Bishops Castle and Rural West Mercia Police Police Local Neighbourhood

Stuart joined West Mercia Police in January 2000 and is the Local Police Officer for the Bishops Castle and Rural area. He has always worked in the Shropshire area including many years being based in South Shropshire as a response officer.

I joined West Mercia Police in 2007. I initially spent six years covering the Ludlow beat before moving to the vast and beautiful rural patch of Bishops Castle in 2013. Prior to joining West Mercia Police I attended Portsmouth University where I studied Criminology and Criminal Justice in which I have an HND.

I have a great fondness of South Shropshire; I have a desire to help give the protection that our rural communities deserve and be part of a team that keeps South Shropshire a safe place to live, work and visit.

Calvin joined West Mercia Police in 2018 and is based at Bishops Castle Police Station. Calvin is very approachable and if you see him out and about feel free to say hello and raise any concerns.  

Speeding issue identified in Worthen/Brockton, Marton, Chirbury, Clun, Lydbury North & Clunton.

September 2018 - Local officers have conducted speed enforcement in Clun, Clunton and Clungunford over the summer. Issues in Clun where the 30mph signs were covered in foliage. Local councillor made aware so that remedial action can be taken.

October 2018 - Local officers will continue to conduct speed calming and enforcement over the coming months where possible.  With the increase in the hours of darkness, speed monitoring is more difficult at this time of year.

November 2018 - Officers conducting traffic and speed monitoring patrols have seized two cars that were being driven without insurance this month.  Patrol activity to keep our roads safer will continue to be conducted.

December 2018 - There has been recent contact with Shropshire Highways through our traffic management officer over improvements to road markings in Clunton.

January 2019 - Officers from the Safer Neighbourhood Team have been in liaison with response Officers who patrol the area, bringing to their attention any areas where speeding has been raised as a concern.

February 2019 - In addition to highlighting areas where speed is a concern to local residents, Safer Neighbourhood Team Officers have been conducting high visibility patrols throughout the area.

March 2019 - Local officers have been conducting speed enforcement in Lydbury North and Clunton, utilising the speed reader which displays drivers speed for them to see.

April 2019 - Recent liaison with Shropshire Council over more signage for the A490 to warn of the hidden dips and vehicles emerging.

The area is experiencing a number of acquisitive rural crimes, these are mainly burglaries and thefts from rural outbuildings or theft of tools from work vans. 

 Articles are being placed in to local newspapers and social media regarding crime prevention.

Suspicious vehicles reported will be subject to intel checks and if suitable will be placed over social media  

Patrols will still continue throughout the winter months into spring around the current priority areas. 

**Update 13/02/18** Theft from works vans have stopped over December 2017 and January 2018. There was a spike in heating fuel thefts in the Clun and Bucknell areas during December. Local criminal gang targeted by local officers and Dyfed Powys Officers in order to disrupt.

**Update 21/04/18**  There has recently been a one off night of theft from van offences on the evening of 11^th April. During March and April there has been a spike in theft of motor vehicles and trailers in South Shropshire. Stock or box trailers have been the main type of trailers targeted. The vehicles targeted have been old 4x4's such as Land Rover's and Ford Rangers.

**Update 16/05/18** During March and April there was a spike in theft of motor vehicles and trailers in South Shropshire. Stock or box trailers have been the main type of trailers targeted. The vehicles targeted have been old 4x4's such as Land Rover's and Ford Rangers. On 8^th May two males from the West Mids were involved in a police pursuit following them stealing a trailer from a business on the outskirts of Craven Arms. The pursuit came to an end in Bridgnorth and the males arrested. The males were using an old Land Rover Freelander which had been seen involved in previous offences in the area and over the border in Wales.

**Update 4/6/18** There has been a spike in overnight burglary offences at businesses premises during the last 2 weeks in the Clun and Bishops Castle area, this includes 2 pubs and a vets. Increased overnight patrols by SNT and Ludlow Patrol officers in the area.

**Update 8/7/18** There has been a spike in burglaries in the Lydham area over the last month whereby outbuildings are being broken into and gardening power tools targetted. Potential suspect identified and enquiries ongoing.

**Update 15/08/18** We had an attempted daytime burglary in Bucknell on 11^th August, offenders have approached end of terrace property and attempted to gain entry via a secluded ground level window where the window was broken and latch moved. Thankfully no entry was gained. We advise locals to be vigilant of any suspicious person around the area. Hopefully this is a one off for the area.

There was a theft of a Ford Ranger from a farm near Chirbury in the early hours of 10^th August, thankfully this was found dumped by offenders some 10 miles away (possibly due to the poor mechanical state of the vehicle). These type of vehicles will continue to be a target by criminals as the engines on certain models are sort after.

A local offender to the Bishops Castle area has been charged with 4 theft offences and also bailed for a burglary offence is in court on the 21^st August.

**Update 1/09/18** Between 26th and 28th August there has been a number of theft from vans reported around the Bishops Castle Policing area and over the border on Dyfed Powys Police. Minimal damage caused by offenders as they take advantage of the poor locks fitted to the Ford Transits. A silver Vauxhall Insignia using false plates is believed to be the suspect vehicle involved.

**Update 3/10/18** There have been a series of overnight  burglaries in the Chirbury, Worthen and Hope area over the last 2 weeks. There is a suspect vehicle linked to the Chirbury offences that comes back to the West Mids. Enquiries ongoing.

**Update 13/10/18** A local offender to the Bishops Castle area has been charged with 4 theft offences and breach of a suspended sentence, he was sentenced to 7 months imprisonment on the 3^rd October.

The last month has seen a spike in outbuilding burglaries and thefts from gardens , all occurring overnight. This has predominantly been in the north of the Bishops Castle patch around Chirbury, Worthen and Hope. These offences often occur with offences either over the border on Dyfed Powys Police or further north on the Shrewsbury Rural patch.

Enquiries are ongoing to trace and arrest the driver / owner of a suspect vehicle who's occupants were caught attempting to break into a van in Chirbury on the same night of another theft and burglary in the village. The van is registered to the West Midlands. Unknown if it has been the same offender solely targeting the area at this time.

**Update 08/11/18** There has been an increase in daytime burglary offences where gardening power tools have been targetted. Suspect vehicle from one of the burglaries is a red Isuzu VRM L383CCP, driven by a male with a female passenger.

**Update 4/12/18** Recent series of overnight burglaries. Batteries and scrap metal being the main target. Dyfed Powys Police have shared information of a suspect involved in battery thefts along our border, made aware of the suspects vehicle should it be seen or trigger ANPR coming onto our area.

**Update 16/12/18** Bishops Castle officers took part in Operation Farmwatch with other colleagues from South Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Road Policing. The night time operation took place on the 11th, 12th and 13th December and targeting persons involved in rural crime. Officers concentrated around the main routes used by criminals coming over from the West Mids onto the South Shropshire area. 394 vehicles were stopped, there were 8 arrests and 6 vehicles seized. The aim of the operation was to prevent criminals operating in the more rural areas of the Force and followed on the success of a similar operation conducted in late November 2018. Further operations of this type are already being planned.

**Update 16/01/19** From November and the run up to Christmas there was a rise in rural thefts and burglaries. However since Christmas there have been no reports. A local offender from the Hope area is currently remanded and awaiting court a hearing for theft and burglary offences.

**Update 21/02/19** After a quiet period over the last month there has been a recent spike in thefts including a Land Rover Defender, Ifor Williams trailer and metal in the area around Bishops Castle. No burglaries reported over the last month.

**Update 12/03/19** Recent spate of daytime thefts from outbuilding and gardens. Suspect vehicle involved in these stopped on Dyfed Powys Police on 5/3/19 and occupants arrested, suspected stolen goods from our area located in the vehicle.

**Update 15/04/19** There has been a decline in reports of burglaries and thefts over the last month. However there has been a report of a dwelling burglary in Bishops Castle where vehicle keys were taken from within an insecure property and used to steal the vehicle, a white Vauxhall Corsa van index YA14BRF

**Update 26/05/19** There has been a recent spike in burglaries and thefts over the last month. The majority have been within Bishops Castle itself and occurring overnight/ in the early hours. The offenders have a MO whereby they commit one or two burglaries / thefts in the town and steal a vehicle. Two of the vehicles most recently taken from the town have hit ANPR in the early hours going towards the West Mids. On 21st May a male was arrested following a theft of vehicle on the Craven Arms section, male potentially linked into the local thefts around Bishops Castle.