Next Parish Council Meeting Date Change
The next Barton Parish Council Meeting has been moved to Thursday 7th September 2023. It will be at the Village Hall and starting at 7:30 pm.
Protect your ride! Moped theft awareness tips
We wanted to raise awareness about a concerning trend in Cambridgeshire – an increase in moped thefts. While our team is working persistently to catch those responsible, we believe it’s essential to support our community to take preventive measures to keep your mopeds safe and secure.
While we appreciate not everyone may have a moped or motorcycle, we would be really appreciative if you could share this information with anyone you know who might find it useful, but also be on the lookout for any suspicious activity and report it to us straight away – including anything you might capture on things such as video doorbells or home CCTV.
Here are some simple yet effective tips 👇
- Use a sturdy lock! 🔒 Consider using a disc lock for your front brake disc, or a grip lock to secure the brake and throttle controls.
- Park wisely! 🧠 Consider parking in well-lit areas with high foot traffic. Or if you’re parking at home, park in your garage or shed if you’re fortunate enough to have one! Remember to always remove your keys too!
- Invest in an alarm system! 🚨 Protect and trace your vehicle with a Thatcham-rated 1 or 2 alarm system equipped with tracking, immobilization, anti-grab, and movement sensors.
- Cover up! 👍 Instantly make your moped less attractive to thieves by using a cover. It also adds an extra obstacle, making theft more challenging. For an extensive range of security products approved by the police, visit www.securedbydesign.com/member-companies/accredited-product-search.
If you want more valuable tips and resources, feel free to visit our website 👉 https://bit.ly/3OAWgog
We take moped theft very seriously, and we’re dedicated to preventing it. However, we need your help too.
By following these tips, you can significantly reduce the chances of thieves targeting your ride. Let’s work together to ride safe and keep our mopeds secure 🛵
Kind regards,
Detective Inspector, Juliet Heald
20 mph zone Speeds
As you know, there is a 20 mph zone through Barton. We have been monitoring speeds with our MVAS sign which is positioned at the bend beyond Kings Grove just before the school. We have data there from 2022 when the speed limit was 30 mph so we can see if 20 mph is making any difference. The results are mixed in that the average speed has dropped by 2 to 3 mph but the v85 speed remains the same.
July 2023 (new 20 mph)
Arriving: average 25 mph, v85 32 mph
Departing: average 27 mph, v85 34 mph
February 2022 (30 mph)
Arriving: average 28 mph, v85 32 mph
Departing: average 29 mph, v85 34 mph
New SCAM OTPs
Our cyber security advisor, Nigel Sutton, has this important warning ⚠️…
“Are you clued up on OTPs? That’s right, one-time passcodes! Those annoying messages that pop up every now and again asking you to verify an online purchase.
“As irritating as they can be when you’re trying to complete a transaction, these passcodes – which are usually sent to your mobile phone via text message – provide a vital defence in the fight against fraud to ensure thieves and scammers can’t make purchases with your card details.
“However, fraudsters have discovered a workaround and are now calling customers pretending to be from the bank or a trusted organisation, such as the police, requesting OTPs, which they can then use to make a fraudulent transaction.
“June saw the highest number of suspected OTP scams nationally and there have been just over 3,000 successful scams reported in the last six months, 57 of which were in Cambridgeshire.
“Remember, your bank will never ask you to share an OTP, neither will we. Keep them to yourself!”
For more on fraud, visit the dedicated pages of our website.
Herbert Protocol
Most people would be forgiven for taking just one quick glance at an elderly man waiting for a bus.
But thanks to one passerby in Soham, who saw the same man again a few hours later, extra steps have now been taken to safeguard him.
The kind woman initially noticed the man walking towards Ely earlier that same day, and then near the station a few hours later – looking very confused and disorientated.
The woman spoke to him, and the man in his 80s showed her his bus pass and said he was going to see someone but couldn’t remember who.
He had no bag and declined a lift home from the woman, who then called us just after 3pm last Thursday.
We spoke to the man’s family and checks revealed he had dementia. We put further safeguarding measures in place, including the Herbert Protocol.
Do you know about the Herbert Protocol? It’s a scheme we support that can help find people with dementia should they go missing from home.
It encourages family and friends to keep a document that will help officers in the event a loved one goes missing by collating key pieces of information such as a physical description, familiar places, health details and an up-to-date photo.
Carers, family or friends of a vulnerable person, or the person themselves, can fill in a Herbert Protocol form in advance, containing information to help the police if the person goes missing.
Keeping a completed form means you don’t have to try to remember the information when you are under stress if someone goes missing. And it saves time, so we can start the search sooner.
For more information or to download a Herbert Protocol form, visit our dedicated web page.
Have you seen this man?
Do you recognise this man?
We want to speak to him in connection with two collisions in Teversham which left three people with serious injuries.
The first collision took place on Gazelle Way at approximately 3.35pm on 15 May and involved a grey Toyota Corolla and blue Mini Cooper. This crash then caused a further collision minutes later, involving a black Hyundai.
Three people were taken to hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries and have since been discharged.
Anyone who has any information is urged to contact us online quoting crime reference 35/38133/23, or call us on 101.
Whippet 18 Bus
We had some feedback from the Combined Authority:
“Thank you for writing to me and bringing these matters to my attention. Bus reliability is very important, and we take all complaints about it very seriously.
Officers from the Combined Authority recently met with the Whippet Coaches management team to discuss why services keep getting cancelled. Unfortunately, Whippet Coaches are suffering from the same issue as all operators nationwide, which is driver shortages. This is mostly through a mixture of staff sickness and difficulties in recruiting new drivers. Several new drivers have been recruited and pay rates have been increased. Additionally, casual drivers are being hired. Whippet Coaches also admit that there are some older vehicles in their fleet that are more prone to breakdowns. They are putting measures in place to increase the number of staff available, and will be replacing the older, unreliable vehicles.
Whippet Coaches are a long-established and respected local firm, and we are trying to work with them to steady this situation because driver shortages are the same right across the UK and there are no easy fixes. The Whippet Coaches management team accept that reliability at present isn’t to the high standards they want to provide to their customers, but they are confident that the measures they are putting in place will soon lead to noticeable improvements. The Combined Authority will continue to monitor the situation and work with them to improve reliability.
Customers can contact Whippet Coaches direct to request a refund of taxi fares if a service is cancelled. Alternatively, they can contact us at ku.vog.ac-hguorobreteperihsegdirbmac@tropsnart.regnessap and we can liaise with them. A copy of the taxi receipt should be provided in both cases.”
Anti-Social Behaviour
This week is Anti-Social Behaviour Awareness Week. Anti-social behaviour (ASB) is an issue that is a focus for our Neighbourhood Policing Teams, as reported by concerns from our communities across the county.
What is Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB)?
Defined in the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003, it is ‘behaviour by a person which causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to persons not of the same household as the person.’
There are three main types of ASB:
- Personal ASB is when someone targets a specific individual or group
- Nuisance ASB is when someone causes trouble, annoyance or suffering to a community
- Environmental ASB is when someone’s actions affect the wider environment, such as public spaces or buildings
There are many things that are categorised as ASB, including:
- Rowdy or inconsiderate behaviour
- Littering
- Drug use and littering of paraphernalia
- Dangerous, nuisance or inconsiderate driving/riding
Have you heard of an ASB case review?
An ASB case review can be launched when a victim of repeat ASB has reported it three times and is unsatisfied with the way the reports are being handled. The result of triggering this is a multi-agency case review where local authorities, the police, local health teams and registered providers of social housing come together to review the case. After the meeting, an action plan will be drafted and shared with the victim.
For more information on how to launch an ASB case review, visit your local council’s website via the relevant link below.
- Peterborough ASB case reviews
- Fenland ASB case reviews
- Huntingdonshire ASB case reviews
- East Cambs ASB case reviews
- South Cambs ASB case reviews
- Cambridge City ASB care reviews
For more information about ASB, as well as how to report concerns, please visit our website’s dedicated Antisocial behaviour page.
20 MPH through Barton
You will have seen 20 mph roundels on the roads through the centre of Barton. When the signs and repeaters are up, the roads become officially 20 mph. This includes Comberton Road/New Road and High Street plus the side roads off both reduced speed zones.
Drains Cleaned
CCC Highways have been through Barton to clean all the drains. Cleaned drains are marked with green paint. Please let me know if any have not been cleaned and I will report back to CCC Highways through “Minor Faults” website.