Latest headlines

Alabama Rot. We have been made aware of two potential cases (we have been unable to confirm these cases) of Alabama Rot in the Lambourn area. The number of confirmed cases reported across the the UK in any one year is extremely low. Thousands of dogs are walked in the countryside every day, and it's important to remember that only a very small number of dogs are ever affected.

Noise Complaint from Bird Scarer. A noise complaint was recently received about a noisy bird scarer in West Berkshire which one of our officers went out to investigate.

Continue to be wary of Loft Insulation Scams. Many people are looking for ways to improve the energy efficiency of their homes, given current energy prices. Unfortunately, rogue installers are taking advantage of this situation. Making doorstep and cold calls and pressuring people into agreeing to work which is overpriced and unsuitable for their property.

Be wary of Scam emails supposedly from Facebook. We received our own scam email today supposedly from Facebook regarding our PPP account.

Alarming’ increase in fires caused by e-scooter and e-bike batteries. An “alarming spate” of fires has been caused by unsafe e-bike and e-scooter batteries and chargers, according to Freedom of Information data which shows the number of fires caused by batteries has surged almost 150 per cent in the last year. Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed they have seen incidents in this area caused by e-bike and e-scooter batteries and chargers.

How to avoid romance scams this Valentine’s Day. Although romance is in the air this week, romance scams are prevalent all year long as would be suitors take advantage of people looking for romantic partners. They play on emotional triggers to get you to provide money, gifts or personal details. The contact usually starts on dating websites, but they may also use social media or email to make contact. They have even been known to telephone their victims as a first introduction. These scams are also known as ‘catfishing’.

Hector passes Hearing Dog assessment. For the past 18 months springer spaniel Hector has been a regular face and ‘one of the team’ at the Public Protection Partnership (PPP) and West Berkshire Council offices. He’s also a regular ‘volunteer’ at Thatcham Community Larder each Wednesday afternoon.

Homes for Ukraine: fraudulent letters to hosts. Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) is aware of fraudulent letters to Homes for Ukraine hosts circulating on social media. These are not from the department.

Over 800 Illegal Vapes Seized in West Berkshire by PPP Trading Standards Officers. Following a complaint received from a member of the public, trading standards officers visited a shop in West Berkshire, last week, in order to check compliance with legislation. This resulted in a seizure of over 800 illegal vapes.

How Call Blocking Technology Can Help Your Loved Ones Stay Independent. We're all aware of scams targetting the elderly and the vulnerable. Many of these start with a simple phone call, but can result in the victim losing thousands of pounds.