Wednesday 21 August 2013

WAR S - Caravan thefts (from Twitter)

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Saturday 17 August 2013

WAR - Trading Standards Update

29/07/2013 Blue Badge Service Warning
Users of blue badges are warned to beware of conmen operating in the Warwick area, falsely claiming to be from the ‘Blue Badge Service’.
One elderly resident had an unexpected visit from two men who called at her house offering ‘help’ with her blue badge. One asked about her stair lift and both gained access to her property, obtaining her key safe number.


29/07/2013 Data Fax Warning
Warwickshire businesses are warned to beware of faxes from ‘organisations’ asking them to ‘update’ or ‘verify’ company data. This warning comes after a Rugby business reported to Trading Standards receiving a fax requesting updated company data.
The small print on the fax revealed that had the company provided the information and faxed the document back, they would have unwittingly signed up to a monthly registration fee of 97 Euros! 

29/07/2013 Expo Warning
Trading Standards are warning businesses that attend exhibitions to be careful what they sign up for after a North Warwickshire business received a demand for advertising. The business had thought they had completed an exhibition survey but had in fact unwittingly signed an advertising agreement!

29/07/2013 Phone Microsoft Scam
A consumer reported to Warwickshire Trading Standards that his elderly father had experienced unexpected problems with his computer, ending in a pop up appearing on his screen asking him to phone Microsoft on the number given in the pop up to resolve the problem.
He did so and spoke to someone he believed was a Microsoft representative. The consumer provided his credit card to pay for the ‘fix’ but fortunately his bank prevented any transactions being made.
The consumer’s computer had in fact contracted a virus that caused the problems and created the pop up, directing the user to the bogus Microsoft employee!

29/07/2013 ‘Free’ Magazine Trial Scam
A consumer reported to Warwickshire Trading Standards receiving an unexpected phone call from a company to tell her that they would be receiving a ‘free’ magazine trial which they could cancel within 14 days. The consumer provided their card details but money was immediately taken from their account. Never provide your credit card details to unexpected callers.

29/07/2013 Cold Calling Health Questionnaire
Warwickshire residents are warned to beware of cold calls from people asking health questions. A resident reported the matter after believing she was speaking to a hospital.
These unexpected calls are likely to be from marketing companies gathering information that they can then sell on. Never provide personal or financial information to unexpected or cold callers.

29/07/2013 Burglar Alarm Sales Warwick
Consumers in Warwick are warned to beware of cold calls from companies offering ‘free’ burglar alarms. Such alarms typically come with expensive monitoring contracts and may be completely unsuitable for the needs of the individual resident. Always speak to your local Police crime prevention officer or NHW before making any security alarm purchasing decisions.

29/07/2013 Mobile Phone ValuationsBe very cautious before you send your old mobile phone away for a valuation/to be sold. Warwickshire Trading Standards has received a number of complaints from consumers who sent their phones for valuation, only to find that the price quoted was much less than they were expecting. Having requested their phone back it did not then arrive!

Always check the companies you intend to use carefully. Google the company name to see what others are saying about them.

29/07/2013 Bogus Community Police Officer

Warwickshire Trading Standards are warning Kenilworth consumers and businesses to beware of unexpected cold calls from people falsely claiming to be Community Support Officers. The callers offer advertising space in an information booklet which they claim will be sent to local schools and which relates to sports facilities for children.
In reality the callers work for bogus publications companies who con people in to buying advertising in publications with little or no circulation (and therefore no worth). They often falsely claim to be working for a local emergency service to give them legitimacy.


Please feel free to cascade this information to whomever you feel appropriate (including using the information in your newsletters/websites etc.).

If you have any information you wish to provide to Warwickshire Trading Standards Service, either for our information, or to appear in future email alerts, please email me.

To add, amend or remove your details from this email circulation list, again, please email me.

For more information on scams, visit: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/scams

Follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/warkstss

Simon Cripwell
Trading Standards Officer
Warwickshire Trading Standards Service
Communities
Warwickshire County Council
Old Budbrooke Road Warwick CV35 7DP
Tel: 01926 414039
Mob: 07771 975570
Follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/warkstss
My normal working days are Monday to Thursday

NAT - Make someone’s Christmas by showing you believe in the community



Community Christmas believes that no elderly
person in the UK should be on their own on Christmas Day unless they want to be. This might sound like a simple and obvious statement? They would agree. However, research conducted by the WRVS suggested that just under a quarter of a million older people spent Christmas alone last year.
MORE

NAT - Get Safe Online ‘Switched On’ Campaign




Children’s safety is the Number One concern for all parents, and increasingly that includes keeping them safe in their digital world... In other words on the internet, texting and anything else they do online.
MORE

NAT - Are you going away this summer?

If you are going on holiday this summer, it is essential you take the relevant precautions to make sure your home is safe and secure from burglars. Burglars target houses that look empty, especially during the holiday period. Here is some advice on how to ensure your home is kept safe and secure so you don’t come home to a nasty shock:
MORE

WAR - Free Electric Blanket ‘MOT’ Offered!

Don’t wait from another freezing winter, book your free electric blanket ‘MOT’ now, Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards Service is urging residents.

It may still be summer, but Warwickshire Trading Standards Service has already begun taking bookings for their popular and free annual electric blanket safety testing scheme. The county-wide scheme is open to all Warwickshire residents aged 50 or over and whether your blanket is new or old, why not have it tested before winter sets in? 

Warwickshire Trading Standards Service will provide electric blanket tests FREE OF CHARGE, for people aged 50 or over, between Monday 30th September and Friday 4th October 2013.  Don’t miss this opportunity! Old or damaged electric blankets cause a number of fires each year, which can result in injury or death. These can be avoided by simply getting your electric blanket checked.

Testing, by appointment only, will take place at the following venues around Warwickshire:

Leamington Town Hall, Monday 30th September 2013
Nuneaton Fire Station, Tuesday 1st October 2013
Rugby Library, Wednesday 2nd October 2013
Kenilworth Library, Thursday 3rd October 2013
Stratford Briar Croft, Friday 4th October 2013

To book an appointment, call the Trading Standards Service on: 01926 414016 (Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm) or email: ebtesting@warwickshire.gov.uk

Bookings for electric blanket tests are available by appointment only and will be taken on a first come first served basis. The number of appointments is limited so book early to avoid disappointment. Due to the expected demand for blanket tests, a limit of two blankets per person has been set.

Simon Cripwell
Trading Standards Officer
Warwickshire Trading Standards Service
Communities
Warwickshire County Council
Old Budbrooke Road Warwick CV35 7DP
Tel: 01926 414039
Mob: 07771 975570
Follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/warkstss
My normal working days are Monday to Thursday

Monday 12 August 2013

WAR(S) - Proposed new settlement adjacent to Gaydon and Lighthorne Heath


STRATFORD-ON-AVON DISTRICT CORE STRATEGY CONSULTATION EXERCISE

 Proposed new settlement adjacent to Gaydon
 and Lighthorne Heath

Find out more about the proposals and meet officers from the District Council

When:     Tuesday 13th August 2013 – 6 pm
           (there will be an opportunity to view proposals
               between 4 pm and 6 pm)

Where:        Lighthorne Heath Primary School

The consultation document can be viewed on the District Council website www.stratford.gov.uk/csnew2013
The closing date for comments is 5.00pm on Friday 13 September 2013

Saturday 10 August 2013

NAT - Community Funding from the Post Office

Why not see if your club or organisation qualifies for this funding?

LINK

NAT - Domestic Security Lighting: The benefits and limitations of external lighting

I thought it might be useful to look at security lighting for the home. It is a big subject so I will be running this guidance over several articles. In this first of the series, I look at external security lighting and it's benefits and limitations. Read more here

NAT - Police.uk site updated to help public crack down on crime

Police.uk site updated to help public crack down on crime
More data about crime in people's local areas has been added to Police.uk, the government's crime maps website, in an attempt to equip the public with the information they need to take an active role in crime prevention. Read more here

WAR - Fire Safety Campaign

Beware of the additional hazards of summer. LINK