Fighting crime

THE idea of living in a crime-free Utopia would appeal to all decent folk, but in this day and age it is, sadly, nothing more than a pipe dream. The best that can be hoped for is close-knit communities where everyone works together to keep crime to an absolute minimum.

That is where East Stoke has set the national benchmark.

It has become the first in the country to receive a Safer Villages award for its crime prevention work.

£50,000 was spent on CCTV cameras, intruder alarms and door and window locks that have helped residents feel much more secure in their own homes.

There have still been incidents in the year since they were installed but, with 15 cameras covering the village, all those incidents were followed up by the police.

A retired assistant chief constable of Nottinghamshire, Ian Ackerley, said the scheme’s success was in promoting confidence and a feeling of security within the community.

Few places will have the benefit of such a large sum of money to invest in crime prevention, but all have the potential to work together to cut crime.

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Welcome home to the 46 intrepid trekkers who took on the Sahara Desert to raise money for Beaumond House Community Hospice.

Support for the hospice was, of course, the main motive for making the trip, but it is clear many also benefited personally from the experience to make it doubly worthwhile.