During the past 12 months,
while the village hall users, Trustees, volunteer committee members
and the whole village community have been shouldering the increased
charges to save the hall from bankruptcy, some youngsters, sadly from
our own village, have been steadily undermining our work by their
anti-social behaviour and repeated acts of vandalism and destruction.
The Football Club hut was deliberately and seriously damaged on the
evening of the Teen Project "Wickhamfest", four more hall
windows have been smashed, the children's Play Area now has broken
glass embedded in the "safety surface" and most recently
a Snooker Room window has been smashed. It goes on and on and the
costs have swallowed up the benefit of last year's difficult but necessary
increases in charges.
Now the Police are involved. P.C. Martin England, our local Community
Police Officer, has taken a positive interest in helping to curb this
anti-social and illegal activity. Now he has spelled out exactly how
we can help him and ourselves.
He has asked for the more responsible members of the Wickhambrook
community to help him by reporting directly to him or his office,
immediately and at any hour of the day or night, any incident of vandalism
or anti-social behaviour. For this he has asked that his ex-directory
number at the Clare Police Office be published, with the request that
this number be used to report all incidents of anti-social or criminal
behaviour in, on or around the community facilities associated with
the MSC.
The number is 01787 278098
Please note down this number. This is not the '01284' (Bury St Edmunds)
number shown in the telephone directory for the Clare Police Station.
That merely puts you through to a semi-automated County Force message
handling and control system - an up-market answering machine. |
This '01787 278098' number rings directly
in P.C. England's office and will be answered by him or, during his
off-duty times or when he is out of the office, it will take a message
which he, or a colleague, will receive personally within a fairly
short time. He isn't on duty 24 hours a day, but he will receive and
use the information at the first opportunity. So he asks - "Please
don't put the phone down - leave a message - anonymously if you wish".
Simply say what you know, or what you think you know, or what/who
you suspect - or, if leaving messages on answering machines is not
your favourite pastime, just leave your phone number so that he can
call you back. He wants to help us - now it's up to us.
One exception he has mentioned and asked to be included in this article.
If you hear or see any criminal activity actually happening, such
as windows being broken, it is likely that the criminals are still
nearby. In that case, don't hesitate - dial '999' immediately. The
Police will respond. It probably won't be P.C. England, but they will
not be peeved if it is too late to catch anyone. '999' is not simply
for life-threatening emergencies such as road accidents. It's to summon
rapid Police assistance in all situations. he has also asked, in connection
with the smashed Snooker Room window, as youngsters were around at
the time, skateboarding and cycling on the MSC car park, it is possible
that they witnessed something. Would they, or anyone who knows who
those youngsters might be, please contact him via 01787 278098.
The damage done this year amounts to a few thousand pounds. This is
more than last year's increase in hall charges and that is without
the consequential increase in security measures and insurance premiums.
The fact is that these vandals will lose us our hall unless we stop
them.
If you have any information, no matter how old or unreliable, don't
hesitate to pick up the phone. Dial 01787 278098 and place those suspicions
or facts where they can be safely, properly and effectively used.
Help the Community Police Officer to help us to save our hall.
Please now contact P.C. Brendan McKenna in place
of P.C. England (same contact details) |
