Message From Your Local Police Team

Dear Residents

Here's your monthly overview of the current goings-on in the Alexandra Ward for June.

Firstly, (and unexpectedly after my unfortunate boast last month) we've had more than our fair share of burglary this month. This is unusual for summer with it's lighter evenings and busy streets, but three households over the last three weeks have ben hit, each being successfully entered and searched.

The suspects seem to be making use of the open space at the back of Elmbridge Avenue, where they can enter from a spot along the A3 that isn't overlooked by other houses, and from there they make their way along the back of the houses, targeting those that have access over the back fence. Another, possibly linked, took place in Highfield Road earlier in the month where access was gained via the side gate after using some wheelie bins as a platform.

CCTV has captured three white male suspects leaving on one occasion, and one male suspect skulking around and knocking on the door on Elmbridge Avenue on another. No one, however, at this moment has been identified.

The usual advice applies: make it difficult for them to access your back garden, look out for your neighbours and, if you happen to what you think is a burglary in progress, call 999 straight away. Hopefully this will be a blip and we can enjoy the rest of the summer in peace.

Putting burglary to the side for now, there are two other problems I'd like to bring to your attention.

The first one I've posted about today on our local WhatsApp groups after spending half my shift trying to track two young lads on e bikes down. Some of you may have seen them blitzing up and down Tolworth Broadway and residential roads earlier today, followed about two minutes behind by me and my peddle bike.

I'm not a luddite about these things - I recognise the value of e bikes and scooters if used properly. But there's currently a group of somewhere between ten and fifteen lads who are causing all sorts of trouble on these bikes and at the very least they need their bikes taken off them - I'd usually say before someone gets hurt but it's too late for that, other cyclists have already been hurt and are still recovering from their injuries after being attacked by some of these lads.

It tends to happen around Ewell Road/King Charles Road in the evening, and many of the group wear balaclavas. Fortunately, they're not too bright and every time I go after them they tend to call each other by name, so I have a number of first names and hope soon to have enough info to work out who they are.

In the meantime, I'd ask that you let me know if you have any dealings whatsoever with this group - times, places, activity and, in particular, anything that will help me identify them. If they're assaulting anyone or behaving in a dangerous way please always call 999.

And lastly, if you're on the local dog walkers WhatsApp group you'll no doubt have already heard of this. For those who aren't, there have been a a growing number of dead (believed poisoned) foxes, including cubs, found around Grand Avenue and surrounding roads. One has even been left in a binbag outside someone's house.

Having knocked on doors trying to establish what's going on, it's apparent to me that a sizeable portion of people dislike foxes and not too bothered. However most people it seems have genuine concerns that someone is inflicting harm on another creature, and they worry that their own pet could be at risk from eating the poison left for the foxes.

I've yet to make any progress identifying who it might be and I have no real leads, but I'd love to put a stop to it. As well as the suffering involved it's also a criminal offence of cruelty to animals, so if you have any clue as to who it could be or or what their motives and means are, please let me know and I'll do what I can to look into it. If you come across any further incidents please let me know.

And that's it for this month. If you think any of your neighbours could benefit from this newsletter, please ask them to sign up at Sign Up - Met Engage

Thanks for your time.

David Crookshank

PCSO 7012SW

Alexandra Safer Neighbourhoods Team

07721 482176