Car stolen while defrosting from outside home in Bolsover

Police are reminding motorists not to leave cars defrosting with the engines running after a car was stolen in Bolsover.

It is after a BMW was stolen at around 10.10am on Wednesday, December 5, from a driveway on Owlcotes View. The owner had started the engine gone back inside her house to collect a bag while the car was defrosting.

Officers are now putting out a fresh reminder to residents to make sure they stay with their vehicle while they clear any ice or snow. They are also appealing for information about a man seen in the area at the time.

He is described as white, with short dark hair and was wearing a dark jacket, blue jeans and black shoes.

Community Safety Partnership Sergeant Paul Smith said: “Leaving your car running while it’s defrosting might seem like an easier option on these icy mornings, but it puts your vehicle at risk of being stolen by an opportunistic thief. “It takes just a couple of seconds for someone to jump in and make off with your vehicle so the best advice is not to leave it unlocked or unattended with the engine running. Stay with your car at all times and be aware of any suspicious activity.” 

Anyone with information about the incident in Bolsover should contact Derbyshire police on 101, the non emergency number, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Date issued: 10th December 2012 (issued by Derbyshire Constabulary) 

Last Updated on Thursday, 13 December 2012 17:08

Big Lottery Cash Injection For Elmton And Creswell

We have welcomed the news that Elmton and Creswell has been chosen to be part of Big Local that will see up to £1million spent in the area over the next ten years.

Elmton and Creswell have been pinpointed by the Big Lottery Fund as an area that faces a range of different issues, from the decline of industry to high levels of unemployment and crime, or a pressing need for new support services or activities.

This injection of Lottery funding will be managed by and spent by local residents and can be used on anything from starting up social enterprises and addressing unemployment to tackling local issues or providing more activities and services for people locally.

Council Leader, Councillor Eion Watts said, “This is great news for the local area and something which has been long overdue. What’s good about this scheme is that it will be completely resident led so it will be entirely up to people living in the area to use the money on the things that matter to them, and on projects and services that will have the biggest impact on their needs.”

Local Trust will organise a Big Local rep to help local people in each area pull together ideas for a plan to enable people to make their communities better places to live in, now and in the future. Local residents will receive training and support to help them identify priorities and develop a plan for their area. 

Local member for Elmton-with-Creswell, Councillor Duncan McGregor said, “Projects such as this epitomise partnership working and that’s something we have always advocated and tried to help nurture across the area. So we will do all we can to help Local Trust bring together local people who have the talent, expertise, skills and know-how, to help redress the problems and issues the area currently faces.

“This is not just a short term thing as we have ten years to get this right. Ten years to provide a lasting legacy. Ten years to help improve the local area. And ten years to change things for the better.”

More information on Big Local is available on the Local Trust website.

Date issued: 10th December 2012

Notes to Editors:

1. Big Local, a £200m investment, was launched by the Big Lottery Fund in July 2010 to support 150 small urban and rural communities to come together to make their areas even better places to live.
2. Managed by Local Trust, Big Local is targeting areas that may not have been successful in gaining funding and resources in the past. Each Big Local area is receiving at least £1m Lottery funding over the next 10 years, along with support, training, and networking opportunities, to help residents develop plans to improve their area and empower them to find solutions that work for their communities.
3. Local Trust is the corporate trustee of Big Local Trust, a charitable trust with charity number 1145916 established by the Big Lottery Fund and Local Trust to fund Big Local. Local Trust works closely with Big Local areas and partner organisations to support residents to help them make best use of Big Local and their funding.
4. Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since its inception in June 2004. Full details of the work of the Big Lottery Fund, its programmes and awards are available on the website.
5. To contact the Big Lottery Fund Press Office, call: 020 7211 1888 or out of hours: 07867 500 572.

Last Updated on Monday, 10 December 2012 16:28

Police Warning To Partygoers

Derbyshire police are reminding partygoers of the dangers of pre-loading before a night out as part of an ongoing campaign to reduce alcohol-related harm over the festive period.

Teams of police officers, health workers and community safety partnership staff will be speaking to people about the dangers of drinking before a night out and excessive drinking while out in pubs and clubs. 

The teams will be in Ripley Market Place on Saturday, December 8; Rykneld Square, Chesterfield on Saturday, December 15 and 22; Ilkeston town centre on December 15; Tesco in Clowne on Tuesday, December 18 and the Westfield Centre, Derby on December 11, 13, 18 and 20.

They will be targeting young adults aged 18 to 25-years-old who may be out shopping for a new Christmas outfit and offering advice on a safe night.

There will also be a prize draw for over 18s to enter which will involve a short quiz about alcohol. Events have already been held in Swadlincote and Melbourne in south Derbyshire with dozens of young adults spoken to about safe drinking.

 The events are being held as part of the countywide ‘Where will your night end?’ campaign.  

The campaign is a joint initiative between police, Derbyshire County Council, Derby City Council and community safety partnerships across the county.

It aims to reduce alcohol related harm among Christmas partygoers by reminding them how it could end if they drink too much alcohol – in a police cell, in the emergency room or event before it’s started.

Superintendent Gary Parkin, Derbyshire police’s lead on preventing alcohol harm, said: “Speaking to young people during the day when they may be shopping for a new outfit for a night out is one of the ways we are trying to get our message to them to have fun but be safe. “Drinking large amounts before going out to pubs and clubs is dangerous. You could end up in a police cell, in the emergency room or you could get left at home as you may be too drunk to go out at all.

 “The festive period is a time for people to socialise and enjoy themselves but I want encourage people to be responsible and consider the consequences of drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.”                            

 Partygoers are advised to take a few simple steps for a safe night out:

• Don’t start too soon – drinking before you leave the house could ruin your night before it’s started;
• It’s not a race - opt for singles rather than doubles or a small glass of wine rather than a large and alternate an alcoholic drink with a soft drink;
• Make food a part of your evening – either eat before you go out or if you have been unable to buy some food on the way;
• Be prepared – book a taxi before you go out and keep your fare separate from your purse/wallet;
• Look out for your friends – if someone you know has consumed too much alcohol make sure they get home safely and that someone can monitor them once they are home.
   

To find out more about the campaign or for advice about the dangers of alcohol visit the Derbyshire Police website. 

Last Updated on Friday, 07 December 2012 17:03

2012 Drink Drive Campaign

A hard-hitting image of a serious car crash is being displayed across north Derbyshire as part of a campaign to stop people drink-driving this Christmas.

The giant image of a cracked, blood-covered windscreen will be used on the side of a mobile advertising van that will be driven around towns and villages in Bolsover District, North East Derbyshire and Amber Valley.

The campaign is being run by Derbyshire police and the Community Safety Partnerships in Bolsover, North East Derbyshire and Amber Valley to prevent people getting behind the wheel after a festive tipple.

The van will be used in high footfall areas and local police officers and PCSOs will talk to members of the public about the dangers and consequences of drink-driving at the locations the Advan visits.

The van will be in Amber Valley on Saturday, December 8 and will visit towns and villages throughout the day. It will be on Ripley Market Place from 11am to 1pm with officers from the local Safer Neighbourhood policing team on hand to offer advice.

On Friday, December 14 the public of North East Derbyshire will see the van at Tesco, Clay Cross from 10.30-11.30am; the Civic Centre, Dronfield from 12.15-1pm; outside Eckington Swimming Pool from 1.15-2pm and Killamarsh Leisure Centre from 2.15-2.45pm.

It will be in Bolsover District on Saturday, December 15 visiting Shirebrook Market Place from 9am to 12.30pm and Tesco, Clowne from 1pm to 3pm. It will then tour around villages including Whitwell, Barlborough, Creswell and Bolsover Town.

There will also be an event in Chesterfield town centre on Saturday, December 15 to highlight the campaign to Christmas shoppers who may be preparing for a Christmas night out.

PC James Shirley, who set up the campaign, said: “We want as many people as possible to see the image and be shocked by it.

“Drink-driving can have serious consequences, not only for the driver, but for other innocent road users who could be injured or worse by someone getting behind the wheel when they are unfit to do so.

Cllr Brian Murray-Carr and Cllr Lillian Robinson Chairs of Bolsover and North East Derbyshire Community Safety Partnerships said, “We hope the Advan will make people stop and think. The message is simple – drinking and driving costs lives so if you are drinking this Christmas don’t drive.”

Anyone with information about a drink-driver should contact police on the non-emergency number 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Last Updated on Friday, 07 December 2012 13:08

Plans Approved For Bolsover Town Redevelopment

We have approved plans for the redevelopment of our Sherwood Lodge site in Bolsover which will create 250 local job opportunities and provide a much needed regeneration boost for the town.

The plans, submitted by Morrisons, were approved at the Council meeting on Wednesday 28th November 2012 after being referred from its Planning Committee the week before.

The proposal is for Morrisons to redevelop the site, adjacent to the town centre, into a medium sized retail development with petrol filling station that will create 250 jobs and improve the local highway network. 

Speaking after the Council meeting, Bolsover District Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Councillor Alan Tomlinson said this was an exciting day for Bolsover that he felt would breathe new life into the town.

“This is a multi-million pound investment in Bolsover that will provide job opportunities for local people. We listened to what people have said, taken into account their views and made a decision that we believe is in the best interests of the town.

“Bolsover needs a boost and that is what we believe this redevelopment will do. It will help attract more people to the town increasing footfall to the other shops, it will help to keep spend within Bolsover rather than it going to other nearby towns and by working with local traders we can help them maximise their business from the benefits a supermarket brings with it.”

Also as part of the planning application, the Stratton Memorial Garden will remain and be improved and a contribution from the developers (Section 106 agreement) would be used for the provision of formal recreation facilities such as a skate park in the town.

Morrisons development executive James Smith said, “We have been working very hard on this project for a long time to ensure we get it right for Bolsover and we are delighted with the decision. We are confident that once the scheme is built, Bolsover will begin to reap the rewards of this development”.

Also given approval at the Planning Committee on 19th November 2012 was the construction of a new Bolsover Contact Centre on Middle Street Car Park. The two-storey building will be used as offices for the Council, Community and Voluntary Partners (CVP), Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce and Bolsover Police Station.

This facility will allow local residents to continue to access the face-to-face services currently delivered on the Sherwood Lodge site.

Date issued: 30th November 2012