Over the last few weeks the Neighbourhood Policing team and Operation Reacher have turned their attention to policing the government guidelines around social distancing and non-essential travel.
We are very much taking an approach of Engage, Explain and Encourage. So far this appears to have been a successful approach but we are prepared to take further action should the need arise.
We have also been working together with council colleagues to deal with businesses operating in breach of the government guidelines.
I wanted to touch on policing priorities and for now these will remain as Residential Burglary, Drug Supply and Shop Theft. The local priorities will be refreshed again in June this year.
PICTURED: Inspector Chris Pearson (IMAGE: Notts Police)
Local priorities can be influenced by members of our communities and we have introduced a new online survey. Further details can be found at www.nottinghamshire.police.uk/whatmatters
The end of March saw a review of crime data for the area and there are some positive results. I was pleased to see that Gedling ended the year with a slight overall reduction in victim based crime. Through all of the hard work carried out by officers from across Gedling autocrime reduced by 27.8% in the last twelve months which equates to 192 less victims.
Burglary also reduced across the borough with 37 less victims compared to 2018-2019. There were also 5 less victims of robbery and 99 less people were injured as a result of violence, showing that our focus on serious violent crime has had some impact.
Team updates: Arnold
During the last month the Gedling North Team has been focusing of course on ‘Op Bion’ which is the forces response to the COVID19 pandemic.
We have been supported by the Specials who have been working many shifts since the government restrictions were imposed.
The vast majority of the community have been adhering to the guidelines and for those who have not, our approach of engage, explain, encourage has been used and we have encountered very few difficulties.
Obviously our day to day work has very much changed. Due to the fact that we are patrolling in the area daily, the team have been actively identifying vulnerable members of the community to refer to Gedling Borough Council’s humanitarian response team. We will continue to do this to ensure that that we assist as many people as possible living in the community.
Last week saw proactive activity in Arnold with a warrant executed on High Street in Arnold. This was following intelligence that drug dealing was taking place. A number of neighbourhood officers joined the Op Reacher team and following the discovery of drugs and cash three males were arrested for drugs supply offences. CID officers are now investigating the find.
One of our team members has left us in recent weeks. PCSO Nik Brennan hasn’t gone very far though – as he is now PC Nik Brennan. We wish him the best of luck with his new role. PCSO Kirsty Szeluk will take over Nik’s area of Calverton & Woodborough.
Team updates: Carlton
In recent weeks the Gedling South neighbourhood teams focus has been around visibility and reinforcing the governments guidance on COVID-19.
This has proven challenging for us and the wider community. One of our key messages has been around the necessity of journeys and the use of vehicles to travel to our open spaces. We have stopped people from as far away as Long Eaton in our parks who have travelled to exercise. Thankfully the majority of our interactions have been met with positivity and understanding.
PICTURED: New electric bikes being trialled by police officers in Carlton
We have recently sought to improve the ways in which we get about the area on patrol; this has included bringing in a trial of the forces first electric bikes. Our hope is that these new bikes will allow us to cover a larger area in a shorter time and most importantly, be able to engage with more of our residents. We believe that these bikes will cut down on our car usage and with it our carbon footprint, as well as assisting with a few of Gedling’s hills. The bikes have already received a lot of media attention and we are keen to know your thoughts on the pilot and whether you feel this is something we should invest in.
In the background, we are trying to keep business as usual and there have been some successful drugs arrests and search warrants which have been publicised. We are aware residents will be spending more time inside looking out the windows so we would encourage you all to continue to pass on any observations of criminality and be assured that every bit of information we receive will be reviewed and developed.
On Friday, April 24, we worked closely with Operation Reacher officers to execute a warrant on Dunstan Street in Netherfield. This was in relation to drug dealing and following concerns raised by local residents. As a result drugs and dealer bags were seized. A male has been interviewed and enquiries are ongoing.
Finally the Gedling South team would like to pass on our thanks to all key workers living and working on our area. We greatly appreciate all that you are sacrificing to keep us safe. Thank you.
Operation Reacher
The Gedling Op Reacher team has now been operating in the borough for the last three months.
It’s been an exciting three months for the team and as we get to meet the community and learn the layout of the Gedling area. It has also been an opportunity for us to meet and get to know the people who persistently commit crime in the area.
Since the team was established at the end of January we have arrested 36 individuals, seized 18 illegal vehicles, executed 10 search warrants and had 28 individual drug seizures.
Some quantities of the drugs that have been seized have been of such significant amount that it supports an investigation being conducted around those concerned being involved in the supply of drugs.
Furthermore, the team have seized approximately £17,800 in cash. This is because the team have suspected the cash is directly linked to drug supply or money laundering.
The team has also recently been involved in high visibility patrols of the Gedling borough as part of the response to the guidelines issued from the government around Covid-19. Recognising the impact these guidelines are having on everyone, not least the most vulnerable in our society the team have been helping out at the Richard Herrod centre in Carlton, collating food packages and delivering those to the people who are most in need but cannot leave their houses.
The team have also showed their gratitude to the carers by delivering Easter eggs to them over the Easter period. All deliveries where made whilst adhering to social distancing.
Whilst on patrol in the Carlton area the team saw a vehicle which contained two males. The team stopped the vehicle and following a search of the vehicle they found a substantial amount of both suspected class A and class B drugs and a large quantity of cash. Both males were arrested and are currently under investigation in relation to the matters.
During an evening patrol in Ravenshead, the team saw a van parked up suspiciously in a car park on Longdale Lane. As the team approached the van a male could be seen running off into woodland. Not wanting to get involved in a woodland pursuit in the middle of the night the team decided to withdraw from the area but wait to see if the male would return to the vehicle and drive away in it. Sure enough just minutes later the vehicle was seen driving along the A614 and was stopped. A search of the vehicle recovered a large quantity of cannabis suggesting that the male was involved in drug supply. He was subsequently arrested.
Small businesses in Gedling borough can apply for fully government-guaranteed loans of up to £50,000 from next Monday to help them get through the coronavirus crisis.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said yesterday that the new “bounce back loans” would have the interest paid by the Government for the first 12 months.
The new scheme is particularly intended for the smallest firms, including sole traders and micro-businesses, amid fears they have been slipped through the net during the pandemic.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the move after critics slammed the existing ‘business interruption loan’ scheme, which had seen government guarantee 80pc of sums lent to firms who successfully apply – but which have been slow to reach small and medium sized companies.
While that scheme will still exist, it will now be joined by a second one designed to provide financial lifelines to smaller enterprises quickly, with 100pc of the loan guaranteed.
Companies will be able to apply for loans ranging from a minimum of £2,000 up to 25pc of the company’s annual turnover, capped at £50,000.
For the first year the government will pay the interest and fees of the loan, meaning companies will not have to make any capital repayments for 12 months.
“Our smallest businesses are the backbone of our economy and play a vital role in their communities”, Mr Sunak said.
“This new rapid loan scheme will help ensure they get the finance they need quickly to help survive this crisis.
“This is in addition to business grants, tax deferrals, and the job retention scheme, which are already helping to support hundreds of thousands of small businesses.”
Firms will be able to access cash from 9am on Monday and will be required to fill out a two-page self-certification form online.
Arnold‘s food bank charity has been boosted by the news it will get a share of a £30,000 cash donation from The Nottingham building society to help the region’s charities look after the poor and vulnerable.
The Nottingham has announcedit is giving the money to 20 Trussell Trust supported foodbanks, including one in Arnold.
With an average food package for three days costing around £10, The Nottingham’s donations will cover the cost of around 3,000 food parcels for families most in need across the Midlands.
The donation will help pay for food to be distributed to those in need
David Marlow, chief executive of The Nottingham, said: “The Nottingham has a long and proud history of doing the right thing and in times like these, this is more important than ever.
“As a mutual organisation we are committed to supporting our communities and, although we realise these are uncertain times, we know we will get through this together, looking after each other and supporting those that need it most.”
Samantha Stapley, chief operating officer at the Trussell Trust, added: “As the coronavirus outbreak develops, more people are likely to need a foodbank’s help.
“Our teams are working tirelessly to ensure foodbanks are able to remain open and have the necessary stocks to respond to this crisis. The support of The Nottingham means foodbanks will be able to remain agile to respond to the fast changing situation and continue to provide the lifeline of emergency food and additional support for people in crisis.”
Dog owners in Gedling borough are being warned their pets could suffer separation anxiety once the lockdown is lifted, prompting a warning from an animal charity.
Dogs Trust has said that if dogs start expecting their owners to be around all the time they could feel lonely when people start returning to work once the lockdown is lifted, and their routine is disrupted.
The charity has now issued a number of tips to help owners avoid this problem early on.
The top tips are as follows:
If your dog is used to being left alone, then try to make sure you continue to leave them for periods during the day, so they don’t ‘lose’ the ability to cope.
For puppies and dogs that are anxious when left, use the following tips to help them cope alone:
Make sure your dog has a comfy bed or den, where they can relax in peace.
Give them something fun to occupy them, such as a long-lasting treat or puzzle toy.
While your dog is enjoying their treat, take a couple of steps to the other side of the room. If your dog stays where they are, wait a moment, then go back and reward them with an extra treat.
Increase the distance you move away and the time you wait before returning with the extra treat.
Dogs may suffer from separation anxiety when the lockdown ends
Rachel Casey, director of canine behaviour and research at Dogs Trust, said: “For many of us it has been great to spend so much time with our dogs during lockdown.
“Mostly, our dogs love us being around, too.
“But all this extra attention could potentially create a ticking time bomb of separation anxiety for our dogs.
If they expect us to be about all the time, it will be more difficult for them to cope once we go back to our normal lives and aren’t in the house round the clock.
“Now is the time to act to avoid future problems – and it’s easy to do.
A 31-year-old man has been jailed after pleading guilty to harassment of his long-term partner in Carlton.
Liam Brown was given an 18-month prison sentence for harassment – putting someone in fear of violence – as well as witness intimidation, common assault and criminal damage.
Brown, of Serlby Rise, St Ann’s was sentenced following a number of incidents towards his former partner in the Carlton Hill area of Nottingham last year.
He had been in a relationship with the victim for many years, but the relationship had broken down.
He lost his temper and broke her phone by putting it in his mouth and snapping it after an argument at The Engine House pub one evening in July. He also snapped a pair of her sunglasses.
The victim was trying to leave the pub in a car, but Brown assaulted her. He wouldn’t let her go and grabbed her arm and twisted it which caused bruising to her arm.
PICTURED: The New Engine House pub in Carlton
Also last year whilst the victim was on holiday, she was sent a video of Brown at her home when he didn’t have permission to be there.
The victim reported this to the police and she also reported that Brown had been barraging her with text messages, phone calls and following her.
Brown was arrested in September 2019 for witness intimation, after the incidents were reported. He threatened the victim and tried to get her to drop the charges whilst on police bail.
He was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday (17 April 2020).
Police Constable Chris Calvert, who led the investigation, said: “Thankfully, as a result of the bravery and courage from the victim throughout the investigation Brown is now facing the consequences of his actions.
“I hope that the sentence handed to him will allow the victim and her family to finally move forward with their lives.”
Nottinghamshire Police is supporting National Stalking Awareness Week (20-24 April) to help spread awareness of the issue.
Stalking is a serious and prevalent crime, which can have a devastating effect on the lives of victims and those around them. Nottinghamshire Police remains committed to do all that it can to bring offenders to justice and safeguard victims.
Police have arrested a man in connection with multiple burglaries in Carlton, Mapperley and Woodthorpe.
The 42-year-old suspect has been arrested on suspicion of burglary, aggravated burglary and possession of a suspected Class A substance.
A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said: “Police were called to a report of an aggravated burglary in Woodthorpe Drive, Woodthorpe on Sunday, April 12.
Police were called after reports of an incident in Woodthorpe Drive
“It was reported that a man broke into a house and produced a bladed weapon when confronted by the people who live there.
“No one was injured in the incident.”
The arrest also follows two burglaries on Friday, April 10 in Elmhurst Avenue in Mapperley and Marwood Road in Carlton.
A further burglary was reported in Kent Road in Mapperley on Thursday on March 5 as well as an attempted burglary on Glebe Road in Carlton on Thursday, April 9.
In the 18th century there were a large number of pubs, beer houses, tavern, inns and hotels catering for the local communities and the travelling public.
Carlton was home to many of Nottingham’s most notorious pubs, but unfortunately not many survived.
Pubs first started to appear when someone brewed more beer than they could themselves consume and opened their house to the public to sell off the surplus – hence the term ‘Public House’.
The indication that they had beer to sell was a bough or branch hung above the door, which became the first pub signs.
To distinguish between two similar establishments pieces of equipment, such as a plough, a hay rake or barrel were used next to the door. The population especially in the villages could not very often read and write at the time, so signs did not contain written names. They were therefore kept simple so that there would be no confusion between similar pubs. You did not want to arrange to meet some one at the wrong hostelry – especially if they were paying!
Some of the oldest pub name signs are therefore very simple: The Board, The Chequers, The Ball , The Boar and The Lamb and so on. They were normally represented by a simple symbol painted on board. A coloured circle or disk was common, like the Blue Ball or the Golden Ball for example. Although once very common only some 20 or so Golden Ball pubs survive in the UK, with some changing their name over time to The Sun.
The Golden Ball in Carlton is one of the ones that are now long gone. In the 1750s however, it was occupied by one Samuel Parley, who was the only landlord in his early 20s at the time. Landlords of pubs usually had to have a second job as the pub did not provided sufficient income to survive.
The pub itself was often being run by the wife while the husband carried out his other profession. Samuel at this time was not married and he may in fact have been the son of the landlord.
This artwork depicts a typical tavern in the 18th century
Most second jobs, carried out in the pub yard, were connected with the pub or hotel trade. Blacksmith, carpenter, wheelwright or horse dealer for example as pub customers would have need of these services. Samuel’s trade was different however, a very unusual one for some one operating from a pub. He was a florist, which as well as being unusual also appears to be very specialised. His trade was that of the wholesale sale of only one type of flower – the tulip.
These flowers were introduced into Western Europe and the Netherlands in the late 16th century, and had originated in Turkey.
In the beginning, tulips were cultivated for their medicinal properties but by the beginning of the 17th century, the tulip was starting to be grown in gardens as well for decoration.
The tulip soon gained major popularity not only for its medicine and beauty properties but as a trading product in its own right, especially in Holland.
The interest in the flowers was huge and bulbs were sold for unbelievable high prices.
In the years 1636/7 there was a complete “Tulipomania” in the Netherlands. Some examples of the plants could cost more than a house at the time..
There was the inevitable crash in prices at the end of 1637, when people came to their senses and stopped purchasing these high-priced bulbs. But throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, English interest in the tulip still remained, but the Dutch had by this time became the true connoisseurs and stockists.
We do not know how long Samuel had been trading in tulips but in 1750 he was advertising regularly in the Derby Mercury, offering “sales of multitude of varieties of at least 12 different kinds”. He stated that his stock was well over 2500. These were all being sold in quantities of hundreds and offered at “prices half those in London “.
For a time this must have been a good business for he was trading for over 10 years but then things changed.
Samuel it seems decided to get out of the tulip business in 1761 as he had then to give up the Golden Ball. He sold up his tulip stock, advertising them with an average price of 8/- per hundred, which is about £47 in today’s money.
His reason to sell up and leave the Golden Ball is unknown, but it might be down to his father dying.
Samuel did not leave the pub trade however, as three years later in 1764, at the age of 32, he married an Ann King and is listed on the wedding certificate as ‘a licensee’ but it does not state which pub he was running.
Was this perhaps a larger establishment which now took up all his time – or did his new wife just not like tulips?
Staff from Royal Mail in Carlton will attempt to deliver some cheer as well as the post today as they carry out their rounds in fancy dress to raise funds for NHS workers who helped a coworker make a recovery from coronavirus.
Postman Simon Stevenson, who came up with the idea, assembled his squad of superheroes outside the Co-Op on Main Street in Gedling earlier today before taking to the streets to deliver mail across the borough.
PICTURED: The postmen outside the Co-op store in Gedling with manager Deborah Bradley (PHOTO: Deb Bradley)
The post office workers are hoping their stunt will promote a JustGiving page they have set up to raise cash for the ward that treated their colleague in the QMC.
Generous staff at the Co-op store in Gedling have also donated a food hamper to the delivery workers to raffle off to help boost fundraising.
Mr Stevenson told Gedling Eye: “We also want to raise awareness and funds for the NHS, who did such a great job looking after one of our colleagues who got coronavirus recently. He’s been in the QMC for a month, but has now pulled through. We now want to give something back for the care and support he received.
A bus service to Arnold and Mapperley that was recently suspended due to fears over coronavirus will be back in action from Monday.
CT4N has announced their L9 service will be in operation from April 27.
The buses were pulled from service following two cases of COVID-19 amongst driving staff and give the firm time to ‘review sanitation and safety arrangements’.
Managing director Ian Combellack said: “I am pleased to announce the reintroduction of more services next week which will include some of the Locallink services. We are aware that a number of people rely on these services so that they can get to work.
“There are minor timetable changes for some of the services, but all information will be available on our website, or passengers can contact us by phone on 0115 986 3355.”
Details of the services that will be reinstated will also be announced on the CT4N website www.ct4n.co.uk
