Local News

Three men who tried to hide from police have been jailed for burglary offences. On Friday 10 October, we received a 999 call from a man who had returned to his house in Ockham around 9.30 in the evening and discovered he had been burgled. A gun safe which contained an air rifle and cash had been taken. Earlier that day around 5pm, officers were on New Haw Road in Addlestone when they noticed a white Ford Transit van jump a red light, the van was marked outstanding for offences in the Met. Officers indicated for the van to pull over, but it failed to, so a pursuit ensued. Three men were inside the van, which was being driven dangerously through Chertsey and Lyne. The men decamped and abandoned the van at Wentworth Golf Club. National Police Air Service and Dog Units were deployed, and with the help of thermal imaging from NPAS, the three men were found, including one who was hiding in the undergrowth a short distance from the abandoned van. Officers searched the van and found a gun safe, and a personalised birthday card from a well-known card retailer which had pictures of one of the men on it. Investigators were able to link the suspects to the burglary that had taken place earlier in the day. Investigating Officer, Detective Constable Josh Hillman said: “Stewart was driving extremely dangerously, including on the wrong side of the road at times. Thankfully, no one was hurt, especially as he does not have a driving licence.” “This was a great result off the back of some excellent teamwork involving officers on the ground, police dogs, and NPAS. This teamwork enabled us to locate all three men and bring them to justice.”

Appearing at Guildford Crown Court on Friday, 28 November, the men were sentenced:

• The driver of the vehicle, Charlie Stewart, 37 (DOB 17/10/1988), of Aboyne Drive, Raynes Park was sentenced to 29 months in prison for burglary of a dwelling, dangerous driving and driving without insurance.

• Ben Belhaj-Farhat, 38 (DOB 29/10/1987), of no fixed abode, and Junior Suban, 40 (DOB 21/11/1985), of Sullivan Court, Fulham, were also sentenced to 29 months in prison each. All three were also ordered to pay £228 in costs.

A murder investigation is underway following the death of a man in Ewell earlier on 9 December. Police were called to The Wheatsheaf in Kingston Road around 3.30pm following reports that a man with serious injuries had been found in an alleyway next to the pub. Ambulance crews were called to the scene and the man was treated for his injuries but was sadly pronounced dead shortly afterwards. An investigation, led by the Surrey and Sussex Police Major Crime Team, is underway to establish the circumstances of the man’s death. Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Superintendent Chris Friday, said: “Firstly, I would like to pay my heartfelt condolences to the man’s family and friends for their loss. “I know that there will be a lot of concern and speculation in the local community this evening about what has happened, and I would like to reassure you that we are working at pace to establish the exact circumstances of this man’s death and identify those responsible and ensure they are brought to justice. “I would also like to thank local residents for their patience and cooperation while we deal with this incident.

Last month, we shared that two men had been sentenced after they pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud after over 20 elderly and vulnerable victims in Surrey and Sussex were deceived out of thousands of pounds. This case came to our attention in 2024 when Woking’s Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) were carrying out their daily review of local crime trends. During these reviews, they noticed a concerning pattern of rogue trading offences, which revealed an Organised Crime Group (OCG) were operating in Woking. They would target vulnerable residents, convince them to agree to unnecessary work, and then overcharge them by thousands of pounds.

From the outset, Woking SNT worked closely with South East Regional Crime Unit (SEROCU), who helped focus on “Achilles heel” tactics which included:

• Seizing vehicles.

• Working with HMRC on fraudulent benefit claims.

• Partnering with the council on tenancy enforcement.

• Engaging social services to safeguard children.

• Using ASB legislation to control key individuals.

Alongside targeted warrants and investigations, they prioritised public awareness. By using demographic data and fraud heat maps, they identified areas most at risk and launched several fraud awareness days (door-to-door visits with police, council, and Neighbourhood Watch). They also ran town centre stalls with Crimestoppers to share fraud prevention advice. Police and partners recognise the importance to keep tackling fraud in the county, with this proactive approach now evolving into ‘Operation Replica’. The latest day of action took place in Epsom on Monday 24 November, and was supported by the following agencies:

• Police Vanguard Road Safety Team

• Police Casualty Reduction Team

• Police Commercial Vehicle Unit

• Police Safer Neighbourhood Team

• Driver Vehicle Standards Agency DVSA

• His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs HMRC

• Department for Works & Pension DWP

• AXA Insurance Fraud

• Environment Agency EA

• South East Regional Organised Crime Unit SEROCU

On the day, 40 vehicles were stopped and examined, 7 of which were seized for having no insurance or tax. Officers arrested 4 people for drug driving. There were 18 traffic offence reports for offences including seatbelts, insecure load, or using a mobile phone. 7 fixed penalty notices were issued, 15 referrals were made to the Department for Work and Pensions for benefit fraud. Matt Higgenson, Environment Manager at the Environment Agency said: "These road stops demonstrate the importance of partnership working to tackle waste crime. By working together with our partners in sharing intelligence and taking action on the ground, we can get better results and further close the net on illegal waste operators.” Rogue traders are criminals who take as much money as possible from their victims – who are often elderly and live alone. Please report any incidents of rogue trading to us as this really helps us see the bigger picture and to identify key offenders. David Coleman, on behalf of the Serious Organised Crime Partnership board said: “On the day, a man was arrested for drug driving and having no insurance, we seized his vehicle. The company he worked for sent another vehicle down to move across goods, however, when checks were carried out, we discovered the second vehicle also had no insurance or tax, so that was seized too.” “It’s great to see the work we initially started off the back of the rogue trading offences in Woking has now evolved into a much larger piece of preventative and proactive work.” “These criminals stop at nothing to take hard-earned money from their victims. We know, especially from the case already mentioned, that these people do not care about the vulnerabilities of the people they are targeting. This must stop.”

Two men who were part of a group who kidnapped and tortured a man from Dorking earlier this year have been found guilty following a trial at Guildford Crown Court which concluded on 9 December. Reece Armstong, 29 (DOB: 4/2/1996), from Staines-upon-Thames, and Tarelle Thompson, 28 (DOB 20/04/1997), of Croydon, were found guilty of kidnap following the six-week trial. Armstrong was also found guilty of Section 18 assault occasioning grievous bodily harm and two counts of possession of an offensive weapon. Thompson was also found guilty of possession of an offensive weapon. Levi Burton, 30 (DOB: 28/1/1995), from Leatherhead, was also found guilty of sexual assault following the trial. He had already pleaded guilty to kidnap, false imprisonment and assaulting a police officer. Lorna Swyer, 20, (DOB: 6/2/2005) of Dorking, also pleaded guilty to kidnap and common assault, while Sebastian Love, 21 (DOB: 14/4/2004), from Merton, also pleaded guilty to kidnap. Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Kimball Edey, said: “As soon as we became aware that a kidnap had taken place, my team worked at pace to locate the victim as quickly as possible. “While we located him the day after he’d been kidnapped, he had still been subjected to what amounted to torture at the hands of Armstrong, Burton, Love, Swyer and Thompson. No one should have to endure the ordeal they had put him through and their convictions, with the remaining two being found guilty today, have ensured they have been brought to justice for their heinous actions.” All five individuals have been remanded ahead of sentencing on Thursday, 19 February, 2026, and Friday, 20 February, 2026, at Guildford Crown Court.

Shortly after 8pm on Sunday, 23 November 2025, we received a call from a member of the public reporting concerning driving on the A3. Our Roads Policing Unit quickly intercepted a vehicle on the Malden Road roundabout in New Malden. Officers carried out a roadside breath test, and the driver, 41-year-old Lucas Alves Pinheiro (DOB 06/11/1984), of Sutton, blew 138 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, almost four times the legal limit of 35 micrograms. The vehicle was also seized. In custody, he provided further evidential readings of 100 and 87 and was subsequently charged with driving a motor vehicle over the legal limit. Pinheiro appeared at Staines Magistrates’ Court the following day (Monday, 24 November) and has now been disqualified from driving for 22 months. Your calls make a real difference. If you suspect someone is driving under the influence, please report it — you could help prevent a serious or even fatal collision.