing what you can and cannot do, with regard to domestic CCTV.

Mike has also asked me to draw your attention to lost / stolen bikes that are never reported to us.  We have recovered 2 in suspicious circumstances from a possible offender, but until we can locate the owners and have them reported lost / stolen, there is nothing we can do.  I have attached photos of the 2 bikes.  They must belong to someone !  We have a yard full of found / recovered bikes that have never been reported to us !  HELP – WE ARE SINKING UNDER THEM !

Business Cards in door frames:

This was in Holyport, but we need everyone to be aware.

Hi Jeff,

Thought I should let you know that around 3pm on Saturday my wife and I came back home (Springfield Park, Holyport) to find a business card wedged between the lock and the frame of our front door. The business card only contained a website address – no phone number or postal address.

The website does appear to be a live site, but given that I noticed the same card in the door jams of several neighbours and the warning note you sent out about this being used as a tactic to determine if householders are away (indicated by the card being in the same place the following day), I thought this was worth highlighting.

Best regards,

Grant

Absolutley right ! – If you are home or open the front door – the card will fall away !!!  (three exclamation marks – I felt it deserved it )

MAIDENHEAD CENTRAL:

maidenheadcentralnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

Neighbourhood Page:

http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/yournh/yournh-tvp-pol-area/yournh-tvp-pol-area-berkse-winds

/yournh-tvp-pol-area-n391.htm

29/6  Saturday 11.30 a.m. . 2.10 p.m.  Leisure Pool, Holmanleaze.  Bike padlocked to a post stolen.

RIVERSIDE & BELMONT:

maidenheadcentralnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

30/6 – 1/7  Sunday 6 p.m. / Monday 9.45 a.m.  Blakeney Court.  Car wing mirror vandalised.

30/6  Sunday midnight / 11 a.m.  All Saints Avenue.  Car wing mirror vandalised.  Apparently some young lads – 6 or 7 of them were seen fighting near the car.  One on a bike and 2 on skateboards.

1/7  Monday 11.30 a.m.  Boulters Lock Island.  Creosote thrown at a wall causing damage.

28/6 – 30/6  Friday 1.30 p.m. / Sunday 9 p.m.  Moor Lane.  House egged.

MAIDENHEAD WEST

BISHAM, COOKHAM, HURLEY, THE WALTHAMS, LITTLEWICK GREEN & KNOWL HILL:

maidenheadwestnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

Neighbourhood Page:

http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/yournh/yournh-tvp-pol-area/yournh-tvp-pol-area-berkse-winds

/yournh-tvp-pol-area-n393.htm

30/6 – 1/7  Bradcutts Lane., Cookham.  Shed break – door forced.  Strimmer stolen.

28/6  Friday 10.a.m. / 2.30 p.m.  Cannon Down Cottages, Maidenhead Road, Cookham.  Burglary.  Offenders have removed security screws from a rear ground floor kitchen window to gain access.  Untidy search – Laptop, cash boxes chain saw and paperwork stolen.  This was a repeat victim and last time the entry was through the same window which this time had been strengthened and security screws used.

27/6 – 28/6  Thursday 6.30 p.m. / Friday 9 a.m.  Westwood Green, Cookham Rise.  An offender has prised off and stolen the headlight clusters from a Blue VW Beetle.  One was dropped on the driveway.

PINKNEYS GREEN & FURZE PLATT:

maidenheadwestnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

NO CRIME TO REPORT.

MAIDENHEAD SOUTH

BOYN HILL, COX GREEN & WOODLANDS PARK:

maidenheadsouthnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

Neighbourhood Page:

http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/yournh/yournh-tvp-pol-area/yournh-tvp-pol-area-berkse-winds

/yournh-tvp-pol-area-n392.htm

29/6  Saturday midnight.  St Chads Road, Cox Green.  An offenders has climbed into a garden making a lot of noise.  The owner heard the noise and went to investigate.  She saw a figure in the garden and shouted.  The person immediately made off.

28/6 – 29/6  Friday 8.30 p.m. / Saturday 1 a.m.  Phipps Close.  House guttering pulled down and removed.  Some has been recovered from nearby.

OLDFIELD & BRAY:

maidenheadsouthnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

29/6 – 30/6  Saturday / Sunday  Lonsdale Way, Holyport.  Garden lamp stolen.  This is the latest in a long string of incidents including a car being keyed, a hub cap stolen, a noxious substance smeared all over a car as well as plants stolen from the garden.  If anything like this starts to happen, you must report it to us asap on the 101 number.  It may be insignificant to begin with, but it could escalate and our Neighbourhood Teams are trained to deal with such things.  Simply email the details to their group email address I put out.

28/6  Friday 10 a.m. / 1.20 p.m.  Pub, Ascot Road, Touchen End.  Shed break – padlock removed – Expensive cooking equipment including 5 water baths stolen.

MEMBERS COMMENTS:

One from me !

In my police inbox this morning, is an email from a ‘Julie Melbourn’ a senior investment consultant.  Apparently, someone who shares my surname - but that surname ‘is withheld for security reason’ - died in 2008 and there is possibly a legacy, sitting there waiting for me – if – I would follow the link and supply her with all my details !

The email is not addressed to me personally but to ‘undisclosed recipients’ – all of whom had my surname ?  I binned it.

NEXT THE WINDOWS SCAM IS STILL GOING !

Hi Jeff

You might remember the Windows scam that caught my elderly mother out some months back?  She got very drawn into a conversation, as, luckily for them, her computer was running slowly, she fell for it hook line and sinker - managing to  extract £160 from her bank account, having gone through 4 levels of security !

Anyway, I believed I wouldn't be taken in - however, this afternoon, on my home landline I got a call from a very busy sounding office, in India, asking for me personally.  I was immediately on my guard.  The caller said he was from the 'World Wide Web' and to insult my intelligence further, he explained that was the 'www' on my computer.

He was adamant that ‘they’ had 'reports' from my computer, which showed problems.

I repeatedly questioned him on what it meant and how did he know, I even had a computer etc. etc..  I was almost drawn in.  He then asked if my computer was on - it was - I said no and suggested to him it was a scam, to which he began to get slightly agitated.  He understood my reluctance.  I was also struggling to understand his English.  Finally I suggested that as I was on my way out, I take his number and my husband, who is more computer savvy, would call him back.

Well, this lit the touch paper - he explained, rather aggressively that they weren't a technical repair service !

At this point, I told him I would be hanging up and I did.  My older son overheard the whole conversation and couldn’t believe, I had entertained the conversation for so long and I should have put the phone down immediately.

I can honestly say, one of the reasons I didn't, was because I have had a call from India before and it was legitimate from First Direct Fraud Dept as my bank card had been cloned - I had phoned them back though to verify, they were who they said they were.

So, it just goes to show, as you said before, you don't have to be elderly to be taken in - I wasn't, but could so easily have been.

Rachel

These people are really good at what they do and always sound plausible.  Know that they cannot do what they say they can do.  They do not know if you have a computer and cannot see if it is running slowly.  Everyone thinks their computer runs slowly.  Once you allow them access to your hard drive remotely to ‘run a diagnostic’, you have no idea what they will be placing in there – or – removing.  They will then charge you for the pleasure – in order to get your credit card details and security code from the back !