| TAKING ACTION AGAINST METAL THEFT Sussex Police are calling on the public to be their eyes and ears to help prevent metal thefts across the county. Homes, churches, schools, business premises and public buildings are all targets of metal thefts as a result of the recent increase in the price of scrap metal. Members of the public who live around or near vulnerable buildings such as churches and schools, should keep a special lookout for suspicious activity and report it immediately. For example, this could involve noting and reporting suspicious vehicles and checking adjacent buildings when you walk your dog at night. These crimes are damaging our society and affecting people's livelihoods and the Police want you to be alert to any suspicious activity and to report it immediately. Should you see a suspicious incident in progress do not hesitate: call the police by using the emergency number 999. If it is something that has already occurred and therefore not an emergency, use the Sussex Police number (0845) 60 70 999. (The first voice you hear is a recorded message asking you to press keypad 1 if you know the extension number you require, as you probably do not, be patient and hold on as the second voice is live and you can then make your report). COLD CALLERS Trading Standards state that there are businesses trying to get round regulations requiring a seven day cancellation notice to be given when cold calling and selling expensive goods. The legal right to cancel exists when a consumer enters into a contract as a result of an unsolicited phone call or personal visit to their home. A written notice should be given to the consumers informing them that they have a legal right to cancel within seven days of making a contract and should also state who they should contact in order to do so. Steps are being taken to make it law for cancellation notices to be issued even after a solicited visit and high pressure sales will be specifically outlawed in April Please remember however, that it does not matter how much legislation is passed there will always be unscrupulous traders who will cold call and exploit older and more vulnerable people. Although Trading Standards are committed to catching up with these people it can be very difficult and challenging where consumers have not been given the correct name and address of the trader and have already paid their money to a cold caller.
| Think very carefully before agreeing to buy and always shop around other suppliers of the same products to check prices. CRIME PREVENTION CO-ORDINATOR Following on from the widely reported redundancy of Sussex Police Crime Prevention Co-ordinators as part of the cost cutting measures to make up a 2010 shortfall of £10million in Government funding, CPC Mick Thompson will be leaving us and taking up a new post on the 7th January 2008. Currently Mick is the CPC for the whole of Arun District and as such covers both our own Arun NW Association and Bognor NW Association. His new appointment within Sussex Police will leave both Associations without a CPC until such time as a decision is reached as to what is going to happen. At the time of writing the newsletter this month nothing official has been heard from the Police. It would make sense, however, to revert to the situation prior to the appointment of Mick i.e. Ivor Webb to take back Arun Association until his retirement in March and Phil Marten to take back Bognor Association. However, as the decision to do away with all CPCs does not make sense in the first place, who knows what will happen? We will let you know when we know. In the meantime, we wish Mick every success in his new post and pass on the thanks of everyone for the way he has looked after us since his appointment in July 2006. A CRACKER RESULT A man was recently arrested in Littlehampton and charged with stealing a Calendar. He got twelve months !!! Happy New Year Everyone This newsletter is sponsored by: |
