Further to my earlier message regarding the supposed refund of Community Charge, there is another alert. You are phoned by someone claiming to be from BT about a bill you owe, typically between £30 and £75. They then so say cut off your telephone line for a couple of minutes, ring back and state the bill must be paid or else you will be cut off immediately. DO NOT PAY - IT IS A SCAM- BT WOULD NEVER MAKE SUCH CALLS AS THIS.

If you receive any calls similar to this or indeed the prior one, get as much details as you can (ie ask for their name and address, telephone number etc.,) and ring Consumer Direct on 08454 040506.

Today, 27th May, 2009, a neighbour received a telephone call from the County Court! They said that they had a refund on their Community Charge (?Council Tax) of over £400 awaiting at the County Court, and it would be sent to them once they had sent £49.50 to the County Court. (Bank details would be told). THIS IS A SCAM - DO NOT SEND ANY MONEY - GET THE BANK DETAILS AND GIVE THEM EITHER TO SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE COUNCIL OR THE POLICE. The only people that would give refunds on your Council tax would be South Gloucestershire Council, and they would not contact you by telephone.

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Members welcomed Bridget Whittle the new N.Watch Administrator for Safer South Glos.

Minutes of the last meeting accepted

Bridgett gave an interesting talk about her job and is to monitor crime and liaise with the Beat managers and neighbourhood watch groups in the area through the ringmaster telephone system or E mail. She is also involved with Farm Watch.

Crime figures for the Severnside Beat (including Hallen, Easter Compton and Almondsbury)

for the year period to May 18th 2009. There has been an increase in domestic burglaries and criminal damage but a reduction in fraud and forgery. It would be useful to have these  figures broken down into crimes taking place in Severn Beach.

The Rugby Club has closed down, all rubbish has been removed and  new gates have been fitted by S G Council to prevent access by undesirables.

The Severn Bridge Visitors centre has been relocated to Magor services and the old building has been pulled down.

The motor bike situation at Western Approaches is being monitored and it is hoped a  police presence will be increased.

Several cars were vandalised in Beach Avenue in one night, an attempted break-in in Gorse Cover Road where it is thought the owner had an expensive car, some Coy carp were taken from a garden in Ableton Lane,  youths on motorbikes thought to have no insurance or licences are causing a nuisance, several local lads are being monitored with a view to being issued ASBO’s.

There is a problem with drugs which is being dealt with by the relevant authourity.
The travellers have gone from Western Approaches but unfortunately we are told they have  moved on to Post Office land at Astec West.

This area is being targeted by cold telephone calls from private security firms, details of several of these calls have been given to the police who are aware of the situation. These firms are not doing anything illegal but their Crime Protection Campaign is not affiliated to the police which they claim and  the equipment they are selling is expensive.

Despite the fact that no one has accepted responsibility for the ditch behind homes in Gorse Cover Road one of our members had someone knock the door to ask if they knew who was throwing rubbish into the said ditch, we await further developments.

With the warmer weather coming, doors and windows open and garden equipment being used we advise everyone to be careful, put things away a

Travellers who set up an illegal camp at a furniture company in Severn Beach have moved on – leaving behind a pile of waste.

Staff at Gloster Furniture were shocked to find 14 caravans, horse boxes and other vehicles on their car park in Collins Drive last Thursday.

But the travellers, who had previously set up camp in Whitchurch, left at about 10pm on Monday, having been issued with letters by the police under section 61 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. The act requires gipsies or travellers to leave an area if it is thought they have caused damage, used threatening or abusive language and there are more than six caravans.

Damage was allegedly caused to a gate at the outdoor furniture company's headquarters and when the travellers left, logistics manager Derek Buxton said they had left two fridges, gas bottles, an exercise bike and bags of rubbish. He said: "They left late at night and the security guard heard they may have been heading for Cabot or to an industrial estate in Avonmouth."

Yesterday, it emerged travellers who have set up camp illegally on 27 sites across the Bristol region are facing legal action.

Officials are using court injunctions, planning inquiries and enforcement notices to evict those who have set up home on the publicly and privately owned land.