www.newforestdiary.co.uk

POLICE HUNT AFTER TEENAGE GIRL
ASSAULTED


Police have issued a cctv picture of a young man who might be an important witness in their search for the attacker of a teenage girl recently

Police are advising women in Fordingbridge to be vigilant and aware of their surroundings after a teenage girl was assaulted while walking home through the town late at night.

The alleged incident occurred in Bruyn Road sometime between 11.45pm on Saturday, November 19 and 00:15am on Sunday, November 20.

As the 17 year old local girl passed a side road, she was grabbed from behind by an unknown man who forced her against a fence.

He then attempted to assault her but she managed to push him to the ground and run off. Although traumatised by the ordeal, the girl was otherwise unharmed.

Although this is very rare in Fordingbridge, police are advising women not to walk home alone at night unless it is unavoidable and to stay in well lit busy areas. They should also pay attention to their surroundings at all times.

If anyone was in the area at that time and saw or heard anything that will assist the police investigation, they are asked to contact the Area Investigation Team at Lyndhurst police station on 101 or the Crimestoppers charity line on 0800 555 111/



---------------------










MISSING PENSIONER FOUND DEAD


A 77 year old Fordingbridge woman Mavis Hardy who had been missing for some days was found dead by a dog walker in the Bicton area on the outskirts of the town on Wednesday

Police had been growing increasingly concerned for her after she was last seen by friends on November 16 .

Police are able to confirm that the formal identification procedures completed on a woman recovered in the Bickton area near Fordingbridge yesterday, Wednesday, November 30, was that of 77 year old Mavis Hardy.

The Coroner has been informed and a post-mortem examination will be carried out to establish the cause of death which is not being treated as suspicious.






---------------


----------

BUDDING PCs AND STOLEN PROPERTY LISTS

(See Picture)

By Al Gordon CRIMEWATCH




Budding officers of the law have been making their mark at Ringwood Junior School, where seven pupils became Junior Police Community Support Officers for five weeks.

The scheme is run by Police Community Support Officer Danielle Clarke and PCSO Tracey Cooper, both from the Ringwood Safer Neighbourhoods team, and the aim is to give young people the opportunity to engage with the community and build their confidence and self-esteem.

Wearing their high visibility vests, the group took part in a range of activities, including uniformed parades, learning how to use police radios, carrying out crime scene investigations and attending Breamore School fete where they offered crime prevention leaflets and talked to people about the work they had been involved with.

At the end of the scheme the Junior PCSOs had to deliver a speech about their experiences to their whole school during an assembly, and they also received certificates and badges from Inspector James Douglas and the Mayor of Ringwood, Brian Terry.

PCSO Cooper said, “This was a really worthwhile project. The children really enjoyed learning about policing and getting involved, and we were able to teach them about crime prevention and safety in an engaging way. The Junior PCSO scheme is definitely something we will look to do again in the future.”

STOLEN PROPERTY ALERT

Police are appealing for information regarding a burglary that happened on Southampton Road in Ringwood between the hours of 12pm and 2pm - on October 13.
The burglary occurred during daylight at a house on the busy main road and police would like to speak to anyone who may have seen someone in the area acting suspiciously.

The offender has entered via the side gate and then forced the back door. They have then stolen several items of jewellery and electrical equipment. The most distinctive pieces that were taken include:
- a crystal Scottish terrier pendant on a silver chain and silver Scottish terrier earrings
- a 4 string pearl choker,
- a silver and green matching earring and necklace set, shaped similar to the breast cancer logo.
- a silver hinged bangle with safety chain and an engraved design.
- Bracelet of gold coloured metal with 10 large Cornish turquoise semi-precious stones and a matching gold coloured ring with the same 3/4 inch turquoise stone. - 9ct gold earrings with amethyst stone,
- a silver chain with an amber pendant and matching earrings,
- a gold lattice bracelet,
- Skagen women’s watch with a square face, men’s Arbutus watch, men’s Festina watch with brown leather strap and a Garmin training watch
- Black Nintendo DSI with a Pokemon White game inside it.
- various other jewellery items, a Gill sports bag containing swimming items and a Olympus digital camera.
If you have knowledge of these items or any person selling or attempting to sell them please contact 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.






==========

Following a number of burglaries at homes across the New Forest, officers are warning residents to be wary of purchasing potential stolen goods, and releasing details of recently stolen items.

Between October 3 and October 4, a burglary took place at a property in Cedar Road Hythe. The items taken included:

*Collection of 100 gold commemorative and historical coins in a blue display box


*Two gold plated pocket watches from the Westminster collection with engravings on both of George and the Dragon


*A Samsung R519 Laptop in grey, serial number 20GT93E2401224


*18ct gold plain wedding band


*18ct gold engagement ring with round diamond set into the centre of the band


*White gold ring with 1/4 carat diamond

Sometime between October 5 and October 11 a house in Sea Road, Milford on Sea was broken into, where the following items of jewellery were taken:

*Gold chain necklace


*Gold ring with 2 small diamonds set diagonally


*Gold ring with yellow stone


*Old rose gold wrist watch with gold bracelet strap and round face.

On October 8, offenders forced entry to a house in Solent Avenue, Lymington.

The two rooms they entered were locked, preventing access to any other parts of the house, but while inside they stole a bronze mariners/ships chronometer with an eagle cast into the brass, which police are releasing a photo of.


At around 2pm on October 14, jewellery was stolen from a property in Stanley Road, Lymington:

*One pair of pearl and diamond gold earrings shaped as a daisy

*One antique ring with turquoise set into it

*One ring with a sapphire and diamonds set into it

*Two pairs of hooped earrings

*Four pairs of stud earrings

PC Donna Kay said, “All of these items hold considerable sentimental value to their owners, and as well as working to identify the offenders we would like to recover the stolen goods. Enquiries into all of these burglaries are ongoing, and we are looking at the possibility of them being linked.

“People should be wary if they are offered jewellery or items such as laptops for sale, and I would encourage anyone who sees any of these items locally to contact us as soon as possible. If we find the stolen items, they may well lead us to the offenders.”

Anyone with any information should contact police at Lymington police station on

101,

or call the Crimestoppers charity anonymously on

0800 555 111



*********************

ART CLUB WELCOMES
NEW MEMBERS

By Al Gordon


Fordingbridge Art Club is having a membership drive after its successful summer recruiting brought in many new members and all are welcome .

There are some wonderful Club prizes to be won at club exhibitions where entries are only a puny POUND.

But lucky sellers need to pay up to 25% commission towards club funds which is very generous as most galleries charge at least 50% unless you are Rembrandt or Augustus John.


Although I wouldn't have fancied the chances of ANY gallery owner who tried to charge dear Augustus even a quid commission.

Crash bang wallop would have been Augustus's answer......


All paintings must be members original work



==========


















NEW FOREST SCHOOL GETS
STATUS CHANGE

By AL GORDON

A New Forest infant school is now a step closer to becoming a voluntary controlled Church of England school after Hampshire County Council agreed to publish public notices this week.

At his decision day on 28 September Councillor Roy Perry, Hampshire County Council’s Deputy Leader and Executive Lead Member for Children’s Services gave the go ahead following consultations on Manor Infant School’s plans to become a Voluntary Controlled school.

The Holbury school is currently a community infant school but has been affiliated with the Winchester diocese for the past five years enjoying a close working relationship with the clergy and congregation of Fawley parish.

Governors at the school wanted to put this on a more formal footing.

The county council and diocese held consultations with staff, parents and other interested parties before the end of the Summer term and a report on that was put before Cllr Perry at his decision day.

Councillor Perry said: “I can well understand the wish of the school to seek to formalise the already strong links it has with the Diocese of Winchester and to become a voluntary controlled school. I know the school values the support it has had from the Local Authority and indeed wishes to continue its close links with the council hence it has decided against seeking academy or trust status. I am happy to approve the publishing of public notices so that I can take account of any other views.”

The publication of notices is required to enable the current community school to close, a technicality rather than a physical closure, and to establish itself as a voluntary controlled Church of England Infant school with effect from 1 September 2012.

If there are objections following the publication of notices the proposal will be brought to Cabinet for a final decision.


-----------











------------