February started off with yet another vehicle crime and, crime-wise, finished there . . .
Theft from a vehicle in Chapel Lane
Taking place in daylight hours on 8th February suspects unknown have removed the victims front index plate from his vehicle by ripping it off.
Information Releases
Heating Oil Theft
Although we are, hopefully, coming to the end of the cold season (or maybe it is still to come?) Essex Police have offered the following advice for those who store heating fuel on their premises:
In the more isolated parts of the countryside it is primarily domestic properties that have been targeted by the heating oil thieves but we have also seen such thefts at farms and other businesses. There are a number of security devices available that will protect your fuel supplies – details of which can be found via your fuel supplier or local plumber’s merchant.
One such system is “GPRS Fuel-Oil Alarm” from www.compoundsecurity.co.uk which has “Secured by Design” accreditation; this detects a dramatic drop in fuel and calls you on the telephone. There are also other systems that will add on to an existing intruder alarm system, whilst others protect the filler cap and there are of course the conventional locks.
Another consideration would be defensive planting around the tank, concealing it and restricting access to it by gates or fencing, and, where possible, locating the tank under lighting in view of lived in rooms within the house.
For larger quantities of fuel http://dieseldye.com/ supply a dye that will uniquely mark the fuel should it be later recovered. Use of the dye, combined with signs making it clear that the fuel has been marked, can act as a strong deterrent to thieves.
If you would like any advice regarding security please do not hesitate to contact your local Crime Reduction Advisor by using the 101 non-emergency telephone number. Naturally we also ask locals to report any unusual activity seen around fuel tanks to police in an emergency on 999 or after the event on 101 or to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Stephen Armson-Smith Crime Reduction Advisor for the Colchester District
Colchester Borough Council have advised that they will collect household items from a number of locations throughout 2014 as part of the Attended Freighter Service. For West Bergholt the Freighter will be situated in the Orpen Hall car park between 11:00 – 12:00 on 3rd May*, 28th June and 23rd August, (*subject to Orpen Hall car park project), other local(ish) dates include:
Eight Ash Green – School access, Fiddlers Folly – 11.00 – 11.25 and ‘Top of the Heath’ 11:30 – 12:00 on 5th April, 31st May & 26th July.
Wormingford – Church Road, Parish Hall – 9:30 – 10:45 on 19th April, 14th June & 9th August.
You can use this service to dispose of small loads of household items which are not collected as part of your regular kerbside collection. Please don’t use this service to dispose of items which can be recycled, although you can bring garden waste separately which will be composted.
Please note that the attendants will not accept any of the following items:
large loads, fridges, freezers or other electrical goods – these items can be collected as part of the Special Collection Service or taken to your local tip,
hazardous waste such as asbestos, batteries, liquids or gas bottles – for information on how to dispose of your hazardous items, please click here,
commercial refuse – the Council operates a trade recycling and rubbish collection service, details of which can be found here.
For more information please email [antibot mailto=”[email protected]”] or phone 01206 282700.
Local Community Speedwatch volunteers were involved in the recent Surround a Town event.The Community Wheels truck joined Speedwatch teams and others in raising speeding awareness
Essex Highways, Essex Police, Essex Fire & Rescue and local Speedwatch groups joined forces on 5th February with a crack down on speeding motorists. The results saw a substantial number of interventions including:
Road Safety staff gave advice and showed education videos to 81 offenders at enforcement sites.
400+ people on the “community wheels truck” outside the Town Hall with road safety staff and staff from the fire brigade giving advice.
32 drivers were recorded travelling over 36 mph in Langenhoe, Peldon and West Bergolt by Community Speedwatch.
13 speeding drivers spoken to by school children at a child speed watch event outside a school in Colchester.
Other activities included:
year six walks conducted by road safety staff to highlight the dangers on the road to year six students.
road safety staff in a college to engage with over 50 students about road safety issues.
the north Essex parking partnership were patrolling schools to raise awareness of the dangers arising from poor parking outside schools.
West Bergholt Gardeners Association – February Newsletter
Some fifty members attended the first meeting in 2014 and enjoyed an informative talk by Eddie Harris upon his search for plants in South Africa.
Eddie appeared to have visited the area around Cape Town several times and was in no doubt of its attractiveness although Cape Town itself is prone to rain. He covered both the geography of the area as well as illustrating the plants that flourished in the climate, and undercover in one of the largest conservatories in Cape Town itself.
The local population considered the plant collector as mad as they viewed many of the plants as weeds. Exploring further inland and the mountainous regions to the west was always difficult as only dirt tracks existed off the main roads. Palms and Aloes grow to considerable size while more minute pebble flowers are to be found on the ground. (Such pebbles plants can be purchased in the UK). When visiting Worcester he discovered a Reptile Farm and “enjoyed” seeing snakes of all sizes, from a respectable distance. All in all a wide ranging talk on his subject.
Club News:
Summer Coach Trip to Waddesdon Manor, Aylesbury, Bucks.
19th June . Depart Orpen Hall, West Bergholt 8.30am. Visiting the House, Gardens (Including the Aviary garden, and the water garden) and the wine cellars. Over 300,000 visitors come to Waddesdon every year to see the house, shops, restaurant café, wine cellars and plant centre.
Geoff Hodge who will talk to the Club on the subject of LUSCIOUS LAWNS – LAWN CARE FOR PERFECT LAWNS.
In view of the affect of the last two months wet weather the Association is sure that Geoff’s talk will be well received by members who suffer from moss and mud on their lawns at this time of the year.
17th March 7.00 for 7.30
All are welcome to the Association’s meetings – small charge for non-members.
This week saw pitches dry out at long last which gave both the Under 11s and the Under 15s the opportunity to play their postponed Colchester open Cup ties.
BHYFC Under 11s vs Stanway Villa Reds
The Under 11s were at home to B League Stanway Villa Reds. Despite two goals from Jonah Murray and a man of the match performance from Alexander Hopkins, they went down 5-2.
Heybridge Swifts vs BHYFC Under 15s
The Under 15s were away to fellow A league team Heybridge Swifts. The start of the game was even, however Bergholt went behind in the 6th minute when the ball took a nasty bounce over the defender which let the striker in to score comfortably. This setback did not deter Bergholt who had plenty of the ball but seemed to be lacking the killer touch when it was needed. Mid-way through the half Bergholt got back on terms when Luke played a superb high diagonal ball over the top into the area which found Leo at the far post who finished expertly with a first time shot into the roof of the net. The game remained 1-1 through to half time with neither team looking likely to add to their score.
The second half started as the first half finished, however there was a setback after just a few minutes when influential midfielder Ollie Sanderson had to limp off with a hamstring injury, to be replaced by Luke who himself was suffering from a bruised shoulder having landed heavily in the first half. The rest of the second half was again very even with only one clear chance that fell to Max just inside the area but his shot under pressure just cleared the bar.
Full time: 1-1.
Into extra time for the second cup tie in a row and yet again the teams cancelled each other out in the first half. The second and final 10 minutes of the game saw Bergholt take the lead when Max hit a wind assisted cross-shot into the far corner of the net with 7 minutes remaining. However this signified one last onslaught from Heybridge who threw away all thoughts of defending by piling players forward. The home team won a succession of corners and from the last of these they equalised with just 2 minutes remaining.
Score after extra time: 2-2.
Another penalty shootout!
Heybridge 1-0
Ben for Bergholt – miss
Heybridge 2-0
Aaron for Bergholt – score 2-1
Heybridge 3-1
Max for Bergholt – score 3-2
Heybridge 4-2
Jamie for Bergholt – score 4-3
Heybridge 5-3.
So Bergholt’s defence of their Open Cup trophy ended with a narrow defeat in round 3.
As has become the norm in recent weeks, there was just one match that beat the weather last weekend, but this time it was the turn of the Under 15s who took on Stanway Rovers in the twice postponed away league fixture – but due to the continued water logging at both Stanway School and Spring Lane, the match was played at Shrub End.
Stanway Rovers vs BHYFC Under 15s
Having had virtually a full squad available every week but without a match for over a month, the first game for 5 weeks saw Bergholt able to field the bare 11 players due to a combination of injuries and holidays. Within 30 seconds of the kick off it looked like it was going to be a long and arduous afternoon when a long wind-assisted ball over the top of the Bergholt defence saw the defender clear the ball against the on rushing striker and the ball balloon into the net with Connor helpless.
1-0 to the home team.
Stanway then laid siege to the Bergholt goal but some resolute defending with the Bergholt players all refusing to lay down, saw them weather the storm and come back into the match.
After around 15 minutes a break down the left saw Luke cut into the box, beat his man and finish right footed beyond the Stanway ‘keeper for the equaliser. It was now Bergholt’s turn to up the tempo and they won a couple of corners in quick succession and from the second they took the lead when from Max’s kick Jamie stabbed towards goal and Sam took no chances by rifling the ball into the net from close range.
Bergholt then held Stanway at arms length for the remainder of the half, although it took a fine one handed save from Connor to see Bergholt through to half time with a 2-1 lead.
With the managers’ words of “keep up this level of performance” ringing in their ears, the Bergholt players continued taking the game to Stanway in the second half. In fact it was a good 15 minutes into the half when Stanway had their first attempt on goal, that was a long range shot that was wide. With about 10 minutes remaining, a shot form Max was only parried by the ‘kepper and Luke was on hand to power the loose ball into the net for his second and Bergholt’s third of the day. Although Stanway forced a few corners, the Bergholt goal was never in serious danger and the 11 players looked more likely to add a fourth than Stanway were to come back into the game.
The final whistle went to signal a 3-1 win to Bergholt in what is probably their best performance of the season.
Bergholt Heath man of the match: Ciaran Donnellan – an all action non stop midfield display.
December saw the Women’s Institute’s Christmas meeting. The president, Susan Leng, presented a voucher to Marie Louise Fuell who was the 2013 winner of our monthly competition, Hillary Nugent and Manya Barrow were runners up.
The evening continued with a supper provided by the members. Magic Marvo, a magician, entertained with everyone puzzled by his clever tricks. The grand raffle enabled everyone to receive a prize.
Later in the month member, Manya Barrow, invited the W I to her house for mulled wine and mince pies with entertainment and Christmas carols which everyone joined in. A convivial afternoon to end the W I year.
January – Desert Island Discs
In January the vice-president, Bea Girkin, welcomed several new members and a guest. There was no speaker so members brought C D’s to play for ‘Desert Island Discs’ and talked about the reason for their choice. The competition was a luxury item to take to the Desert Island. The winner was Mary Brent with her suggestion – a pillow. Social Time was enjoyed by all with a team word game.
February – Blue Badge London Guide
The president was back in the chair and pleased to see so many new members. Gary Egerton a blue badge London Guide made a welcome return visit with his talk on Strange and Unknown Facts about London. Our social time was enjoyed by everyone with slides by the president showing all our varied activities during 2013.
We celebrated our 93rd Birthday Lunch at the Cricketers on 19th February.
The monthly coffee morning at the Treble Tile was well supported with 19 members in attendance. Play reading afternoons are still flourishing.
Upcoming
Our Open Evening on 2nd April sees the return of Brian Carline, speaker, author and broadcaster. His talk is entitled ‘An Amusing Account of Life in our Schools’. Posters with more information will be put up around the village.
With both away matches again called off due to waterlogged pitches, it left just the one scheduled home game to go ahead on the 7 vs 7 pitch at the top of the Poors Field – the Under 9’s vs Reed Hall Sentinels. Had the Under 15’s been due to play at home then this too would have fallen foul of the weather as there was standing water in the last third of the pitch (near the Treble Tile).
BHYFC Under 9s vs Reed Hall Sentinels
After an early morning inspection, the pitch was deemed playable and so Bergholt took on Reed Hall Sentinels in very blustery conditions. The wind was blowing from one end to the other and so advantage was always going to be with the team who had the wind behind their backs. For the first half this was Reed Hall Sentinels so it was important for Bergholt to hold them and go into half-time at least level.
Despite kicking into the wind it was Bergholt who made the brightest start with the Baker brothers in particular leading the charge, especially Ollie who was keen to add to his goal tally for the season and was shooting on sight. In fact Bergholt’s other midfielder, Thomas Haworth, scoredthe first goal, speeding down the right wing before unleashing a fierce low drive which passed the keeper before he had a chance to react.
This then started Reed Hall’s fight back and the majority of the first half was played out in the Bergholt half. Some excellent defending from Bergholt repelled attack after attack. In one of these plays Eddie put in a great tackle but unfortunately came off worse and twisted his knee which ended his game. This was a shame for Eddie, especially as just previous to that he had gone on a excellent solo run, taking the ball out of defence to attack. Just before the half-time whistle, Bergholt’s defence was finally breached when a strong shot was saved by Daniel but the combination of the spin of the ball and the strong wind took the ball agonisingly inches over the line before he had chance to reclaim it. HT 1-1.
At half-time the Bergholt manager used as many footballing clichés as he could “we can win this” and “the next goal is the most important” were two in particular that stick in the memory….. So with these pearls of wisdom still fresh in the memory, Bergholt kicked off the second half looking to get that all important goal. As with the first half, the majority of the better football was played by the team with the wind and Bergholt started to pass the ball much more fluently which in turn opened the game out. It also meant that the two full backs, Billy and Thomas L were also able to exploit the wide areas and get forward themselves to support James and Thomas H who too were having success down the wings. Theo and Ollie were also continuing to push forward and trying to get their names on the score sheet but both were thwarted by the Reed Hall goalkeeper. Not wishing to miss out on the party, Freddie too came close when his free-kick only just went over the bar.
So, once again it looked like heading for a draw as Reed Hall, when they went on the attack, were stopped by some super, if a little frantic, defending from Bergholt. However, in the last dying seconds of the match, Freddie picked up the ball in the area between defence and midfield and ran at the Reed Hall defence. In a similar manner to an Olympic slalom skier at Sochi, he jinxed past one, then another before finding himself just outside the box where he hit a pile driver. It took a slight deflection off the defender’s knee which in turn meant that when it bounced on the ground in front of the keeper it kicked up off the mud (no turf, just mud…) and bounced over the keeper’s dive. FT 2-1.
This was Bergholt’s first win of 2014 made even more special by the appearance of the chairman of the club, Les, who turned up to watch the team for the first time since it’s formation at the beginning of last season!!
Bergholt Heath Player of the Match: Freddie Geiger – some excellent clearances and a fantastic match-winning run and goal.
If you run a local business we need your help to shape the future of West Bergholt. Please take a few minutes to complete a questionnaire by clicking on:
Your response will be invaluable to assisting the production of a Neighbourhood Plan for our village and wider parish area. Neighbourhood Plans are fairly new and you may not have heard of them yet. They form part of Neighbourhood Planning which is a Government initiative which enables local communities to produce Development plans for their areas rather than for these to be produced by District Councils, in our case Colchester Borough Council.
So what exactly is Neighbourhood Planning?
Neighbourhood Planning is a new right for communities to create agreed policies and proposals for their localities. For us this will be for West Bergholt and surrounding Parish area.
The plan will be used to decide the future of the development of West Bergholt including answering the following :
where should new houses, shops or employment areas be built?
should they be built?
do we want further community assets and amenities?
should we preserve existing open spaces and provide more?
Aside from development aspects what other improvements do you want to see in areas such as traffic, policing, environmental improvements etc?
The list could be endless – but is nevertheless of vital importance and must be made and agreed by you.
Who is responsible for preparing the plan?
The Plan is sponsored by the Parish Council but the steering group overseeing the plan is drawn from the wider community and comprises 20 people drawn from all walks of life. A full listing of FAQs has been assembled on the village website, look for the Neighbourhood Plan tab.
In order to inform the NP a series of surveys is being conducted. We have already conducted a household community survey and a survey of younger people’s views is under way. However we recognise that the village and wider parish area has a large number of businesses and we are keen to get a view of your needs and concerns so that we can plan not just for community needs such as housing and amenities, but also the needs of businesses.
Please complete the on-line questionnaire by the end of February 2014. If you need to find out more please contact any of the following:
With the first couple of weeks seeing no reported crime in and around West Bergholt, the latter part saw little more:
Theft from a vehicle on the A12
Taking place on 13th January this involved a parked, secured, lorry on the A12, outside West Bergholt, which had the side curtains slashed and items removed. Probably of no more than passing interest to residents (sorry).
Criminal Damage to a Vehicle in Mumford Close
Overnight on 23rd January the rear nearside door of a car was dented by unknown person and object.
Criminal Damage to a Vehicle in Mumford Close
Overnight on 28th January an unknown person scratched the full length of both nearside and offside of a parked vehicle.
Theft from a Vehicle in Chapel Road
Overnight on 29th January an unknown person gained entry to an insecure vehicle and following a messy search removed items.
Information Releases
Essex Police often issue information & advice updates with their crime reports, the following few about Alarms, Burglary facts and Microsoft scams have recently been received.
Intruder Alarms and/or CCTV
Please note that Essex Police do not recommend any particular product or supplier.
If you are considering an intruder alarm system it is advisable to seek advice from installers who are members of a professional body, such as: –
SSAIB The Smoke Houses, Cliffords Fort, North Shields, Tyne & Wear NE30 1JE Telephone: 0191 296 3242 – www.ssaib.co.uk
British Security Industry Association(BSIA), Kirkham House, John Comyn Drive, Worcester, WR3 7NS – Telephone 0845 389 3889 – www.bsia.co.uk
For other security products that have ‘Police Preferred Specification’ status visit Secured by Design – www.securedbydesign.com
Systems should be fitted to British/European Standards – www.bsi-global.com
Always get at least 3 different approved installers to give you quotes before you decide.
Systems can be monitored at special centres (Alarm Reporting Centres), for a fee. Reputable installers will give you more information on this, including an alternative option to link the alarm to alert mobile telephone numbers selected by you.
Essex Police respond to monitored alarm systems in accordance with guidelines issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) – www.acpo.police.uk Phone 020 7084 8950.
Generally, Non- monitored alarm systems are not responded to unless the person reporting the activation says that an intruder has actually been seen to enter or be on the premises.
The speed of police response cannot be guaranteed. It will depend upon the number, location and availability of police units when the call is received and a police assessment of the threat level.
DIY outlets often sell intruder alarm systems. However, bear in mind that these are normally non-monitored systems. False activations can annoy neighbours and result in action by the Environment department at your local council. If you have one of these systems you need a trusted friend, neighbour, or family member who lives close by and can deal with activations in your absence.
Some systems can be linked to your telephone and programmed to alert specific personal telephone numbers (normally up to 6) if activation occurs. Your telephone provider may make an extra rental charge for this facility. You will probably still need a trusted local person to respond in your absence.
Some mail order type companies market a whole range of alarms. You can see examples of these on web sites such as: –
Generally speaking, any intruder alarm is probably better than none. However, your choice should always be based on the following considerations: –
Is it appropriate?
Is it realistic?
Is it cost effective?
What am I trying to protect?
The above information is a basic summary of intruder alarm systems.
Secure your home and remain vigilant
Burglary Facts – Did you know?
35% of all burglaries are crimes of opportunity, where the burglar lets themselves in through unlocked doors or windows.
You are ten times more likely to be burgled if you don’t have basic security – even something as simple as putting strong locks on your doors and windows will keep your house much safer.
Burglary has fallen by nearly 60% since 1995, but criminals are opportunists who will take advantage of any chance to steal from you, so you should remain aware.
Burglars generally prefer empty properties, often looking for visual clues such as an empty drive and dark homes so any lights, televisions and radios left on are usually off-putting for burglars.
A common tactic employed by homeowners to make the house look occupied, leaving the curtains closed, actually encourages burglars who believe it indicates the occupants are on holiday. If the property is going to be vacant for an extended period, ask a trusted neighbour to open and close curtains, collect milk from the door step, turn lights on and off, and remove unopened post that is visible etc. so that the property continues to look occupied.
Burglars are attracted by the sight of valuables, including car keys. They spot these by simply looking through windows and doors. Householders need to be careful about the type of goods that are on display.
Generally, burglars like to access property from the rear as it offers a safe environment. Having adequate fences and locked gates can make this a less inviting opportunity.
If you make your property more secure, it’s a lot harder for criminals to break in and it’s easier for police to catch them. For more crime prevention advice, go to http://essex.police.uk/be_safe.aspx.
Microsoft Cold Calling Scam
The Neighbourhood Watch Liaison Officer has been made aware that persons are cold calling by telephone offering computer repairs, stating your computer has a problem with Microsoft. Advice has been sought from Microsoft and they have given the following advice.
Neither Microsoft nor our partners make unsolicited phone calls (also known as cold calls) to charge you for computer security or software fixes.
They have advised that further information regarding how to avoid Phone scams can be found on the below website:
February Crime Incidents
We look forward to reading your responses.
