DAY 75: Is your plant secure?

Is your plant secure? Thames Valley Police is reminding residents and businesses of simple crime reduction measures they can take to ensure their plant is secure after a theft in Reading.

Overnight on 5 to 6 February, offenders stole a red Manitou Tele Handler Lift Truck from East Park Farm Drive, Charvil, Reading. When stealing the vehicle, the thief drove it backwards and forwards, damaging a kerb and knocking over a bollard to the avoid the exit.

If you have any information about the theft, call police on 101.

Follow the simple crime reduction tips on our Country Watch website to reduce your chances of becoming a victim of plant theft.

DAY 74: Windsor and Maidenhead recover stolen vehicle linked to four burglary offences.

Yesterday (6/2) officers found and seized an abandoned stolen vehicle in an area of woodland. The vehicle is believed to be linked to four burglary non-dwelling offences where tools and other items were stolen. Two of these burglary offences happened in Surrey and two within the Thames Valley area.

Investigating officers continue to make enquires.

Elsewhere in Windsor, officers set up a Country Watch stand at the Windsor Farm Shop and held a crime prevention event at Windsor Great Park. Approximately 30 people attended and were given various presentations about crime prevention.

Country Watch came to Windsor Farm Shop

Crime prevention presentation at Windsor Great Park

Farmers and landowners are now able to self-asses security on their land using the farm security assessment which can be downloaded from the Thames Valley Police website.

The farm security assessment has been put together by Thames Valley Police’s crime prevention and reduction advisors and contains advice on low cost security solutions in a common sense approach.

In the assessment you will find crime prevention advice about:

•  Controlling access to farms
• Tools
• Metal theft
• Agricultural machinery protection
• Field security
• Livestock
• Wildlife crime
• Out buildings
• Home security

DAY 73: Man arrested during warrant in South Oxfordshire

A 25 year old man has been arrested on suspicion of producing a controlled drug, theft and using electricity without authority.

Last Wednesday (29/1), Thames Valley Police and PANIU (Plant and Agriculture National Intelligence Unit) officers attended a yard in the Dry Sandford area of Abingdon.

Upon gaining entry, a large breeze block building was discovered and found to contain a large cannabis factory with approximately 40 full grown suspected cannabis plants along with cultivation equipment.

At the rear of the yard, several large shipping containers containing numerous power tools, a quad bike, compressors, lathes and cutting equipment which are suspected to be stolen.

These items have been seized and ongoing enquiries are being made by the investigating officers.

A tractor which is also believed to have been stolen was also recovered from the site. The tractor is believed to have been stolen on the 8 October 2013 from Chesham in Buckinghamshire.

Also discovered were three Ifor Williams trailers believed to have been stolen from the Metropolitan area back in 1999 and an Atlas Copco Compressor believed to have been stolen from Sussex in 2012.

The man who is from Dry Sandford in Abingdon has been released on bail until the 11 March.

DAY 72: Two men charged with going equipped for theft in Aylesbury

Three men were arrested and two have been charged with going equipped for theft in Aylesbury.

The men were arrested just after midnight on Thursday (6/2) in Nether Winchendon, Aylesbury Vale.

Two suspicious vehicles were reported to have been seen on a driveway of a farm. Shortly afterwards, police stopped a vehicle nearby and, upon searching it, found what was believed to be diesel siphoning equipment and six 25 litre drums.

Mantas Baksys aged 21, from Essex, has been charged with one count of going equipped for theft and one count of failing to comply with notification requirements under the Sexual Offences Act 2003. Edgaras Damofejevas, aged 22, from Essex, has been charged with one count of going equipped to commit theft. 

Both men are appearing at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court this morning (7/2).

A 23-year-old man also from Essex was arrested on suspicion of going equipped and has been released on police bail until Thursday 13 March.

Police officers are currently searching for a fourth man in connection with the incident.

DAY 71: Windsor and Maidenhead team host tack marking event and visit stables across the area

Wednesday (5/2) saw the Windsor and Maidenhead team visit several stables across the area to offer crime prevention advice about protecting equine equipment and security marking a few things in the process.

In total 10 saddles were marked and 20 bridles.

An example of tack marking. A postcode is engraved on to a saddle

Thames Valley Police have secured discounts on Datatag tack marking kits.

The Saddle system, used to mark a single saddle, registered to one keeper, is self-fit with online registration.  

Thames Valley residents can purchase the system by mail order for £24.95 (including VAT and postage) a saving of 38%.

The Tack Room system is similar to the Saddle system but marks 3 saddles registered to one keeper, with added Dots and DNA to mark other bits of tack like blankets and stirrups. 

Thames Valley residents can purchase the system by mail order for: £69.95 (including VAT and postage), a saving of 33%.

If you have any questions, please contact Datatag directly on (01932) 796 788, quoting code TVPEQ13.  The terms and conditions restrict these offers to residents of Thames Valley.

More information about tack and stable security can be found on the Thames Valley Police website.

Throughout the day five farms were visited and 70 valuable items security marked by officers

DAY 70: Plant and agricultural machinery thefts within the Thames Valley continue to fall say PANIU

The latest Plant and Agricultural National Intelligence Unit (PANIU) report has listed the Thames Valley area in equal eighth place (out of ten) in a list showing the levels of plant and agricultural machinery thefts, whereby first place is the force with the highest level and tenth is the force with the lowest level of plant thefts.

The report shows that the Thames Valley area has seen a gradual drop in offences since October 2012 until September 2013.

This is a great achievement for Thames Valley Police as traditionally, the South East region is subject to one of the highest levels of plant and agricultural thefts. The figures for the Thames Valley are particularly good considering the size of the rural area the Force covers when compared to other forces which cover much less.

The rest of the PANIU report can be found on the Datatag website.

Earlier last year, Thames Valley Police received an award from Datatag in recognition of its commitment to proactive policing to combat construction and agricultural equipment thefts and have continued the effort into this year.

Thames Valley Police security marked over 300 agricultural machines last year with the Construction Equipment Security and Registration (CESAR) security system.

Thames Valley Police continue to offer a discount on Datatag’s CESAR kits to residents living in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire.

The benefits of getting your equipment registered with CESAR include:

• Easily identifiable machinery 
•  Swift identification should your machinery get stolen
• Swift return of stolen machinery to the rightful owner
• CESAR security symbol on the machinery will deter thieves

The standard price for the CESAR kit is £149 plus VAT. The Thames Valley Police discount allows residents to have the kit installed for £88 plus VAT.

Find out more about the CESAR scheme on the official website.

To take advantage of this offer, call the Datatag booking line 01784 778 310 and mention Thames Valley Police.