The Public Protection Partnership in conjunction with England Illegal Money Lending Team will be delivering an Illegal Money Lending and Loan Shark Awareness raising event for residents across West Berkshire. The free event will be held on Monday 3rd March 2025, 6:00pm - 7:30pm in the West Berkshire Council Offices, Market Street, Newbury, RG14 5LD.   Leaflet attached.

Thames Valley Police no longer accept bikes that have been found by a member of the public or take reports of lost bikes.  If a person has had their bike stolen this needs to be reported online to TVP or by calling 101.  A lost or stolen bike needs to be reported with all details and serial numbers online to www.bikeregister.com.   It is important for all bike owners to register their bikes on this website, as besides helping to get your bike back if stolen and found abandoned, it also helps with finding out your identity if you are involved in an accident on your bike.  TVP have access to search this site so they can check if a stolen bike has been found providing the owner knows the serial number.  The finder of a bike can go to this website to check if the bike has been reported stolen and if it has, it needs to be reported to the Police.  If the found bike has not been recorded on www.bikeregister.com  as lost or stolen, the finder needs to make reasonable attempts to locate the true owner via social media pages such as Lost and Found in our area.   Best practice for finders of bikes would be to hold on to them for a period of 4 weeks to give the owner chance to come forward but after this period the finder can decide how to dispose of the bike and would suggest giving to the Community Furniture Project.   I have attached two leaflets.

The National Property Register, for Phones, Gadgets, Bicycles & More... is another website where bikes and other valuables can be added.

As we all experience a lot of cold callers knocking on our doors, despite many of us having the “Do not buy and sell at the door” stickers, it is possible to set up a “No cold calling zone” in your road.  The scheme is aimed at reducing unwanted cold callers by empowering householders and increasing awareness of doorstep crime. In each zone prominent road signs are displayed at the entry and exit point of the zone and each house is issued with a door sticker repeating the message. 

I am attaching a leaflet on setting up a No Cold Calling Zone.    If you would like to set one up in your area, please contact Jessica (details below). 

Jessica Ryall-Spoor 

Senior Programme and Community Officer

Public Protection Partnership

Email: Jessica.Ryall-Spoor@westberks.gov.uk

Tel: 01635 503817, Mobile: 07920095414 

Best wishes

Angela Money BEM

Chair of Newbury Neighbourhood Watch and

Area Representative for West Berkshire Neighbourhood Watch