Stay Safe This Winter: Beware of Phishing Attempts and Unlawful E‑Bikes prosecution

Stay Safe This Winter: Beware of Phishing Attempts and Unlawful E‑Bikes prosecution

14.01.2026

I hope you have all been ok over the past few days. With the snow storm coming in thick and fast, it left a lot of people stranded. It also caused a lot of crashes. Another cold one today so remember drive careful in adverse weather and only if you need to.

Key Points for Driving in Adverse Weather

🚗 Increase stopping distances

Wet roads can double stopping distances, and icy conditions can increase them tenfold.

Leave a much larger gap between you and the vehicle ahead.

🌫️ Use lights correctly

Fog lights may be used in thick fog but must be switched off when visibility improves.

❄️ Prepare your vehicle

Clear all windows, mirrors, and lights before setting off.

In snow or ice, ensure you have de‑icer, an ice scraper, and proper ventilation to prevent misting.

🌬️ Adjust your driving style

Drive gently: accelerate, brake, and steer smoothly to avoid skidding.

Be cautious of strong winds, especially on exposed roads and when overtaking high-sided vehicles.

🌧️ Plan ahead

Check weather forecasts and travel updates before leaving.

Avoid driving unless essential in severe conditions like heavy snow or flooding.

🚶 Watch out for vulnerable road users

Rain and spray reduce visibility, so take extra care around pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and horse riders.

This week has involved crime enquiries and visits to vulnerable people in the area. I have been patrolling around in car and on foot where possible to help prevent crime and talk to the community.

Me and my colleague have given some advice to parents about e scooters. We are going to be passing more information about this to educate before we start to seize and prosecute where required. Part of this is work with schools as I have visited Birchen Coppice School to do some bike marking and advice.

If you have any questions about your electric bike please don’t hesitate to ask. Regards to Electric scooters they are all illegal roads, pavements and public areas.

Phishing and scams are always a things with people getting random emails, texts and phone calls. Be vigilant! Any official call wont mind you asking lots of questions and won’t rush you.

#BesureBeSafe

What signs of a phishing attack should you look out for?

Time sensitivity and pressure tactics - Phishing scams try to make victims feel a sense of urgency so that they act quickly without thinking

Fake URLs - A link may not be all it appears to be. Hovering over a link shows you the actual URL where you will be directed upon clicking on it. It could be completely different, or it could be a popular website with a misspelling, for example one too many ‘o’s in Google.com

Too Good To Be True - Lucrative offers and eye catching or attention-grabbing statements are designed to attract people's attention immediately, e.g. winning a prize. Remember - if it's too good to be true, it probably is!

Attachments - If you see an attachment in an email you weren't expecting or that doesn't make sense, don't open it!

Unusual sender - Whether it looks like it's from someone you don't know, or someone you do, if anything is out of the ordinary - don't click on it!

Poor spelling and grammar - many hostile actors operate internationally, therefore many phishing attempts contain grammatical errors.

Before i go i would like to say a big hello to any new Neighbourhood Matters readers, the group keeps growing and allows us to get this information out to who needs it. Keep yourself safe and well, I will see you all next time. I’m back in on Monday 19th January 2026

I will leave you with a fun fact for today

On 14 January 1878, the world saw the first-ever telephone call made between two cities.
It happened in Canada, connecting Montreal and Quebec City, and it marked a huge leap in long‑distance communication.

Before that moment, the idea of speaking to someone miles away in real time was basically science fiction. This call helped set the stage for everything from international phone lines to the mobile networks we rely on now.

and

Octopuses have three hearts — two pump blood to the gills, and the third pumps it to the rest of the body.
Even better: when an octopus swims, the main heart actually stops beating, which is why they prefer to crawl. Swimming is just too exhausting for them.

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Message Sent By
Gareth Jones
(West Mercia Police, Police Constable, Oldington, Foley and Sutton Park SNT)