Please follow the link below to see a copy of the entry criteria for the Blandford Rotary – Short Story Competition 2015 –
Category: Community
PR 4207 – C13 Re-opens
The C13 that links Blandford to Shaftesbury via Melbury Abbas will be opened tomorrow (07 July) following final technical checks on traffic control through Dinah’s Hollow.
The road is being temporarily opened under traffic management following a complete closure by Dorset County Council last year after the slopes through the hollow were found to be unstable.
Andrew Martin, the council’s head of highways, said:
“The short-term re-opening of this route will help the county’s roads cope with summer traffic.
“We have reduced the width of the road to keep those in small vehicles safe. There will be shuttle working through this section, managed by traffic lights. There may be some delays if traffic volumes increase.
The county council will continue to work with the local community with the plans that will resolve the long-term stability of the slopes.”
Details of the project can be found at www.dorsetforyou.com/dinahs-hollow
Issued By:
Fiona King, Public Relations Officer
Tel: 01305 224725
Email: f.e.king@dorsetcc.gov.uk
Dorset Police – Safer Neighbourhood Newsletter July 2015
Please follow the link below to see a copy of the latest newsletter from Dorset Police –
Dorset Police – Stolen Motorbike in Shaftesbury
Good evening,
We are asking north Dorset residents to be aware of a motorbike that was stolen from the Shaftesbury area.
The vehicle was reported stolen at 1500hrs today (4th July)
It is a 125cc Pulse Adrenalin in black. Vehicle registration WJ15SVZ
Anyone with knowledge of this incident or if you see the vehicle around, please contact Dorset Police as soon as possible.
Many thanks,
North Dorset Safer Neighbourhood Teams
Dorset Police – Police and Crime Commissioner Survey
Dear resident
A survey has been launched to examine how effectively the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner communicates with rural communities across Dorset. Your views will help to understand whether the communications function of the OPCC can support communications between the police and the public. We estimate that it will take you approximately 5 minutes to complete the survey.
Please CLICK HERE to access the survey before it closes on Tuesday 14 July 2015.
Your views are very important and will be used only for the purposes of research for this project. If you have any questions or would prefer to complete a paper survey please call at 01202 229089 or email me at fiona.napier@dorset.pnn.police.uk
Thank you for your support.
Action Fraud – Wine Investment Fraud
The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) wishes to remind investors that fraudsters are still active and are using various methods to dupe victims into investing in fine wine.
Whilst it might be easy to identify a fraudulent investment in non-existent fine wine, there is another tactic which is much harder to detect that relies on limited knowledge of the investor in this specific area.
In many cases, the fraud relates to the value of the wine as opposed to the existence of the wine. Therefore, fraudsters will be able to prove to the victims that they have the wine in stock, however the wine in stock will be significantly cheaper than the inflated price the fraudsters ask the victims to pay.
Whilst it may look like a ‘real deal’, the dramatically inflated prices make the promise of any returns unrealistic.
Assessments of reports show that fraudsters charge victims an average of 47% more than the comparative market values at the time of sale.
The brokers who typically cold call victims boast that an increasing market in China will guarantee tax free profits. When questioned about risk, fraudsters will convincingly say that it is “extremely low”.
How to protect yourself against investment fraud:
- If you’re considering any type of investment, always remember: if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is. High returns can only be achieved with high risk.If you get a call out of the blue, be wary; if in doubt don’t be polite, just hang up.
- Take the time to seek independent legal or financial advice before making a decision.
- Always check the credentials of the company you’re dealing with. Check for known fraudulent organisations at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
If you believe that you have been a victim of fraud you can report it online http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud or by telephone 0300 123 2040.
Action Fraud – Fraudulent ‘Apple Pay’ Alert
Fraudsters are targeting classified advertisement websites like AutoTrader to advertise vehicles for sale. Buyers are then contacting these ‘sellers’ to find out more about the vehicles and are being told to pay for them via ‘Apple Pay’. In this case the fraudsters are not using the genuine Apple Pay service and potential victims pay money directly to bank accounts in control of the fraudsters. Individuals receive emails claiming to be from Apple Pay with a web link to a cloned website with false terms and conditions of the ‘escrow’ service. Any money remitted to the fraudsters is then unrecoverable and the vehicles are not delivered.
Protect yourself:
- Meet the seller ‘face to face’ and view the vehicle before parting with any money.
- Be cautious of web links in an email. They may not direct you to the genuine website.
- Report scam advertisements to the classified advertisement websites.
- If the vehicle is below market value, consider whether this is an opportunity too good to be true!
Annual Dorset Business Crime Conference – 8th July 2015
CALLING ALL SMALL/MEDIUM BUSINESS IN DORSET:
Local businesses from across Dorset are being invited to understand, tackle and prevent business crime at the third annual Dorset Business Crime Conference on 8 July 2015.
The Conference is being jointly hosted by the Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, the Federation of Small Businesses and the Dorset Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Crimes against business are a serious issue, and a type of crime can than have a devastating impact on the individual, the business and also the local economy.
As well as helping businesses to understand and to try to combat crime against their business, the conference will feature a number of speakers addressing key business crime issues, including retail crime, rural crime, fraud, and the increasing and very serious threat of cybercrime.
For more information or if you are a business owner/employee who is looking to attend, please click here.
Many thanks
Messages from Dorset Police
Theft of fuel cans
We have had a report of cans of fuel being stolen from a construction site in the North Dorset area.
These cans were not secured but hidden away near machinery and the area they were stolen from was closed to the public.
Please can we remind residents that opportunistic thieves are around and to keep items, however small, secured and safe.
Regards,
Kate Hann
North Dorset Safer Neighbourhood Team
Royal Mail e-mail scam
A scam email is currently being sent to victims fraudulently claiming to be from the Royal Mail. Attached to the email is the CryptoLocker virus.
The victim receives an email purporting to be from the Royal Mail stating that they are holding a parcel/letter for the victim. The victim is then required to contact the Royal Mail to arrange for the item to be resent/collected.
By following the instructions within the email the CryptoLocker virus is subsequently downloaded to the victim’s computer. This virus encrypts files on the victim’s system and requests a ransom be paid in order for the files to be decrypted.
Additional incentive is added for early repayment as the ransomware states that the cost of decrypting the files will increase the longer the fine is outstanding.
Protect yourself:
- Look at who the email is addressed to. Is it generic or specifically addressed?
- Look at the quality of the images included on the email. Are they of sufficient high quality that they could come from Royal Mail?
- Do not open attachments from unsolicited emails regardless of who they are from.
- Do not click on the link supplied. Instead, go to the relevant website and log in from there.
- Check the address of any email received to see if it appears legitimate.
If you believe that you have been a victim of fraud you can report it online http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud or by telephone 0300 123 2040
PR 4190 – C13 to re-open
The C13 road that has been closed for over a year will be temporarily reopened at the end of the month with a reduced width and traffic lights.
The C13 that runs through Dinah’s Hollow in Melbury Abbas links Blandford and Shaftesbury. The road has been closed for over a year after a report showed that the slopes beside the road were unstable and a potential hazard to road users.
Last month Dorset County Council’s Cabinet considered a report that looked at the full risk assessment of the impact of the closure on surrounding roads, communities and businesses compared to the safety risk over longer timescales than initially expected to complete the proposed stabilisation works.
The Cabinet decided to temporarily open the road with a traffic management solution to reduce the risk of a car being engulfed if a slippage happens. Placing continuous lines of barriers either side of the centreline and directing a single lane of traffic down the centre of the road, controlled by traffic lights will move vehicles away from the bottom of the slopes.
Cllr Peter Finney, Cabinet member for environment, said:
“This will help to alleviate the pressure on the county’s roads during the busy summer months and to reduce the wear and tear of the surrounding small roads and local rat runs.”
The county council’s highways team will continue with negotiations and consultation to ensure a long-term solution for the stabilisation of the slopes can be realised.
More information can be found on www.dorsetforyou.com/dinahs-hollow.
You must be logged in to post a comment.