Drayton Road Robbery

Thames Valley Police is appealing for witnesses following a robbery in Abingdon.

At around 12.40am on Thursday 11th October a man was hurt in a struggle with another man who tried to snatch his phone as he walked along the footpath near the river Ock between Drayton Road and Hermitage Road.  The victim was punched in the face and stuck with an object and sustained a slash wound to his face and arm from a sharp implement.  He didn't require hospital treatment and nothing was taken during the incident.

The offender is described as being 5ft 9 ins tall, slim build and wearing a dark coloured hooded top.

Full report here

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Richard Whitcombe, of Local CID based at Abingdon police station, said: “We are appealing for information following this incident in which a man received injuries.  We are carrying out a number of lines of enquiry but would ask anyone who may have seen this incident or has any other information to please come forward.  We would ask anyone with information to please call 101 quoting the reference 43180310475 or you can go online to provide information on our website.”

https://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/cor/tell-us-about-existing-case-report/

Burglary

Thames Valley Police is appealing for witnesses following a burglary in Abingdon Oxfordshire

On 03.10.18 between 18:30 and 20:45 a property in Orpwood Way was burgled.  Entry was gained via a front door.

Jewellery has been stolen.   

If you have seen any suspicious looking vehicles or people in the area or have any information relating to this message, please call the police via the 24 hour non- emergency telephone number 101.

Alternatively, if you have any information but wish to remain anonymous, please call crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online @ crimestoppers-uk.org.  No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

Fund Raiser Charity

Two years ago, a resident of Medlicott Drive had life-saving surgery on his oesophagus.  The success of this operation was due to the great skill of the surgeon Mr Bruno Sgromo, and to the fact that there was an Intensive Care Bed available for him at the Churchill.  Our resident has circulated an appeal from the Oxfordshire Oesophageal and Stomach Organisation - great efforts are being made to raise enough money to fund another Intensive Care Bed for the Churchill and, to that end, Mr Sgromo is running two marathons.  If you would like to contribute please look at :

https://fundraise.charitycheckout.co.uk/ooso/cf/ICUBeds

Lost Cat - Longfellow Drive area - UPDATE - NOW FOUND

UPDATE - Lily returned home after missing for a week, thin, extremely thirsty and hungry.  Her owners express their thanks to all that helped and are very happy she's now home and safe.

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Lily has been missing since Friday evening 3rd August from Longfellow Drive area, Tithe Farm. She is long haired, white all over except for a black smudge on one ear and and around her tail, is 2 years old and is very timid.  Lily is microchipped.

Please check your shed, garage and all outhouses for her - its very hot weather and her owner is extremely worried for her.

Please contact the TFLRA via our Contact Page if you've seen her.

Thanks.

Attempted Murder Investigation

After a woman was stabbed in Abingdon on Thursday 19th July, Thames Valley Police are re-appealing for information from anyone who was in woodlands near Clifton Drive between 8am and midday to make contact, whether they feel they saw anything significant or otherwise.

They will continue their high-visibility presence in the area, and you can approach and speak to any of the officers should you have any concerns.

Incidents such as these are rare, and the police are keeping an open mind about the motive for the assault.

A 17-year-old boy from Abingdon arrested in connection with the incident was released under investigation on Friday. Following further investigation, he has subsequently been released without further action today (23/7).

For a description of the offender and further details, please read our press release by visiting the News section of the Thames Valley Police website or by following this link http://news.thamesvalley.police.uk/news/re-appeal-for-information-in-attempted-murder-investigation-abingdon-315134 or you can watch our appeal from Detective Inspector Ali Driver at https://youtu.be/aOTyPMuMLDg

You can contact the Police online at https://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/cor/tell-us-about-existing-case-report/ quoting URN 434 (19/7), or you can call 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Found - ginger cat!!

Lovely friendly ginger cat found on Tithe Farm.  No microchip found and unsure if a male or female.  'He' has been around for a couple of months and currently being looked after by a family.

Please get in touch with us via our Contact Page if you know 'him'.

Neighbourhood Policing priorities

Burglary - The Abingdon neighbourhood team are undertaking crime prevention activity and utilising Automatic Number-plate Recognition (ANPR) systems to disrupt offenders.  All reports of burglary are investigated.

TVP Stronghold - are committed in protecting vulnerable people who are targeted by organised crime groups.

Holidays - don’t advertise on Social Media you’re going away.  Wait until you’re home to upload photo’s.  Check your home insurance policy, as some may pay out less or none at all if you’ve advertised you’re going away on Social Media.  Use a timer switch to make your look occupied.  Ask someone you trust to keep an eye on your house.

Home security advice - Lock all front and rear doors and windows at night and when you’re out, keep all valuables and all keys out of sight and reach of windows and letterboxes, lock side gates and move bins away from side walls and fences.

Have your say at meetings - contact the Neighbourhood Team via the Police non-emergency number 101 or email AbingdonTownNHPT@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

For further information follow on Facebook.

Stonehill Community Garden - July News

Goodbye to Rachel - This month we say goodbye to Rachel, our Project Coordinator for the last two years.  Rachel says: "I've had a wonderful time over the last two years helping the garden develop and meeting all the visitors.  The garden has come on such a long way and I am grateful to all those who have supported the project.  Here are some of my favourite photos from the last two years at Stonehill"

Hello to Naomi - We are lucky enough to welcome Naomi to the team as Fundraiser for Stonehill. Naomi says: "I'm so excited about the project and the potential for it, I can't wait to get going".  You will catch Naomi at the garden on some Wednesdays.

Supporting the garden - All support to the garden is appreciated, and that doesn't have to be always attending and gardening on Wednesdays.  Our produce is sold for donations from the garden on Wednesdays, we always welcome unwanted garden tools or plants and seeds, and if you can help spread the word about Stonehill, take a leaflet or like us on Facebook.  We are a Charity which relies on donations and grant funding to stay open, and any support is welcome.  We look forward to hearing from you.

Polytunnel update - Polytunnel number two has recently become a tropical forest garden, planted on one of our courses, incorporating plants such as Medlar, Quince and Almond trees, among others.  The planting will be interspersed with tropical annuals such as aubergines, tomatoes and chillies.  Please feel free to visit any Wednesday.

Support - There are many ways in which you can support us, both at the garden and away from it, get in touch if you would like to get involved.

Our produce is sold every Wednesday from the garden - we're there between 10am - 4pm.

Privacy Statement

The Tithe Farm and Ladygrove Residents’ Association Committee have considered the implications of GDPR and confirm that we do not receive or hold any personal data or details of residents.  No information such as names, email addresses, phone numbers or financial data is obtained from residents.  Should any emails or phone messages be received from residents, these are deleted after action.

Accounts 2018

Our accounts for the year 2017-18 have been examined and accepted as correct.  If anyone wants to look at these, please let us know.

Plant Swap CANCELLED

In view of the poor 'growing' weather so far, the plant swap planned for the 12th May has been CANCELLED.

Apologies for any disappointment.

Criminal Damage to Vehicles

We are appealing for witnesses following a number of vehicles being damaged in the area of Victoria Road.  One male has been arrested and officers are continuing their enquiries.  If you saw anyone in the area causing damage to vehicles at approximately 12.40am on 22nd April then please get in touch by calling 101.  If your vehicle has been damaged and you have not yet reported it to the police then please phone 101.

Alternatively, if you have information but wish to remain anonymous, please call Crimestoppers on 0800-555-111 or online by visiting www.crimestoppers-uk.org.  No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

Importance of Dog Mico-chipping

Since April 2016 it has been a legal requirement for all dogs to be microchipped by 8 weeks of age.

Having your dog microchipped can make a lot of difference when looking for and trying to identify a missing dog.  Each microchip has a unique number that must be registered on a Government approved database along with information about your dog and you as its owner.  If your dog is not registered on one of these databases you can be fined.

It is important that the information is kept up-to-date so that if your dog does go missing, you can be contacted at the correct phone number or address.

Reporting it to the police as soon as possible is also important, including making us aware of the microchip number so we can record this on our database.  This will make it easier for us to identify any dogs that are found and check to see if they have been reported as missing or stolen.

It is also recommended to record the loss or theft of your dog online using sites dedicated to finding lost and stolen dogs.  Often these sites work with police and other organisations, such as local Neighbourhood Watch Groups and Vetinary practices, to try and find them.

More information on microchipping your dog can be found on the Government website.

In 2016, the Dogs Trust recorded that 9,000 stray dogs were reunited with their owners due to having a microchip with up-to-date details.

The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) also reported that in 2017, 11% of dog owners did not realise that it was a requirement by law to have their dog microchipped and a further 7% had not updated their details when they needed to.

Illegal Scrap Metal Collecting

The Police have received an increase in reports of illegal scrap metal collections from homes in our area.

The reports say that the vehicle seen is a white transit van.  Please remain vigilant and report any suspicious looking people or vehicles, taking down detailed descriptions of the people, the vehicle and registration plates.

Call 101 and quote reference 43180116539 with any information or 999 if a crime is occurring at that time.

Alternatively, if you have information but wish to remain anonymous, please call Crimestoppers on 0800-555-111 or online by visiting www.crimestoppers-uk.org.  No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

If you would like any further advice or information please call us via the 24 hour non-emergency telephone number 101 or visit www.thamesvalley.police.uk 

Refill your Detergents!!!

SESI is a social enterprise which supplies organic, fair-trade and local food, and sustainable, locally made detergents for people's own containers, cutting down on waste, packaging and recycling.

Added Ingredients in Stert Street are now a 'Refill Station' selling Washing Up Liquid and Fabric Conditioner at £2 for 1 litre and £1.20 for 1/2 litre, and Laundry Detergent at £2.50 for 1 litre and £1.50 for 1/2 litre.

Please note you must take in a 1/2 litre or 1 litre bottles to fill up - nothing else is accepted.

Pharmacy 2U Home Delivery

In the last few days, most of us have had letters from Pharmacy2U, offering to arrange the ordering and delivery of our medicines.  While some of us may find this convenient, we should be aware that this is an on-line company, apparently not part of the NHS, despite the logos on their letters.  It may be sensible for those interested to do some further research about Pharmacy2U before signing up with them.

Stonehill Community Garden - May News

We are recruiting!

We need a fundraiser to join our team; this is an exciting role for someone with fundraising experience.  One day a week, this person will join our small team and be fundamental to the successful running of the garden.  If you have any questions, please get in touch on info@stonehillgardens.co.uk.  See full details here.

New courses in Eco building and Growing Food

• May - Advanced Edible Horticulture - FREE - Learn about orchards, raised beds, fruit production, compost, ponds, wildlife in the garden, urban food production and how to set up a small enterprise.  Suitable for beginners.  Book here.

• 11th - 15th June - Eco building - FREE - Build a building from scratch in 5 days - foundations, timber frame, walls, green roof and plastering.  Suitable for beginners.  Book here.

• June - Urban Food Production - FREE - Learn about woodlands, management of trees, reading the landscape, designing food production systems.  Suitable for existing gardeners, or attendees of our Advanced Edible Horticulture course.  Progression possible to more advanced courses in the future.  Book here.

Polytunnels update - Our first Polytunnel is now built and covered!  We've started planting and sowing already in it and you are very welcome to help on Wednesdays.  We also need to start constructing our second Polytunnel, so all hands to the deck on Wednesdays.

Support - There are many ways in which you can support us, both at the garden and away from it, get in touch if you would like to be involved in a small or big way.

Garden Waste ... 'Extra' during April

South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils are giving those who are part of the paid-for service the opportunity to put out the equivalent of one extra bin’s worth of garden waste (around three large bin bags) during:

• week commencing 9th April – South Oxfordshire

• week commencing 16th April  – Vale of White Horse

Residents should leave their extra garden waste out in bin liners or sacks beside their brown bins on their usual collection day during these weeks.  Trade waste bags will not be accepted

Cllr Elizabeth Gillespie, cabinet member for housing and environment at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “The garden waste service is very popular. We are glad that we are able to offer extra help at this time of year when people clear their gardens after winter.  We’d like to encourage everyone to make use of the extra collection.”

Cllr Elaine Ware, cabinet member for housing and environment at Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “After the Easter bank holidays is a good time to give residents this extra service and we hope they find it helpful.  It’s a perfect opportunity to get their gardens ready for summer.”

See garden waste - south or garden waste - vale for more information.

** Please note that boxes and bags left on the extra garden waste days are at the residents own discretion and the council will not replace them if missing or damaged.

Easter Waste

As with every bank holiday, Vale of White Horse waste crews will empty bins on a different days.  For information on revised collection days visit the collections page on our website http://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/services-and-advice/recycling-rubbish-and-waste/your-recycling-and-waste-collections/bank-holiday-co

Residents can recycle Easter egg boxes, plastic inserts and foil wrapping – they all go in the green bin.  Please put recycling in loose or in clear sacks – the waste teams won’t take it away if recycling is not in see-through bags.

In the unlikely case of any leftover chocolate or hot cross buns, use them in recipes on the love food hate waste website lovefoodhatewaste.com/recipes or put it in the food waste bin where they be recycled to make green electricity and fertiliser.  Residents can also re-use plastic bags to line food caddies.

Flood Risk Reduction Proposals

There will be a drop in session on Wednesday 28th March 2018 from 2.30pm to 7pm at the Abingdon Community Free Space, 18 Bury Street (shopping precinct), Abingdon where you can talk to members of the Project Team and share your comments.

Plans will be available to view in the same venue from 26th March to 1st April if unable to attend on the 28th.

The Environment Agency, the Vale of the White Horse and Oxfordshire Councils have been working together in looking at reducing any possible future risks.

Purse Thefts from Town Centre

Over the last three weeks there have been several purse thefts reported in Abingdon town centre, targeting elderly people, and Police advise to be aware, making sure your purse or wallet is out of sight, not to put it in an outer pocket, don't leave your bag unattended, be aware of carrying a backpack and also note who's around you and above all don't write your PIN number down or leave with bank card.  This will all help deter offenders.

For the full report please visit:

https://www.neighbourhoodalert.co.uk/da/212791/Purse_thefts-_Abingdon_town_centre.html

Otters

Regularly voted the nations favourite mammal, but how many of us have seen a wild one?  My interest in Otters has lasted over 30 years.  As a student I volunteered at an Otter sanctuary in Derbyshire and it was here I got to admire this skilful semi-aquatic predator, who also has a playful side, and it was here where I watched the otters who loved sliding down the banks to play in the water.

European otters (Lutra lutra) can live up to 10 years, and have a body length of around 60-80cm and tail length about 32-56cm, with the average weight of 8.2kg for a male and 6.0kg for females.  They have small ears, webbed feet and a streamlined body, and their diet is mainly fish and crustaceans, but they are opportunist feeders also eating birds, molluscs and frogs.  They build an underground holt into the banks of rivers and are often found near water, but do travel on land normally at night and can travel up to 20km in a day.  A female will have one litter a year between May and August of 2-5 cubs.  This was the late 1980s when many of our rivers were highly polluted, but are slowly recovering with stricter pollution control and laws to back them up.  At the time the Otter haven was very excited that they were secretly releasing some captive bred otters into the wild.

When I moved to Oxfordshire 13 years ago, I knew this should be the perfect otter habitat, and I volunteered to do some otter survey work once a month, first on the river Windrush and then at Culham Lock.  This entailed looking for footprints on muddy riverbanks (often confused with dog footprints), you have to look for the distinctive webbing and size, forefoot is about 60mm x 65mm, though juveniles and females have smaller feet.  The more distinctive clue is finding a deposit of faeces (spraints) with a characteristic musky odour.  This is deposited on prominent trees and logs on the river banks, to act as a calling card to mark territories ... and yes, I have collected otter poo!

Unfortunately I never got a positive recording around Culham, though I did get sightings of water voles and mink, though I did hear some rumours of sightings, often by people fishing, and fortunately these rumours are now becoming more factual.  Thirty years on, our rivers are much more cleaner, Otters are no longer persecuted and their numbers are on the increase.  There has been YouTube videos of otters at Radley lake.  When swimming on the surface, they have a distinctive V shaped wake, and when swimming under water, you have to follow the line of bubbles to see where they will break the surface.  Sadly a dead otter was spotted near Didcot in Autumn, killed on a road, one of the biggest causes of death.  However, roadkill is a good method of seeing how animals are dispersing around the country.

I recently contacted the TVERC (Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre) to ask about their most recent data.  They informed me they were definitely on the increase in Oxfordshire, with more sightings on the Thames and River Ock.  In the past I have had to travel to Skye and Devon to see wild otters, often on a dawn morning walk where otters were regularly seen.  It would be a dream come true if I saw a wild otter around Abingdon ... maybe you have been one of the lucky ones that this is a reality.

by Max (the Wildlife Watcher)

Snow Disruptions to Waste Collection

We are expecting some disruption to your waste collections today due to the snow and ice.  It's unlikely that conditions will have improved sufficiently for the crews to catch up tomorrow, so if we aren't able to empty your bins today, please leave them out on Monday and we will try and catch up. If we haven't emptied them by the end of the day on Monday, please bring them back in and we will empty them next time they're due. If this is the case you will be able to leave out extra waste beside your bin if it is full up.

Rogue Traders Operating Abingdon

We have received a number of calls about Rogue Traders offering to work on your driveway because they are working in the Abingdon area.

Put simply, where a service costs over £35, customers have a 7 day cooling off period and must be provided with a written notice of these rights prior to work being started.  Good tradesmen are generally booked up and will not make door to door sales. Reports have included children being used to hand out promotional information as well as pushy tactics on the doorstep.

Please look out for your vulnerable neighbours by reporting suspicious behaviour.

Trading standards can be called on 03454 04 05 06 for advice.  If suspicious people are in the area at the time we would also welcome calls on 101.

Have your say with PCSO Clare Atkins

The Neighbourhood Policing Team is inviting you to come along and ‘Have your say’ at Lady Eleanor Court on Monday 19th February between 10.00am and 11.00am.  PCSO Clare Atkins will be there.

Petition to Save our Guildhall

If you are concerned about the future of the Guildhall, you may be interested in signing a petition to the Town Council that is being circulated (see link below).

This is asking the Town Council to renovate the Abbey Hall to provide accommodation for civic functions, clubs and societies as well as all-age activities.  It also asks the Council to maintain and preserve the historic Guildhall.

https://www.change.org/p/abingdon-town-council-save-our-guildhall-fed59f76-1125-4e05-95c6-5a784dd13fa5

Stonehill Community Gardens - January News

Happy New Year - come and make some new friends at Stonehill this year.  We re-open this Wednesday 7th February!  Having closed for December and January, we re-open this week.  With lots of projects in mind for 2018, there will be plenty to keep everyone busy this year, not least our two new polytunnels for produce suited to warmer climes.  We will start building the tunnels this Wednesday and we'd love your help.

2018 Workshops - book now and learn a new skill

Sat 17th Feb 10am - 1pm - Grafting Fruit Tress - £15 including taking your own fruit tree home

Sat 3rd Mar 10am - 1pm - Composting including warmers - £15

Sun 18th Mar 10am - 1pm - Year Round Crop Planning - £15

Sun 24th Mar 10am - 4pm - Introduction to Permaculture - £30

Sat 7th Apr 10am - 4pm - Designing Edible Spaces - £30

Bursary places available - please contact us

Funding Update - Whilst we didn't receive the £1,000 from Aviva for our Sensory Space, we did receive a £100 donation towards the project.  Rachel will be seeking further funding to develop the sensory garden.  We have received £1,000 from the Doris Field Charitable Trust in Oxford, which will help us continue to run our open Wednesday sessions.  If you know of any funders who may want to support our garden, do let us know.

Funding for Groups to visit the garden for FREE - Thanks to the grant from Oxfordshire Community Foundation, we have funding for 20 groups to visit the garden for free - if you know a group who may benefit from a relaxing or educational point of view, please get in touch.   Feel free to pass this on to anyone in a local group.

Forest Garden Planting - Our Trees will be going in the ground on 14th February 2018 11am - 2pm.  Please join us to dig in!

There are many ways in which you can support us, both at the garden and away from it, get in touch if you would like to be involved in a small or big way.  Our Honey, Fruit and Vegetables are sold every Wednesday from the garden.  We're there on Wednesdays 10am - 4pm.

Children's Christmas 2017 Colouring Competition Winners

The children's Christmas colouring competition was won by Ava from Masefield Crescent who won the under 6’s category, and Ellie from Ladygrove won the 6 and over category - both girls won a book token.  Well done!!!  Thank you to all who took part - our independent judge said she found it very difficult to choose from all the wonderful pictures.

All the entry pictures are displayed in the Stonewater Common Room, Bridges Close.

Police Consultation - Council Tax

Anthony Stansfeld, the Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner, has launched a short consultation to ask people for their opinion on the possible increase in Council Tax of around £12 per year per household to support the Police.  He writes ‘…….. without the increase of £12 per year in council tax, as recommended by the Home Secretary, we would have to make further significant reductions in police officers and staff which will affect the level and quality of policing service we are able to offer you.’

You can access the online survey https://www.thamesvalley-pcc.gov.uk/get-involved/police-funding-survey-have-your-say/.  This link includes a further explanation and information from Mr Stansfeld.  He apologises that the survey has to end on 11th January but the setting of the 2018/19 budget has to be done later this month.