April 2011 news roundup in
British Sign Language

 

Estate clean up makes a clean sweep

Police and partners targeted a Newcastle estate in a week-long blitz on rubbish, vandalism and youth disorder.

As part of Operation Ways (we asked, you said), police, neighbourhood wardens and staff from Your Homes Newcastle called on local residents on the Jubilee Estate in Elswick to ask what issues concern them.

A week of action took place as partners joined forces to take part in activity on the estate.

Extra police patrols took place throughout the week while a mobile police station was on the estate as a base for officers and partners, as well as somewhere for residents to speak to police and other agencies.

Alongside this partners worked together on a large-scale community clean-up. Skips were placed around the estate in an effort to clear the area of rubbish and encourage residents to dispose of any waste responsibly.

Staff from the local housing office picked litter and cleared gardens to tidy up the estate, and in an effort to further improve the way it looks, supervised offenders on Community Payback were brought in to paint railings.

Leaflets will be delivered to residents in the near future to tell them about the work that was done.

Police hope this will be the first step in a long term project and forms part of the ongoing partnership work to make Elswick a better place for local people. This is an excellent example of local people having their say and getting involved to improve their estate and partners working together to make this possible.

Your Homes Newcastle say they are always looking at ways to support tenants and regularly involve them in decisions about the services they offer.

Happy ending for handbag

A Killingworth officer helped reunite a Jarrow woman with a handbag and its contents after it was mistakenly donated to a charity shop.

The bag contained family documents including birth, baptism and wedding certificates. The owner, Mrs Jane Ward, was upset when it was given away after her family helped with a clear out of odds and ends at her home.

The bag along with other items was given to the Red Cross and ended up in their Newcastle charity shop.

It was snapped up by Mrs Rose Gascoigne from Longbenton. When she got home she discovered the personal contents inside the bag and realised the family would be missing them.

She contacted her local police and PC Darren Stapleton, Killingworth Neighbourhood Beat Manager was given the puzzle of tracking down the owner.

He found the address Mrs Ward was listed under was 15 years out of date and then discovered she had moved house several times. But undeterred, using old fashioned policing methods and overcoming a number of dead ends he tracked her down.

A few days later the two women met up and the valuable contents were handed over.

Police were pleased to be able to help reunite Mrs Ward with the contents of her handbag. She was delighted to get them back as they had real sentimental value.

Spring into shed security

Police are advising residents to think about shed security this spring to beat the burglar.

Spring sunshine and lighter nights often herald the start of the gardening season and this can often lead to an increase in shed and garage burglaries.

Many people will now be buying new and expensive gardening equipment and bicycles, and officers are reminding residents to make sure their shed or garage is secure, to prevent them becoming a victim of crime.

Now is the time to check your shed or garage has adequate security. Don't rely on a rusty padlock which can be easily forced open to keep garden mowers, electrical tools and mountain bikes safe.

These items can quickly add up to a large figure and it's worth installing security devices to save a lot in the future. By taking a few simple steps, householders can greatly reduce the chance of their possessions falling into the wrong hands.

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