Reading

Thames Valley Police is appealing for witnesses to a distraction burglary in Reading.

The incident happened in Sherwood Street, Reading, on 31/8, between 12pm and 4pm.

Three men approached the Reading home of a 91-year-old woman and told her that drainage work needed to be carried out in the area.

They were allowed into her property and once inside one of the men took the victim into the kitchen, shutting the door behind him to talk to her.

While they were in the kitchen the two other men searched the entire house and stole around £2,000.

All three men then left the Reading property.

Det Con Lynsey Kania, from Reading CID, said: “This is an awful crime where three men have deliberately targeted and elderly, vulnerable lady living alone and taken advantage of her trust.”

Reading Crime Reduction Officer John McNicholas added: “For the offenders to have been able to commit this offence they have relied on the co-operation of the householder.

“Once they are allowed in through the front door the situation becomes very grave and the risk increases dramatically.

“These conmen prey on the elderly and vulnerable but this type of crime is preventable.

“My advice is to get a door chain or bar fitted if you haven’t already done so and make sure you use it. But quite simply – if you are unsure, don’t open the door.”

Anyone with any information about this Reading incident should contact Det Con Kania via 0845 8 505 505.

Alternatively, if you do not want to speak to police or leave your name, please contact the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.

Thames Valley Police ~ Reading

Two people who made false claims for benefits have been brought to book thanks to an investigation by Reading Council fraud officers.

At Reading Magistrates’ Court, On Wednesday, August 18, Claudette Springer, of Whitley Wood Road, admitted falsely claiming £1,124 of Council Tax Benefit. She also admitted falsely claiming £1,203 of Job Seekers’ Allowance.

Mrs Springer was given an 18-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £100 costs.

The Reading Council’s Fraud Unit began an investigation after it received a tip-off that Mrs Springer owned a property in London Street. When claiming benefits, Mrs Springer had declared ownership of her home in Whitley Wood Road but failed to disclose ownership of the London Street property.

Under Social Security legislation, the value of a property is considered to be capital and if a claimant has more than £16,000 of capital, benefit is not payable.

It also emerged during the investigation that Mrs Springer had failed to disclose a quantity of money she had in a building society account, including £18,730 she had paid into the account in 2009.

On the same date, Mikayla Miles, of Essex Street, Reading, admitted falsely claiming Housing Benefit of £2,396 and Council Tax Benefit of £399.

Miss Miles was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £100 costs.

During an investigation by Reading Council fraud officers, Miss Miles – who co-operated fully with the investigation – admitted she had been claiming Working Tax Credit but had failed to disclose this when her entitlement to Housing and Council Tax benefits was being assessed.

Cllr Andrew Cumpsty, Leader of Reading Borough Council, said: "This sort of behaviour is anti-social and totally unacceptable. Anyone considering such actions needs to know that this Council will not tolerate it and will press for full sanctions against the perpetrator.

"It is the hard-working silent majority who have to pay for this selfish and greedy behaviour, so it is entirely right that these criminals get the full punishment that they deserve".

Reading Borough Council

Spot checks last week by the Reading council, police and government safety inspectors on black cabs and private hire cars found nothing amiss with them.

Seven cabs and eight private hire cars were stopped in Wokingham Road and Oxford Road, Reading on Wednesday, August 18.

All were found to have the correct licence and insurance documents and also received a clean bill of health in vehicle safety checks by an inspector from the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA).

This is the first time in recent years that a spot check exercise on black cabs and private hire cars in Reading has produced an "all clear" result.

Clare Bradley, Reading Environmental Health Manager, said: "We are never complacent about anything that affects the safety and welfare of passengers in hackney carriages and private hire cars in Reading. But this is a very encouraging result and a great tribute to the Council’s enforcement team and our partners in Thames Valley Police and VOSA, who work hard to keep standards high. It is also a credit to the drivers whose vehicles were stopped that nothing was found to be amiss."

Reading Borough Council

Reading, Berkshire ~ Garages
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Reading Thames Valley Police is appealing for witnesses to a Reading robbery at a Tilehurst pub.

The incident happened at the Prince of Wales, in School Road, Reading in the early hours of Monday (23/8).

The landlord, a 48-year-old man, was in the bar area at around 12.20am, when he heard a noise in the kitchen area.

As he went to investigate two men grabbed him and threatened him with a knife.

They demanded that he open the safe. When he refused he was stabbed in the leg and suffered a slash injury on his head.

The men made off with the contents of a till, believed to be around £400.

Det Con Jim Howden, from Reading CID, said: “This is clearly a very nasty and traumatic incident. The landlord has a deep wound on his left thigh and is clearly shaken by what happened.

“I would like to speak to anyone who has any information about the incident or who lives in the area and knows who the offenders might be.”

One of the men is white, in his late teens to early 20s and 5ft4ins. He was wearing a three-holed black balaclava, a black long-sleeved jacket, black trousers and gloves. He had a local accent and the landlord believes he also has curly, mousey hair after the balaclava came off during the incident.

The other man is white, in his late teens to early 20s, 5ft6ins, and was also wearing a balaclava and dark clothing.

Anyone with any information should contact Reading CID via 0845 8 505 505.

Alternatively, if you do not want to speak to police or leave your name, please contact the Crimestoppers chairy on 0800 555 111.

Thames Valley Police ~ Reading

A Reading shopkeeper has been prosecuted for the second time in two years following a series of food hygiene offences.

Mr Dinkar Patel – owner of ‘Jay Convenience Stores, 29 Whitley Wood Lane, Reading – pleaded guilty at Reading Magistrates Court on Wednesday August 18 to four offences. He was fined £100 per offence and Reading Borough Council was awarded costs of £922.

Investigations into the Reading Whitley Wood Lane shop initially began in October 2008 following a complaint from a member of the public. Environmental Health officers visited and found a thick build up of dirt, debris and cobwebs under shelves and in the shop storeroom. There was also no running hot water and no management system for controlling food safety in place at the shop.

Despite repeated visits by Reading Environmental Health Officers, standards at the shop did not improve. The Council therefore chose to prosecute and four Food Hygiene Improvement Notices were served.

Reading Magistrates last week fined Mr Patel £100 for each of the following offences: failure to have a food safety management system; failure to ensure food handlers were trained; failure to provide hot running water and materials for hygienic drying; failure to ensure that the premises were maintained clean and in good repair and condition.

It is the second time Mr. Patel has been prosecuted by Reading Borough Council. In 2009 he was fined £500 and Magistrates awarded £1,873.89 in costs in connection with four similar food hygiene offences at his other store, DJ One Stop, 74 Briants Ave, Caversham.

Reading Borough Council

An open day is being held on Saturday 4 September 2010 between 10.00am and 4.00pm, at Thames Valley Police Training Centre in Sulhamstead near Reading.

The Reading open day aims to help promote greater understanding of the work of the various departments and specialist roles within the Force.

The public will have the opportunity to look around the Force Museum, which is packed with the history of Thames Valley Police, and get the chance to meet some of the officers from the Force’s specialist departments.

Admission is £2.50 per adult and under 16s go free. No dogs, except guide dogs, are allowed on site. Parking at the Reading site is limited and will be available on a first-come-first-served basis. Disabled access is available.

Officers will be on hand to give a personal insight into their role and work; the majority of which the public might not be aware of because it goes on behind-the-scenes.

One of the main attractions of the Reading day is the police helicopter which will be manned by the Chiltern Air Support Unit. The Roads Policing department will be present with various vehicles, while the mounted and dog sections will also be in attendance. Displays will take place throughout the day.

Crime reduction literature will be available, as well as information about joining Thames Valley Police either as a police officer, police community support officer (PCSO), special constable or volunteer.

Thames Valley Police ~ Reading

A Reading summer sporting event for children and young people with disabilities or additional needs will take place at AcademySport Leisure Centre on Wednesday, September 1st.

The Reading Council’s Culture and Sport Development Team has organised a summer celebration to mark the end of five weeks of dance, theatre and sport taster sessions.

Reading Children and young people of all ages and abilities have been participating in summer workshops, including dancing, photography, media, cycling, museum trips and archery. Some participants have gained a nationally recognised sports coaching award.

The summer celebration event will combine all of the activities and give youngsters the chance to participate in activities they might not have had the chance to do over the summer.

There will also be a display of photographs and work taken by the Reading groups who attended the photography workshops. AcademySport’s new sensory room will also be available and is free for youngsters to use.

Tom Stanway, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Culture and Sport, said: "Reading Borough Council is determined that we offer a range of activities to cover all residents. The council needs to show that it is serving all the people of Reading and not just specific groups, but at the same time we should be encouraging the different groups to act together, to help each other and to generally increase participation in our sport and art facilities. This initiative is one of those ways we as a council are demonstrating our commitment to the creation of a more harmonious and happy society.”

The summer sessions were organised by the Reading Council in partnership with Reading CTC, Playrangers, Nacro and the Family Resource Centre.

The Aiming High Summer Celebration event is taking place from 10am to 3pm. Families and siblings are more than welcome to go along.

Call Jennifer Cottrell, the Council’s culture and sport disability officer on (0118) 937 4051 if you would like more details.

Reading Borough Council

Thames Valley Police’s drugs team has swooped on two more addresses in Reading.

As part of Reading Operation Falcon, which tackles drugs and drug-related crime across Thames Valley, the team executed a warrant under the Misuse of Drugs Act at an address in Hartland Road on Friday (20/8).

Terry Stoute, aged 30, from Hartland Road, Reading was arrested and subsequently charged with possessing Class B drugs. He has been released on bail to appear at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Friday (27/8). Ashley Holder, aged 21, from Northumberland Avenue, Reading, was also arrested at the address and has been charged with possessing Class B drugs. He has been released on bail to appear at Reading Magistrates Court on 31 August.

The Reading Operation Falcon team carried out another warrant on Friday under the Misuse of Drugs Act at an address in Granville Road. A quantity of cash and Class B drugs was seized.

Grant Mills, aged 25, from Granville Road, has been charged with possessing cannabis and has been released on bail to attend Reading Magistrates’ Court on August 27. A 26-year-old woman was also arrested and released on bail to return to Loddon Valley police station on 30 September.

Falcon relies heavily on information that is received from the public. Anyone with information about Reading people involved in the supply of drugs should contact the Operation Falcon team via 0845 8 505 505.

Alternatively, if you do not want to speak to police or leave your name, please contact the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.

Thames Valley Police ~ Reading

People are being invited to explore Reading and learn more about the town’s culture and history, as part of Heritage Open Day events.

Reading Heritage Open Days 2010, take place from September 9th-12th.

Every year, the Reading Council co-ordinates a programme for Heritage Open Days, working in partnership with English Heritage, to allow people access to architecturally and historically important buildings that are not normally open to the public.

There is also a varied supporting programme of walks and other activities that focus on Reading’s local heritage and culture.

This year, the Council has organised for some exciting new additions to add to the programme, as well as a new look guide, which categorises the events and activities into areas: town centre, north, south, east and west Reading.

Highlights taking place in the Reading town, include a guided tours around Forbury Gardens and Abbey Ruins, an Industrial Heritage Film Show, Live Drama at Reading Central Library, a Waterways Walk led by Reading Civic Society knitting workshop at Jacksons and a Who Do You Think You Are? session at Reading Central Library.

To the north of Reading, a Living Memories Reminiscence Morning will be hosted by U3A (University of the Third Age) at New Directions North Reading Centre in Caversham whilst Joan Dils, President of the History of Reading Society, will lead a Caversham in History Guided Walk,

There’s a Reading Green Park wind turbine discovery day in the south of the town and a chance to learn all about the history of St Giles Church.

Get a behind the scenes tour of the Museum of English Rural Life in Redlands Road and a peak into the history of Royal Berkshire Hospital at the Royal Berkshire Medical Museum.

And at Berkshire Record Office go Inside the Vaults and find out all about Berkshire’s fascinating history.

Tom Stanway, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Culture and Sport, said: "The Heritage Open Days are a great way to find about all the hidden gems in Reading. Whether is to tour the Abbey ruins and find out about its past or to find out about how we can generate power for the future, I know that we have something to cater for everyone. By offering more each year we are able to show what a vibrant, exciting and historic town we live in. I hope everyone who goes and finds out about the hidden aspects of each building, will have the pride in the town that we live in increased.”

For further information, call Jo Keen, during office hours, on 0118 937 2373.

Reading Borough Council