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Slough Borough Council will be taking enforcement action against shops and businesses who persistently cause obstructions on the borough’s pavements.

In some areas of Slough, shop keepers and other businesses use the pavement as an area to advertise their services or store goods for sale.

On busy pavements this can lead to considerable problems for wheelchair users, pedestrians with poor eyesight and parents with pushchairs.

A new pavement obstruction enforcement policy was agreed by cabinet commissioners this week, which will mean that if businesses persistently refuse to remove items from the pavement when asked to do so by the council, the council can apply to a magistrate for permission to remove the offending items and claim costs.

The council will be specifically targeting the High Street and other key shopping areas in the town.

Denise Alder, director of the green and built environment, said: “It is important that the council ensures pavements are maintained in a safe condition.

“Some businesses and shop keepers make it very difficult for pedestrians to navigate their way around some of their wares on the street, which in turn causes problems for some of our more vulnerable residents.

“This new policy means that we can take action against the borough’s persistent offenders, and make our pavements safe and free from clutter.”

Cllr Dexter Smith, commissioner for planning, said: “Pavements are an essential part of our transport network, and are used more by vulnerable people who don’t have their own form of transport.

“This policy is welcome and ensures that our pavements will be clear, allowing people to move around unhindered.”

Slough Borough Council

Slough Borough Council’s communications and marketing team have scooped two gold awards at this year’s Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ (CIPR) PRide Awards.

The Slough council’s newspaper for residents, The Citizen, and website, both achieved the top gongs in the categories, best magazine or newspaper and best website, in the Thames and Chiltern region, beating off many other entries.

Slough council was not only up against other local authorities in the Thames and Chilterns region, but also private sector companies and PR agencies, who often work with much larger budgets for communications and marketing.

The team received the awards at a gala dinner at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Marlow last Friday (23rd November).

Trevor Lambert, head of communications and marketing at Slough Borough Council, said: “I am delighted that we’ve received the top award in two categories.

“The council is committed to providing excellent communications to its residents, so they feel informed about the services the council provides and can have a say on issues that affect them.

“The Citizen has been recently revamped in response to comments from residents and we’ve also made it available as a podcast. It’s fantastic to have our hard work recognised by CIPR.

“The website was re-launched in 2005, with the aim of becoming more accessible and user friendly for residents. Since then, we have been at the very top of the list in terms of accessibility, and improvements continue to be made to make sure residents have council information at their finger tips whenever they need it.”

Cllr Dexter Smith, commissioner responsible for communications, said: “I am so pleased we have won these two awards – well done to the team.

“The communications team plays an important role in making sure our residents, staff and local businesses feel well informed about what’s going on in the council. This is vital in ensuring that residents know where to come if they need to access services.

“The council was up against, not only other local authorities and public sector organisations for this award, but also private sector in-house teams and PR agencies. These accolades are well deserved.”

Slough Borough Council

A little thought, a little planning and a lot of care and attention is the message from Slough Borough Council’s community safety team and Thames Valley Police about keeping safe this Christmas.

It’s the time of year when many people are rushing around getting ready for Christmas and buying lots of wonderful things for the family, but you can bet that the criminals are also looking forward to what you have over the festive season.

So the Slough community safety team have devised a few rules which should help you enjoy the holiday even more.

* When out shopping, never leave shopping bags unattended, either in the boot or on the back seat of your car.
* Keep valuables safe – never leave a handbag on the back of a trolley or pushchair.
* Valuables are best carried in a zipped inside pocket.
* When at home, lock up whenever you go out, even for a few minutes. It doesn’t take long for criminals to break into your home and steal.
* Never display gifts where they can be seen from the outside, for example, underneath your Christmas tree near a window.
* Use your alarm if you have one. Leave a light on to make it look as if someone’s home.
* When out and about, arrange transport home before you leave for a night out.
* Never leave purses or bags unattended or carry a wallet in your back pocket.

Nora Smith, Slough community safety projects officer for Slough Borough Council, said: “This time of year can be a lot of fun for many people, but it only takes a second for that to be dashed by criminals just waiting for someone to be distracted for the festive season to be ruined.

“If people follow these simple rules, everything should be okay. Don’t let criminals spoil your Christmas.”

Commissioner for Slough public protection, Cllr John Edwards, added: "It is so important that residents are aware of what they are doing in the rush up to Christmas. Criminals are always on the lookout for an easy mark and Christmas provides them with many opportunities, so please be careful.

Prevention of crime is a priority for the Council and the Police, and we want to make sure that everyone has a safe and happy Christmas."

For more information, please look on the External link iconThames Valley Police (opens a new window) website for tips on home security and marking and registering your property.

Slough Borough Council

Four men and two women from Slough were last week found guilty of conspiring to supply class A drugs following a seven week trial at Reading Crown Court.

Iftab Hussain, aged 23, of Beechwwod Road, Slough Nadeem Moghul, 37, of Court Crescent, Slough Sabrina Chin, 29, Afrah Khalaf, 40, and 30-year-old Suzanne Pullin, all of Wexham Road, were found guilty on Thursday (22/11) of conspiring to supply heroin and crack.

Graeme Kidby, 29, also of Wexham Road, was found guilty of supplying heroin.

A seventh person, 23-year-old Shakeb Imran, was found not guilty.

All seven, together with 33-year-old Calvin Richardson of Sycamore, Surrey, who pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to conspiracy charges, were targets of Operation Cussed - a major investigation by Operation Falcon officers into a conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin.

The investigation spanned several months and uncovered an organised enterprise responsible for a substantial proportion of the Class A drug supply in the Slough area.

All seven convicted defendants will be sentenced at Reading Crown Court on Friday 21 December.

Thames Valley Police ~ Slough

Slough Borough Council would like to announce the appointment of a new director for education and children’s services.

Clair Pyper will be taking over the role in March 2008 from Essex County Council as deputy director in the schools, children and families directorate.

Clair has a very extensive history of working with children and in education. Her first job in 1976 was as a trainee social worker at Norfolk County Council and her roles have continued to grow since then, covering a broad range of children’s services including social work, early years and childcare, and special educational needs.

Originally from Ipswich, Clair said of her new role: “I am really excited about the prospect of working for Slough Borough Council.

“There will be challenges along the way, as there always is in a new job, but I will relish them all.

“It is important to me to make the best of our services for the residents and I will continue to carry on the great work the council has already provided.”

Commissioner for education, Cllr David Munkley, added: “Congratulations are in order for Clair and we are extremely happy for her to have chosen Slough.

“I’m sure she will be a great asset to the council and residents alike and I wish her all the best in her new role.”

Slough Borough Council

The public have had their say on the future of the Slough Town Hall.

During a four week consultation, Slough council received more than 500 responses from residents, businesses and council staff with views on where a new Town Hall should be located, and whether the core of the old Town Hall building should stay.

The majority of people voted for a new town centre based Town Hall (57 per cent) and nearly half of respondents (47 per cent) said that the Town Hall core should be kept.

The results from the Slough consultation will be going to Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 22nd November and Cabinet on 26th November for councillors to debate the findings, and agree a way forward.

Cllr Geoff Howard, commissioner for Slough resources, said: “The cabinet are pleased with the response to this consultation. It is clear that most residents have a preference for a new Town Hall to be located in the town centre. However, there was a clear divide on whether the Town Hall core should be retained.

“Before we make any decisions on what approach to take, the cabinet will need further financial information on what impact retaining the core of the Town Hall would have on the overall value of the site.”

“This is currently being looked into by officers.”

Slough Borough Council

Slough Borough Council’s trading standard’s team is warning residents about a charity scam operating in the borough and is urging people to read leaflets which drop through their doors very carefully.

Leaflets posing as legitimate charities are being distributed across Slough asking people to give unwanted clothing, DVD’s, CD’s and perfumes though they are not a charity and sell the items on for profit.

Although some appear to indicate that they are registered charities, most are not even registered with the Charity Commission.

One of the company’s causing concerns is Ambertop Ltd. This company was actually dissolved according to Company’s House records and are not registered as a charity.

Keith Eaglestone, head of Slough trading standards, said: “We have already received complaints about this company as complainants feel they imply they are collecting for charitable purposes when this is not the case.

“We do not want local people being mislead into giving away their goods to this type of company when there are plenty of genuine charities who would be willing to take them.”

He added: “Residents should read any leaflets of this sort very carefully and if they have any doubts about a company being a bona fide charity should contact the Charity Commission.”

Commissioner for Slough public protection, Cllr John Edwards said: “People should be aware who they are giving to and I urge people to check the motives behind leaflets which do not allow them to check on legitimacy.

“The body representing charity shops have estimated that the potential value of donated clothing and other items ‘lost’ to legitimate charities as a result of these types of firm activities amounts to at least £1m a year.

“If you cannot contact a company making collections, I would advise people not to use them and to go to the many charity shops in Slough instead.”

Slough Borough Council

Slough Borough Council would like to hear from young people in the borough to help them raise awareness of the dangers of drink/drug driving and to put their thoughts on the matter in a special Christmas jingle for the radio.

The Slough council’s Drugs and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT), in partnership with Crimestoppers, have organised a competition, open to everyone under 19 years old, and the winner will have their jingle played on Time FM.

They will get the full star treatment by having their song played on the radio station for the whole of December, as well as being interviewed by local media.

Any type of music can be entered, everything from traditional jingles to hip hop beats, as long as it focuses on the dangers of drug taking or drinking while driving.

James Priestman, head of drugs and community safety for Slough Borough Council, said: “This is an excellent opportunity for young people in the town to express themselves and show off their musical flair.

“Young people have so much creative energy so I hope they get involved. You never know, for the winner this could be the road to music stardom.”

Cllr Sean Wright, Slough commissioner for young people’s services, said: “Our young people have a lot of ability so I think this is a great chance for them to show what they can do and help to educate the community as well.

“It is important that everyone, and not just our younger residents, realise the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.”

The competition closes on December 7 and all entries can either be sent as a CD into the DAAT team at the Town Hall, Bath Road, Slough, SL1 3UQ or tracks can be downloaded from the Crimestoppers website.

For more information, please contact the DAAT team on 01753 875556.

Slough Borough Council

It’s still not too late to get your views about recycling to Slough Borough Council after it launched plans to improve domestic waste and recycling collections at the end of September.

The closing date is December 1st and, although Slough council has received hundreds of answered questionnaires already, it wants to hear from everyone in the borough.

In May 2007, the government announced that all local authorities must recycle 40 per cent of their waste by 2010. The current black box scheme has helped to increase Slough’s household recycling to 22 per cent, but staying with this existing system will not improve recycling rates any further. It also doesn’t allow for the recycling of plastic bottles.

Slough council’s cabinet have made a commitment to residents that they will not look at options which include alternative weekly collections of residual waste (i.e waste that needs to go to landfill), and that this will continue to be collected weekly.

Residents will be asked to consider:

* How important the kerbside collection of plastic bottles is
* Whether they would prefer for a wheelie bin for recycled materials (including plastic bottles) and for this to be collected every fortnight
* Whether they have room at their home for an extra wheelie bin for recycling
* Whether they would be prepared to separate additional materials for recycling in the future (for example, food waste and textiles)

To have your say, call 01753 875255 for a hard copy to be returned by freepost to the council.

The council’s cleaner, safer, greener team will also be out and about in the town to talk to residents about the future recycling options.

Cllr John Edwards, commissioner for Slough public protection, said: “The environment is a priority for the council and one of the things residents are always telling me is that they are keen to recycle more waste.

“We have been very pleased with the amount of people who have taken up recycling since the introduction of the black box recycling scheme, and have seen increases in recycling rates year on year.

“Recycling is a vital part of the effort to conserve energy and resources and fight climate change, and we need to improve our recycling scheme to help with this. We also need to target those residents who, for whatever reasons, don’t recycle, and encourage them to start doing so.

“The cleaner, safer, greener campaign is helping to educate residents about the benefits of recycling and being greener to help the environment, and we have recently had a team out and about visiting residents and explaining how to recycle waste properly.”

Nigel Dicker, head of Slough environmental services, said: “This consultation will be about finding out about what residents would prefer see in their recycling collections in the future.

“The aim is to make recycling as easy and hassle free as possible, so we can improve on our recycling targets, so it is vital that residents come back to us with their views.”

Slough Borough Council

It’s Slough panto season again and the West Wing is launching a Magic Genie colouring competition to celebrate its spectacular production of Aladdin.

As part of this, Children under 12 are being asked to enter a special competition to create their own picture of a genie lamp. The winner will win a VIP family ticket, for two adults and two children to the pantomime, including backstage passes to meet the cast.

The best 30 Slough entries will be displayed in the West Wing’s art gallery, along with the winning entry.

You can paint, draw, make a collage, use a computer, or have fun with glitter and glue to create your ultimate Aladdin lamp.

Ranjit Atwal, West Wing’s audience development officer, said: “The pantomime is set to be one of our best and I think this competition will help get everyone into the Christmas spirit.

“I am looking forward to seeing what pictures our town’s younger residents send in. I wish everyone the best of luck.”

Cllr Julia Long, commissioner for Slough leisure, cultural and community services, said: “This year’s pantomime is set to be a spectacular event and I think the competition is a great idea.

“This is Slough’s first professional pantomime for a number of years and we are in for a real treat with this performance.”

To enter the competition, pick up a special ‘Genie Lamp’ form from the West Wing or email westwing@slough.gov.uk. Entries should be posted to the West Wing Arts Centre, Stoke Road, SL2 5AY. The competition closes on Thursday 29th November.

Aladdin is on at the Slough West Wing from Friday 7th December to Wednesday 2nd January 2008. Tickets are priced £9 adult, £7 child / senior citizen and £28 for a family pass. To book tickets contact the Box Office on 01753 823710 or buy them in person at the art centre between 12pm and 5pm Monday to Friday.

Slough Borough Council

Slough Borough Council will be carrying out road works to Slough High Street from this week, for the Art at the Centre street enhancement scheme.

These works will be carried out by Enterprise PLC working in partnership with Slough Borough Council, and will commence on 12th November 2007 working from Windsor Road towards Church Street.

The Slough construction work will be done in small areas allowing vehicles and pedestrians to continue with some disruption to their normal daily activities.

However, due to health and safety requirements, there will be times when access to the High Street from Windsor Road will be closed to vehicles, in order to complete road surfacing.

This will include the suspension of the disabled parking, bus stop, taxi and loading bays. Alternative disabled parking is available in Buckingham Gardens and Herschel Street multi storey car parks.

When construction work is required across any access driveway or shop entrance, the contractor will inform the occupier before any work commences and agree a convenient time to do this work.

Roger Kirkham, Art at the Slough Centre project manager, said: “While every effort will be made to keep disruption to a minimum, we appeal to all pedestrians and road users to exercise caution until all the work has been completed. “

Cllr Dexter Smith, commissioner for Slough planning and transport, said: “We do apologise for any inconvenience caused while these works are carried out, however, it is necessary for us to achieve our fantastic state-of-the-art High Street, that everyone can be proud of.”

If residents or businesses require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact Kevin Lee on 07775 934 861 or the project manager, Roger Kirkham on 01753 875840.

Slough Borough Council

Are you a Slough carer, friend or relative of someone who is elderly or vulnerable? If so, Telecare may be able to give you the piece of mind you need for your loved ones.

Using new technology, Slough Telecare can help people maintain their independence and remain in their own homes by using wireless sensors to send a message to Careline in the event of an emergency.

This is achieved through a combination of a 24 hour telephone link to Careline and the state-of-the-art technology of telecare.

Its friendly, highly skilled staff offers an instant response to a call and will stay on the line until help arrives. Last year, staff responded to more than 700 emergency calls.

It is quick and easy to install and uses the latest technology so there are no unsightly wires.

Commissioner for Slough social care and social and economic inclusion, Cllr Derek Cryer, said: “Telecare is a wonderful way in which the elderly or vulnerable can lead their lives in their own homes.

“It’s a fantastic service and many users rely heavily on it to give them peace of mind.”

Kate Saunders, assertiveness technology development officer for Slough Borough Council, added: “Telecare includes practical support, such as automatically switching on lights if someone gets out of bed at night or a reminder to take medication that makes living at home easier.

“Telecare is about giving people the peace of mind to live in their own home for as long as possible knowing that help is at hand.”

If you would like a free home demonstration or further information about Careline and Telecare, then please phone Careline on 01753 535622.

Slough Borough Council

Young Slough library fans will be celebrating on Saturday 17th November after they completed a number of fun activities during ‘Family Learner’s Week’ in October.

More than 20 Slough children, between the ages of eight and 12, took part and they will receive certificates for competing in a number of discovery themed challenges.

Over the two days, in October, adults and children got the chance to join in a discovery trail around the library, uncovering new authors and exciting facts. They also had to compare old and new pictures of Slough to see what has changed over the years.

Gaynor Baveystock, inclusion and learning librarian for Slough library, said: “I am really proud of all the families who took part in the activities, everyone got stuck in and had a lot of fun.

“For many of the children it was their first time in a library and I think the event showed them that libraries can be a place for fun as well as learning.”

Cllr Julia Long, commissioner for Slough leisure, cultural and community services, said; “Libraries are for the whole community and events like this are a good way of getting children involved.

“I am pleased so many children took part and I’m sure that they learnt a lot. You never know, even their parents might have discovered something new.”

The certificates will be awarded in the junior library, ground floor Slough library at 11am.

For more information on future library events, contact Gaynor Baveystock on 01753 875513.

Slough Borough Council

Slough Police are asking for the public’s help in catching thieves who stole a keyboard from a church in Langley.

At about 10am on Saturday 10 November, two men entered the Holy Family Church, Trelawney Avenue, through a side door. Once inside, they stole a Yamaha keyboard from the main hall. One of the men was later seen carrying it under his arm.

The church choir was unable to perform hymns during the Sunday service.

Both men are white, aged between 18 and 30, and slim. One of the men is 5ft 8ins and was wearing a grey hooded top with a coloured pattern on the front. The other man is 5ft 11ins and was wearing a black hooded top.

Anyone with any information about this incident is urged to contact Slough PC Terangeet Purewal via the Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505 505. If you don’t want to speak to police or leave your name, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Thames Valley Police ~ Slough

Slough Borough Council’s annual Big Green Day Out has won a silver Green Apple Award for environmental best practice.

The award was presented to the council last week at the Houses of Parliament, by Professor David Bellamy.

Big Green Day Out is held every summer in the Slough Town Square and aims to raise awareness of environmental issues, nationally and locally. There are lots of fun activities for residents to get involved in as well as a range of stands for people to pick up information on how they can do ‘their bit’.

The national Green Apple Awards are organised by The Green Organisation, which is an independent environmental group dedicated to promoting positive efforts that organisations make in helping the environment.

They even planted a tree for every organisation who attended the Green Apple Awards, to offset the amount of carbon they used in getting there.

Nigel Dicker, head of Slough environmental services, said: “We are delighted we have won this award.

“Big Green Day Out is an event which has grown in popularity since it started in 2004, and now we have a range of organisations and charities who come along every year to promote environmental issues to the people of Slough.”

Cllr John Edwards, commissioner for Slough public protection, said: “Big Green Day Out began in 2004 as a small event held in a conference centre in Slough.

“Three years on it is now a major town centre annual fixture involving more than 30 different organisations from the council to charities, interest groups and businesses large and small.

“The event has been designed to be fun and interesting for residents of all ages, and is the first and only environment-focused event in the area.

“As a result awareness of environmental issues among Slough residents is very high. I am really pleased our hard work has been recognised.”

Slough Borough Council

Slough residents have helped save 1,000 tonnes of carbon emissions in just 17 weeks after taking part in the Slough Energycare home insulation scheme launched in July.

Help keep your energy bills down and save the planetThe scheme, which is a partnership between Slough Borough Council, Energy Services and the Mark Insulation Group, offers discounted cavity wall and loft insulation to residents and is open to all private households.

Since Energycare started, 795 Slough households have signed up to the scheme and have helped save the equivalent of six jumbo Boeing 747’s or 143 adult elephants in carbon emissions.

So far, 677 cavity wall insulations and 505 loft insulation have been carried out, saving approximately one tonne of carbon for each loft and three-quarters of a tonne for each cavity.

That’s nearly half-a-million pounds worth of work which the customers have paid half, resulting in residents investing a quarter-of-a-million pounds improving their homes and the environment.

Energy services have a team of home assessors based in Slough, offering private householders a free survey and quotation with no obligation.

Linzi Bagshaw, energy conservation officer for Slough Borough Council, said of the scheme: “What a fantastic result in only four months. Well done to everyone who has signed up.

“The council is committed to reaching and, if possible, exceeding the government’s target of reducing carbon emissions.

“Our door-to-door approach to residents has made a real difference in promoting the benefits of insulating homes.”

The council has given funds to help promote Energycare by Defra and is running a series of community road shows to spread the word.

Commissioner for Slough public protection, Cllr John Edwards, added: "All the research shows that climate change now poses a huge threat and is a major area of concern to the public.

"People want to do their bit to help, but don't always know what they can do to make a difference.

"Nearly 800 householders have insulated their homes through Slough's Energycare scheme, and they are leading the way in taking concrete action that can really help in reducing carbon emissions.

"As well as showing their concern for the environment, they have added to the value of their homes and saved money on fuel bills, so by every measure it's a smart move to take."

The first roadshow is in Chalvey on November 22 at Thames Valley Community Centre from 10am to 4pm, followed by Langley on the 13th December, with Wexham and Manor Park early next year.

In each case, there will be a community association and charity fairs in the morning with information about local organisations, the services that they offer and how to get involved.

This will be followed by lunch and entertainment and free prize draws with a chance to register for a free home survey.

Slough Borough Council

Officers from the Roads Policing department based in Taplow worked with partner organisations to carry out a multi-agency taxi check in Slough last week.

The Slough operation was the latest in a series of safety and legislation checks conducted on hackney carriages and private hire vehicles. It was conducted by Roads Policing in partnership with licensing officers from Slough Borough Council, the Vehicle and Operators Services Agency (VOSA) and the Immigration Service.

Slough Sgt Grant Thomas of Taplow Roads Policing said: “During a four hour period on Friday 9 November, 33 vehicles were subject to mechanical investigation and the drivers were subject to documentation checks. We found four vehicles with mechanical defects and one driver in breach of immigration conditions.

“The relatively low number of defects confirmed that most vehicles were correctly maintained and operated.

“We will be carrying out further taxi checks across Berkshire East between now and Christmas, as more people use this form of transport during the festive season. These checks will ensure that the public receive the safe and reliable taxi service they deserve and expect.”

Thames Valley Police ~ Slough

Slough Borough Council’s Drug and Alcohol Action Team DAAT) have organised a week long event to help advise young people on drugs, alcohol and sexual health concerns, all with the help of Frank the sofa.

The large, inflatable settee will be going around different parts of Slough for a whole week, starting next Monday, November 12, from 5pm at the Manor Park young people's centre.

The Slough DAAT team will also be recruiting young people as Street Peer Leaders to work in their own communities and help fellow teens on any problems they may have.

As well as giving advice, the FRANK team will be holding quizzes and giving away freebies.

The advice sessions are aimed at anyone under 19. There is no need to book – just turn up on the day.

Jatinder Matharu, DAAT programmes co-ordinator for Slough Borough Council, said: “Issues around sexual health and drugs can often be embarrassing for anyone to talk about, especially for our younger residents.

“I think the FRANK sofa is a great way for our younger people to talk informally about the issues that concern them.”

The FRANK sofa will be travelling to:-

* Monday 12th November 2007 at 5pm – Manor Park Young People’s Centre, Villiers Road and Horsemoor Green, Common Road at 7pm
* Tuesday 13th November 2007 at 6pm – Orchard Youth and Community Centre, Stoke Poges Lane
* Wednesday 14th November 2007 at 6pm – The Haymill Centre, Burnham Lane
* Thursday 15th November 2007 at 6pm – Chalvey Youth and Community Centre,
* Friday 16th November 2007 at 6pm – Slough Young People’s Centre, High Street

For more information, contact Jatinder Matharu on 01753 875579.

Slough Borough Council

Slough Neighbourhood police officers and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) were out in force across Slough and South Bucks over the Halloween and bonfire night period to prevent disorder and reassure the public.

Police ran extra Slough patrols specifically targeting those who cause criminal damage or behave antisocially.

Ch Insp Dave Parker, Deputy Commander of Slough Local Policing Area, said: “Although it was quieter than last year, it was still a busy period with many fireworks and eggs confiscated by officers who worked tirelessly to deal with those behaving antisocially.

“Despite our best efforts, several cars in the Haymill area of Slough and Burnham had their windows smashed and wing mirrors broken. This sort of behaviour is not acceptable and we urge anyone with any information about who’s responsible to come forward. Please contact PC897 Jay Knewell via the Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505 505. If you don’t want to speak to police or leave your name, call the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.”

“Next year we intend to redouble our efforts. We especially want to encourage shopkeepers to be more vigilant when selling eggs and fireworks.”

Thames Valley Police ~ Slough

Residents are being offered cutting-edge forensic technology to protect their property from burglars, during a Week of Action in Slough this month.

Starting on Monday 12 November, officers from Thames Valley Police and Slough Borough Council will be visiting homes to mark residents’ possessions with SmartWater™ solution.

This sophisticated product contains a non-hazardous, coded combination of chemicals. The clear liquid is simply painted onto the items to be protected. Each brush stroke contains a chemical trace similar to, but more robust than DNA.

When dry, SmartWater is virtually invisible in normal lighting conditions, but it glows a bright fluorescent yellow under ultraviolet (UV) light. It is almost impossible to remove, and even the slightest trace can be analysed in the forensic laboratory and used as evidence.

Sgt Damon Wilson of the Slough East neighbourhood policing team said: “As they enter the custody suite at Maidenhead police station, detainees pass under a UV scanner, where any traces of SmartWater on their body or clothing show up straight away. If we recover property marked with SmartWater, we know immediately whether the goods are stolen, and can quickly find out who they really belong to.

“We will be putting up signs in the locations protected by SmartWater, to warn potential burglars that property in nearby homes is now too risky to handle. SmartWater has been used by many police forces throughout the country and has proved to be a very effective deterrent, resulting in reductions in burglary of between 48 and 100 per cent.”

SmartWater marking is just one of many activities in a joint Week of Action being held by Thames Valley Police, Slough Borough Council and other partner agencies between 12 and 18 November.

Teams of people including Slough neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs, Special Constables, crime reduction advisers, community wardens, Community Safety project officers, Neighbourhood Watch members, local councillors and volunteers will be carrying out a wide range of activities aimed at making Slough a safer place to live.

Amongst the planned activities are property marking; high visibility police patrols; public meetings; a community safety surgery; graffiti removal and litter pick; hedge cutting; abandoned car removal and promotion of Neighbourhood Watch.

Thames Valley Police ~Slough