OCTOBER 2024: FUNDING AWARDED FOR DIVERSIONARY ACTIVITIES
The Mid Wirral Crime Prevention Panel has been successful in winning two bids for funding that will provide activities for young people in South Wirral. Around this time of year, as the nights draw in, several communities in South Wirral see a rise in antisocial behaviour issues - particularly around the so-called Mischief Night, Halloween and Bonfire Night periods and through to Christmas. Some places like New Ferry have, in previous years, seen serious ASB issues occur with young people causing criminal damage to cars and property, starting fires and launching fireworks at members of the public.
However, over the last two years, we have worked successfully with Merseyside Police, Wirral Council's Outreach (Youth Contact) Team, local youth clubs and other agencies to work on a strategy of action to minimise the problems and these efforts have been successful in making reductions in the number of incidents.
For this season, the Mid Wirral Crime Prevention Panel made several funding bids for a new and expanded initiative called the Wirral Youth Diversionary Programme (WYDAP) and has been successful in two of them. The Albert Hunt Trust has donated £4,000, and The Johnson Foundation has given the community £1,750. Both organisations share an interest in community development and cohesion. Their money will be used to fund diversionary activities for young people to provide them with things to do other than be on the streets potentially causing trouble for local residents.
The funding will be spent on activities organised by Wirral Council youth workers and will include bowling sessions, indoor climbing walls, "wheels extreme", football sessions and safe and responsible computer gaming experiences supervised by qualified staff. Referrals will be made by Wirral Outreach staff who already have contact with young people in the community, some of whom have been participants in antisocial behaviour, and the staff also work with these young people to find out why they engage in acts of antisocial behaviour. Reasons for their behaviour can include peer pressure, but also issues at home, and within families that affect their mental and physical wellbeing that manifests itself in their dysfunctional behaviour. The Team are experts in offering disaffected young people support and advice to help see them through difficult periods in their lives.
SEPTEMBER 2024 - Crime summary
Summary of serious acquisitive crime, Bromborough and Eastham wards
RECENT NEWS
Burglaries
- Southwood Road, Bromborough.- Group of unknown youths have gained access to commercial premises and made off after being disturbed by alarm sounding.
- Woodhey Road, Bebington – Unknown male forced open a window of a residential property and entered and stole cash.
- Rhodesway, Gayton – Unknown person entered a residential property by unknown means and stole items.
- Thorburn Road, New Ferry – Known male entered a residential property and assaulted resident.
Vehicle Crime
- Bebington Road, Bebington – Unknown persons enter vehicle and steal blue badge.
- Town Lane,Higher Bebington – Unknown suspect entered insecure van and stole cash from driver’s wallet.
- Greendale Road, Port Sunlight – stolen motorcycle located in the road.
- Bassendale Road, Bromborough - Works van stolen from garage while under maintenance.
- Eskdale Avenue, Eastham – Vehicle entered overnight, and gold clubs stolen. No damage to vehicle possible insecure.
- Heygarth Road, Eastham – 2 unknown males attempt to steal motorcycle by dragging it away from driveway. Offenders made off and vehicle recovered.
- Heygarth Road, Eastham – 2 unknown males observed on RING doorbell trying the car door handle of a car on the driveway. Suspects disturbed and made off.
- Sutherland Drive, Eastham – (same night as above offence in Heygarth Road) two unknown males observed on RING doorbell trying the car door handle of a car on the driveway. Suspects disturbed and made off.
- The Croft Retail Park – 2 unknown males caught on CCTV entered a parked car, start it, and make off from the area with the car.
- Grisedale Road,Bromborough - Number plates stolen from an unattended vehicle on garage forecourt.
- Pool Bank, Port Sunlight - Vehicle stolen overnight no witnesses or CCTV.
Robbery
- Great Eastern View, New Ferry – 2 unknown males who put victim in fear by stating they had a screwdriver to steal her dog. Offenders make off empty handed.
The below website shows an overview of the crime in your area, along with recent news stories and important information.
www.merseyside.police.uk/area/your-area
Some important things to remember.
- Try not to leave your house in darkness when you are not in. Having spoken with convicted burglars in the past, often a light showing in a house can be enough to deter a burglar from targeting your premises. Timers are a cheap and very effective way of ensuring lights can come on at a set time when you are out.
- Similarly leaving a radio or TV on whilst you are out can have the same effect.
- Secure any side gates to your house and do not leave any garden tools and other items around that can be used to gain entry.
- Keep any car keys you may have out of sight at night and safely put away, as well as keeping high value items out of sight, jewellery etc.
- Ultimately you need to make it as difficult as possible for the burglar and deter them from trying to get into your premises in the first place.
May 2024: J FREELEY LTD SPONSORS OUR YOUTH DIVERSIONARY PROG
Local demolition contractor J Freeley Ltd, who have been given the task of demolishing the former Council offices either side of Wallasey Town Hall, have agreed to sponsor our annual Youth Diversionary Programme that pays for free football sessions for young people on Friday nights at the Oval Sport Centre from April to September.
This well supported scheme, which has been supported by the Mid Wirral Crime Prevention Panel for over 10 years current attracts around 30 young people each week, keeping them off the streets on Friday evenings when antisocial behaviour within our community is more likely.
As you can see from the photo above, the activity is welcomed by both boys and girls who come along to the sessions led by a qualified football coach. The initiative is also supported by Wirral Council's Active Wirral team, Merseyside Police and Wirral Council's Outreach Team who periodically visit to offer support to any young people who may need help with issues such as neglect at home, peer pressure to get involved in acts of crime and antisocial behaviour, or other issues affecting their mental and physical health.
The activity, led by qualified Sports Development Coaches, is free to all young people aged between 11 to 17 between 5pm and 7pm at the Oval Leisure Centre (similar events held at Guinea Gap Leisure Centre (6pm till 8pm) and Leasowe Leisure Centre (5pm till 7pm). No booking is required - just turn up and have fun!
JANUARY 2024 - Crime summary
Summary of serious acquisitive crime, Bebington, Spital, Thornton Hough and Heswall areas
RECENT NEWS
Burglaries
- Delamere Avenue, Eastham – Two males attend address armed with large knife and try to force entry in order to steal dogs owned by victim. (Two males identified and arrested)
- Shore Drive, New Ferry – Two males captured on CCTV entering a garden and trying handles to patio doors and sheds. (Two males identified and arrested)
- Sutherland Drive, Eastham – Unknown person has attempted to force rear patio doors. No entry gained.
- Seafield Road, New Ferry – Unknown person has entered kitchen via unlocked rear door and stolen cash.
- Downham Road, Heswall – Unknown offenders have broken a rear window and entered a house, taking car keys and stealing a Mercedes AMG car.
- Riverview Road, Bromborough – Armed males attend business unit and threaten staff before stealing a van and other property.
Vehicle Crime
- Chestnut Grove, Bromborough – Unknown person has taken a mobile phone from a van that was left insecure during the day.
- Fairway North, Bromborough – Front and rear registration plates taken from a vehicle overnight.
- Fairway North, Bromborough – Unknown person has bent the door back on a vehicle and stolen tools from within.
- Davenport Road, Heswall - Front and rear registration plates taken from a vehicle overnight.
- Telegraph Road, Heswall – Unknown person smashes a window of a car and steals bag from within.
- College Drive, Bebington – Unknown male captured on CCTV trying car door handles in the street. Nothing reported as stolen.
Robbery
- Eastham Rake, Eastham – Teenage male approached by group of teenagers with faces covered. Demands for money made, and the victim punched in the face and tracksuit slashed with penknife.
The below website shows an overview of the crime in your area, along with recent news stories and important information.
www.merseyside.police.uk/area/your-area
Some important things to remember.
- Try not to leave your house in darkness when you are not in. Having spoken with convicted burglars in the past, often a light showing in a house can be enough to deter a burglar from targeting your premises. Timers are a cheap and very effective way of ensuring lights can come on at a set time when you are out.
- Similarly leaving a radio or TV on whilst you are out can have the same effect.
- Secure any side gates to your house and do not leave any garden tools and other items around that can be used to gain entry.
- Keep any car keys you may have out of sight at night and safely put away, as well as keeping high value items out of sight, jewellery etc.
- Ultimately you need to make it as difficult as possible for the burglar and deter them from trying to get into your premises in the first place.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE - 5th JANUARY 2022
Message from Ray Squire, Homewatch Co-ordinator
I am pleased to advise that the National Neighbourhood Watch Scheme of which our online Homewatch is closely affiliated, will this year celebrate its 40th Anniversary and has for the duration amended its well-known logo as per above. Significantly to us here in South Wirral, the Neighbourhood Scheme was founded just a few miles away in Mollington, Cheshire in 1982 and is now the largest crime prevention charity in the UK, dedicated as it is to the creation of Safer, Stronger and Active Communities.
Online Homewatch could not function without the close professional Community Police partnership we have with Merseyside Police of all ranks working out the Police hub at Bebington. Specifically we acknowledge with thanks the support of Tom Welch who has recently been promoted to Chief Inspector and has moved role to Command Team based at Wallasey. He has been replaced by a new highly experienced Inspector at Bebington and I will be introducing him to Members shortly.
Meanwhile, I do urge everyone to take the time to read all three of the reports for December 2021 listed below – compiled as they are by the Ward specific Police officers- and make your own judgement as to the relatively low level of crime in your own particular neighbourhood.
Be Safe. Be Well
Ray Squire
Lead Homewatch Coordinator
NOVEMBER 2021 - TIMELY ADVICE FROM ACTION FRAUD
Top tips to shop online securely this Christmas
Online shopping scams cost shoppers £15.4 million over the Christmas period last year.
New data from Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime, reveals that 28,049 shoppers were conned out of their money when shopping online over the Christmas period last year – an increase of almost two thirds (61 per cent) when compared to the same period in the previous year.
Ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Action Fraud is warning the public to take extra care when shopping online as reports of online shopping fraud have continued to surge. Here are some simple tips to help you and your family enjoy a secure online shopping experience this festive season.
Where to shop:
Buying from an online store you haven’t used before? Carry out some research first, or ask a friend or family member if they’ve used the site and about their experiences before completing the purchase.
Your information:
Only create an account if necessary or to save you effort if you’re going to use that site a lot in the future. Be cautious if the website asks you for details that are not required for your purchase, such as your mother’s maiden name or the name of your primary school.
Payment method:
When it's time to pay for your items, check there's a 'closed padlock' icon in the browser's address bar. Use a credit card when shopping online, if you have one. Most major credit card providers protect online purchases.
Phishing:
Some of the messages you receive about amazing offers may contain links to fake websites. If you’re unsure about a link, don’t use the it – go separately to the website. Report suspicious emails you receive by forwarding them to: report@phishing.gov.uk. Report suspicious text messages by forwarding them to: 7726.
Email accounts:
Make sure that your really important accounts (such as your email account or online shopping accounts) are protected by strong passwords that you don't use anywhere else.
Need help changing your email account password? You can use these links to find step by step instructions: Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, Outlook, BT, AOL Mail.
If things go wrong:
If you've lost money to an online shopping scam, tell your bank and report it as a crime to Action Fraud. By doing this, you'll be helping to prevent others becoming victims of cyber crime.
For more of the government’s latest advice on how to stay secure online, visit the Cyber Aware website: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberaware
