Temporary road closure, Buckwood Lane

There has been a request submitted for an emergency temporary road closure at Buckwood Lane to enable work on the ditches, gullies & grips.

The times and dates notified are that the closure will be effective 09:00 on Monday 06 June 2016 through to 15:30 on Thursday 10 June.2016; limited access may be allowed at certain times according to signage.

Proposed temporary road closure

Overnight closures, Dunstable Road Studham/Whipsnade

In order for works to be carried out on the BT overhead cables, closures are expected for five nights between 1st and 7th September 2015 on the section of Dunstable Road running from the roundabout on the B4540 down towards Studham.

July crime figures

Figures supplied by Beds Police

June crime figures for the ward

Figures courtesy of Bedfordshire Police

Domestic burglary is down (only a single instance across all six parishes) compared to the trends seen over the last couple of years, although theft from motor vehicles and/or interfering with motor vehicles is significantly up.

Shoplifting from the Co-Op in Caddington appears to be a recurrent theme over recent months, and there is one other geographical area which is becoming a hotspot for petty criminal behaviour in its own right - further discussions will be had on this topic.

Open Church Sunday 21 June 2015

Around 130 churches across Hertfordshire & Bedfordshire will be opening their doors to the public on Sunday 21 June for Open Church Sunday.

Participating churches within this ward include:

• St Mary Magdalene, Whipsnade   [12 noon until 4PM, post code LU6 2LL]
• St Mary the Virgin, Studham  [10AM until 5PM, post code LU6 2NW]
• St Mary the Virgin, Church End, Kensworth  [10AM until 4PM, post code LU6 3RA]

All three churches are historical buildings with a long history within their respective communities.  It is expected that light refreshments will be available at each church and Kensworth is also offering a small exhibition of local history photographs.

Crime report summary, May 2015

Collated from Bedfordshire Police summaries by parish

April crime statistics [Caddington ward]

Table prepared from crime report summaries supplied by Bedfordshire Police

Witnesses Sought To Fatal Road Traffic Collision

Via Ringmaster:

Roads Policing officers are appealing for witnesses to come forward after a motorcyclist died in a Road Traffic Collision on the B4540 road in Whipsnade yesterday (October 18 2014).

The incident happened at around 5:15pm when the rider of a Honda motorcycle and the driver of a black Skoda Yeti collided.

Emergency Services attended but the rider of the motorcycle, a male in his 20’s, was pronounced dead at the scene.

PC Andy Ralph from the Roads Policing Unit is investigating the incident and would like to hear from anyone who was in the area at the time of the collision and may have seen what happened. If you have any information about this RTC please contact PC Andy Ralph at Bedfordshire Police on 101, quoting ISR 291 18/9/14.

Alternatively you can contact the independent crime fighting charity, Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Summary of August 2014 reported crime figures

Summary of July 2014 reported crime figures

It is good to note that none of the six parishes suffered from some of the higher domestic burglary incidences that have been seen in recent times.

Mini motor-bikes continue to show up in the anti-social behaviour incident lists for Caddington and Slip End; there were two separate abandoned vehicles in Hyde and a number of reports of noise, nuisance neighbours or rowdy behaviour in Kensworth.

Crime snapshot across the ward

I have received the monthly crime figures for June covering the six parishes in the ward.  It is interesting to note the differences between each of the villages and their respective surrounding areas.

Whipsnade - two recorded crimes, a theft from a car and criminal damage to some National Trust signs.  There were no domestic burglaries in June and no recorded anti-social behaviour incidents.
Studham - six recorded crimes including two domestic burglaries.  There were no recorded anti-social behaviour incidents.
Hyde - one recorded crime (burglary other) and one ASB incident.
Slip End - thirteen recorded burglaries, including four domestic burglaries and four burglary other.  Three ASB incidents.
Caddington - five recorded crimes, none of which were burglaries.  Seventeen ASB incidents, nearly all of which relate to nuisance caused by mini-motors.
Kensworth - seventeen recorded crimes, including one domestic burglary and one burglary other.  The highest single category of crime was violence against the person, mostly relating to ongoing issues and disputes.  There were six ASB incidents, spanning various types of nuisance behaviour.

The Kensworth figures are obviously the most unpleasant reading, although it should be borne in mind that a single incident can trigger more than one recorded crime, and Kensworth is a classic example of a Parish where the actual geographical limits of the parish cover a far greater area than perhaps people appreciate compared to just the village centre.  Slip End is also suffering from a spike in burglaries and Police operations continue.

The overall picture is that these communities remain low crime areas and pleasant places to live.  However, any incidences of crime or anti-social behaviour are obviously not to be welcomed and the Police continue to target resources to keep these figures to an absolute minimum.  Everyone should remember to stay vigilant, keep doors and windows secure and report anything suspicious to 101.

Caddington ward, In Touch May 2014