Keep homes secure in warm weather, say police

Almost 30% of burglaries in Conwy and Denbighshire happened at insecure properties.

 

This startling figure rose to over 40% in the months of August ’12 and October ’12 according to statistics for the past 12 months.

 

The figures are being released by North Wales Police as part of a two-fold drive to reduce the number of offences and encourage residents to keep their homes secure – whatever the weather.

 

“As the warmer weather increases, so does the temptation to leave windows and doors open during the day and night – which is why we are urging householders to remain security conscious,” said Detective Inspector Sion Williams, who is leading on the initiative.

 

“Burglaries are down 12% compared to the previous 12 months however we cannot escape the fact that many more could have been avoided,” added DI Williams. “Sadly, a door left ajar or an open window could prove more than enough of a temptation for an opportunist thief to strike. It is therefore important for people to remain security conscious and maintain personal security so that criminals don’t get the chance to exploit opportunities associated with the summer time.”

 

From April 2012 to March 2013 alone 490 burglaries happened in Conwy and Denbighshire – 146 of these were in insecure properties.

 

Since 1st April 2013, burglaries in the Denbighshire area have reduced by almost 5% and police are determined to keep them on a downward spiral.

 

Much work is already underway across Conwy and Denbighshire to tackle the issue and reduce burglaries. Members of the local Neighbourhood Policing Teams have been speaking to residents individually and at specific events about home security. Posters and leaflets have also been produced and are in the process of being distributed in a further effort to drive home the importance of keeping homes secure and out of reach of the sneaky thieves. Regular feeds on the forces Twitter and Facebook accounts will also be issued on the subject.

 

“Once inside a property, offenders will take anything that is of value,” added Insp Julie Sheard of Community Safety. “Laptops, handbags, mobile phones and anything left visible inside a home have been taken. Along with taking the simple steps of closing doors and windows, residents can also help themselves by making sure they security mark their property and taking advantage of registration schemes such as Immobilise.”

 

“Marking your property can also prove an effective deterrent to would be thieves,” Insp Sheard. “If your property is clearly identified it will be more difficult for a burglar or thieves to sell on the item. Another advantage is that should you become a victim of crime or if you lose the item – you increase the chance of having the property returned to you.”

 

 

Advice to residents

 

Residents can take positive steps to help avoid becoming a victim of crime by:

•             Make sure that all windows are closed and locked, even when you are at home or in the garden. Use the security measures on modern windows, which allow them to let some air in but are still locked.

•             Only have ground floor windows open if you are to be in that room for a period of time.

•             Do not leave upstairs windows open when you are going out.

•             Always lock your front door from inside - in particular UPVc front doors are often left unlocked when people are in their house.

•             Do not leave back doors open or unlocked if you are to be upstairs for any length of time.

•             Keep all valuables out of the line of sight of prying eyes, never put car keys or purses on window-sills or in view of a window or door. Always avoid keeping large amounts of cash in your house.

•             Lock away all your garden tools and equipment including ladders. Secure your shed and garage properly.

•             Use a good quality padlock on a back gate.

•             When going on holiday make sure milk deliveries are cancelled, that post is collected and if possible get friends or family to check on your property.

 

For more information on home security click here to visit our advice and support section.

 

Residents are being reminded to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to police. If you see anyone acting suspiciously, call North Wales Police on 999 if it is an emergency or dial101. Alternatively you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Sun promises to make for sizzling Llan Eisteddfod

* Ann Eagar, left, and Jane Jones on the floral displays.

Sunny skies and soaring temperatures are expected to make this a bumper year for the 67^th annual Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod which starts tomorrow (Tuesday).

Ticket sales are already racing ahead of last year’s successful event with top attractions like keyboard king Jools Holland and Strictly Come Dancing stars James and Ola Jordan attracting big audiences to evening concerts.

But ticket sales to all the concerts are going well, according to Treasurer Selwyn Evans, who said: “We are already within £85,000 of our target of £440,000 and we would expect to pass that comfortably now.

“The weather seems set fair to and that is great news because there is so much on here on the field during the days and that makes an outing to the Eisteddfod a fantastic experience.

“Ticket sales for the concerts are going really well but we still have tickets left for each one.”

Thousands of people from around the world will again descend on the town for the Eisteddfod which began as a festival of peace in the aftermath of the Second World War and has since grown into one of Europe’s premier music and dance events.

It has attracted cultural icons like Dylan Thomas and the great Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti, who began his international career as a member of a choir from Modena at Llangollen in 1955.

In recent years artists of the stature of Bryn Terfel, Katherine Jenkins, Kiri Te Kanawa, James Galway and Montserrat Caballe have performed at the final Sunday Evening Gala Concert.

Most importantly the competitors have continued to come from all over the world – this year they will be here from Alaska, the Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Hong Kong, Australia, Canada, China, India, New Zealand and Ghana as well as from all over Europe and the UK.

This year’s event runs from Tuesday, July 9, when the colourful traditional procession through the town will be led by Eisteddfod Patron Terry Waite, through six days of competitions and concerts to Sunday’s spectacular fireworks extravaganza.

The evening concerts start with Tuesday night’s Carnival of Nations featuring four of Wales’s finest male voice choirs, the Rhos Orpheus, Cor Godre’r Aran, Cor y Brythoniaid and the chart topping Fron Choir, performing on the 60^th anniversary of the historic visit of Germany’s Oberkirchen Choir. They will be joined by the St Melodians Steel Band, from Trinidad and international competitors.

Wednesday night will feature An Evening with Scottish percussionist Evelyn Glennie who will be joined by the rising American tenor Noah Stewart and harpist Claire Jones, former official harpist to HRH the Prince of Wales, along with the Eisteddfod Orchestra and the Santo Tomas Choir from the Philippines, twice Choir of the World winners.

Thursday will be Strictly Cuban, a celebration of Latin dance rhythms with James and Ola Jordan and the Buena Vista Social Club while Friday will be VERDI 200, a performance of Verdi’s Requiem by to mark the 200^th anniversary of the composer’s birth with Claire Rutter, Mirouslava Yordanova , Gwyn Hughes Jones, Jonathan Lemalu and accompanied by the Eisteddfod Orchestra conducted by Andrew Greenwood.

Saturday is Choir of the World which this year will also feature Only Men Aloud, Last Choir Standing TV winners while for the first time dance will be teamed with choral music on Saturday night as the Eisteddfod’s top two dance troupes dance off for the new Dance Champions 2013 Trophy.

On Sunday keyboard king Jools Holland will bring the house and the curtain down with his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra before the spectacular firework finale.

The Eisteddfod field will also be alive and buzzing every day of the week with international performances on the new and improved undercover Outside Stages.

Visitors can enjoy live music at the 200-seat S4C Stage, join in with a dance workshop on the Amphitheatre Wrexham Lager Stage or listen to live storytelling on the Lawn Stage.

And in the early evenings the S4C Stage will be transformed into an amazing window on world music for The World @ 6 programme of song and performance from Persia, the Indian subcontinent, Africa and more.

Throughout the week world-class competitors perform in a spectacular celebration of cultures with stunning choral music and lively traditional dance, especially on Folk Friday when the outdoor stages will feature world-class music and dance.

The Eisteddfod is a complete international experience and that goes for the food too. Home-cooked Welsh produce is on the menu but so are the cuisines of Europe, China, India and the rest of the world and there’s excellent local Llangollen ale.

There are gifts and clothes from South America, jewellery, wooden toys and Welsh-made products at more than 40 stalls, including exhibitions of festival supporters, Extreme Animals and Owl Rescue Display, charity groups and more including jugglers, escape artists and magic tricks.

For tickets for this year’s concerts and for more information go to the website at www.international-eisteddfod.co.uk and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/llangollen

Drop-in session planned on Etape Cymru

A drop-in session is being planned for people to come and have their say about a major cycling event coming to Wrexham and Denbighshire in September.

Wiggle Etape Cymru 2013 is arranged by Humanrace and fully supported by Wrexham and Denbighshire County Council.

The  route starts and finishes at Bangor on Dee Racecourse and passes through communities in Wrexham County Borough before it enters into Denbighshire through the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Beauty The route takes in several well-known climbs including the legendary Horseshoe Pass which incorporates a timed King of the Mountains challenge.

The drop-in session will take place on Tuesday, 23 July at the Royal International Pavilion, Llangollen between 6pm and 8pm, where officers from the organisers and both councils will be available to talk about the route, proposed times and any other queries.

For further information about the Wiggle Etape Cymru event, please visit: www.humanrace.co.uk

Report says man has died after Ruabon railway incident

The Leader is reporting on its website today (Monday) that a man has died after being struck by a train near Ruabon railway station shortly after 10am.

See he full story at: http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/124399/man-dies-after-being-hit-by-train-near-wrexham.aspx

Welsh Government should enforce no cold calling zones, says AM

North Wales Welsh Liberal Democrats AM Aled Roberts is supporting calls from Age Cymru for the Welsh Government to legally enforce “No Cold Calling Zones” in Wales.

 

Mr Roberts, (pictured left) Welsh Lib Dem spokesperson for older people, said: “Older people are particularly vulnerable to unwelcome contact in a variety of forms from companies and individuals who all too often pressurise them into parting with substantial sums of money.

 

“Sadly, in many instances, the goods or services that were paid for are never delivered or are of sub-standard quality.

 

“I welcome Age Cymru’s “Scams and Swindles” campaign and fully support its aims to penalise cold callers who operate in the designated zones.

 

“Whilst there are already some safeguards in place to dissuade cold callers, the weight of legal enforcement and prosecution will provide a welcome deterrent.”

Latest roadworks details

Denbighshire County Council have given details of the following local roadworks:

Birch Hill, Llangollen, road closure from July 8-10, to allow erection of scaffolding.

Opposite White Lion Square, Mill Street, Llangollen, July 16-18, temporary traffic lights to allow water works.

Preparations almost complete for Llan Fringe

Preparations are almost complete for this year’s Fringe festival.   There is a huge variety of events this year and it’s all about participation.    Organisers have put together eleven nights of superb entertainment with the blend of music and spoken word.   Stand-up comedy is back; World music; Welsh contemporary music with Gulp; Nostalgia with The Blockheads; Evenings with Alexi Sayle and Andrew Motion; Chartered Jazz Train on the Llangollen Steam Railway; Magical finale at Valle Crucis Abbey; Friday and Saturday dancing with The Dub Pistols, Alejandro and the Tombolinos and Yaaba Funk; and tickets are selling fast.         This year’s printed programme is twice the size of last year’s.   Organisers say it reflects the increasing number of events and activities that are happening in Fringe week.   Workshop sessions are really taking off, withs something for (almost) everyone to enjoy.   Online tickets – If you have bought tickets online, you won’t get them through the post. In an effort to save you money, Fringe staff ask that you bring a copy of the receipt (or identification) and you go straight in.   Festival Tickets – If you have bought a festival ticket, you will receive your pass when you attend your first event. If you haven’t, they are just £60.   Organisers say: "If you think that you may be able to help us during the festival this year, then please let us know. "You could help by distributing programmes to places of interest or community venues near where you live, stewarding or helping out at the workshops or concerts, or just generally giving us ideas of how to publicise the events to a wider audience. Please get in touch if you are able to help."   Bryn Fon will be playing with his band on Saturday 14th July in Llangollen Town Hall. The concert is being jointly staged by the Fringe and the International Eisteddfod. Doors open 7.30pm £12.50. (This event is not included in the Festival ticket).   PROGRAMME UPDATE Yaaba Funk (World Music from Ghanaian/London band) will replace Osibisa on Saturday 20th July. (Ticket price now down to £10).   Alun Cochrane will replace Paul Sinha on 18th July. Silkie of “Kill for a Seat” + special guest will be a great night of the best stand-up around.     The Festival Ticket is available to buy at our website: Tel: 0800 1455 779 or visit: www.llangollenfringe.co.uk