Congresbury.net

Police are advising that in 2021 alone, 3,625 people across the country were victims of courier fraud with loses totalling more than £15.2 million.

An analysis of data from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) has highlighted four modus operandi (MOs) that are now more commonly being used by fraudsters:

– Bank card expiry: Fraudsters claim to be from the victim’s bank and say their card is no longer valid. The scammers ask for the pin number and then send a “courier” to collect the card before using it for fraudulent purposes

– Purchasing high end items: The suspects pretend to be police officers and ask the victim to help with an undercover operation by purchasing expensive items like watches, jewellery and gold. Once the item is bought, the victim will hand over the item to the criminals

– Counterfeit cash/ bank investigation: A person claiming to be the police or bank official informs the victim that they need to help with a banking corruption investigation. The victim is told to withdraw a large amount of money and the cash is picked up later by a “courier” to “check for fingerprints or to identify counterfeit bank notes.”

– Computer takeover: The fraudsters telephones the victim, purporting to be from their internet service provider, saying that they have had an issue with their internet connectivity and the victim is due compensation. The victim is persuaded to download a remote access application, giving the suspects access to their home computers. The fraudster persuades the victims into thinking they have been paid too much compensation and the victim then withdraws cash to pay the money back, which is later collected by a “courier”.

If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud online at police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.

The More Than Words Clevedon Literary Festival returns for 2022!

Hosted over four days, this year’s Festival will bring music, art, spoken word, film and photography to the forefront of Clevedon’s cultural community.

Tickets Now On Sale! 

MORE THAN WORDS is Clevedon’s Literary Festival of poetry, prose, performance, art, music and fun. We will engage the local and wider literary communities in opportunities to share and celebrate the written and spoken word and related art forms for mutual benefit. This will be achieved through high quality readings, open mics, public art, multidisciplinary events showcasing local talent, published authors, nationally recognised poets and performing artists, and fostering creative development for adults, young people and children. For more details https://www.clevedonliteraryfestival.uk/programme-2022/

Dear All,

Following the Zoom meeting yesterday evening, the presentation slides are available on Dropbox at
https://www.dropbox.com/s/6lo3eg6y5h9un15/20mph%20presentation%20N%20Somerset%20supporters.pptx?dl=0
I also attach a ‘ How to Set Up a 20mph campaign’ leaflet
The advantages of setting up a local campaign for your town or village are that firstly other supporters have a local point of contact where they live, and there is access to the very helpful campaigners-only discussion group run by  the national ‘ 20’s Plenty for Us’ organisation.   Anyone wanting to find out more about organisations backing 20 mph  in North  Somerset, ( or elsewhere) then has an easy way to find your contact details via the ‘ 20’s Plenty ‘ website, www.20splenty.org, then going to ‘ Who we are, Local Campaigns and Places’.  Please do consider setting up a local campaign.  ’20’s Plenty for Us’ provides campaign materials, advice, research and resources, and deserves our support.

A 20’s Plenty for North Somerset Facebook page has been set up, which you are all warmly invited to join and contribute to.  It will provide a useful point of contact for sharing ideas.    If anyone would like to set up a Twitter or other social media group, please do get in touch.  All contributions and comments are welcome.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1404083953292502

It was very useful, and much appreciated, to see Cllr James Tonkin and Rob Thomson of NSC Highways at our meeting yesterday, and to hear their views.  We now know that there are numerous, probably in excess of 8,  Town and Parish Councils who have applied for consideration of 20 mph speed limits, which a Highways Team is working through, at the rate of 1 or 2 a year.   Austerity and the pandemic continue to take a serious toll on local authorities country-wide, but fortunately there is  Housing Infrastructure and Active Travel funding available to bring in North Somerset traffic schemes, including a speed reduction scheme.

We also know now that the draft policy document on 20 mph speed limits, following the report to the Executive on 7th January 2020, is still in draft.  This allows the possibility of a new policy for North Somerset, one which will benefit more towns and villages more quickly, by bringing in an authority-wide policy of 20 mph for residential streets, as many Traffic Authorities in the UK already have. That will be a decision for North Somerset Councillors to make, who will be invited to a separate ’20’s Plenty for North Somerset’ meeting later on this month.   This gives us the chance, as supporters of a lower 20 mph limit, to get in touch with our communities and our councillors to spread the word.

Working from the Report to the Executive on 20 mph speed limits which was considered in January 2020, a comparison between that and current government policy,as set out in the Department for Transport Circular 1/2013,  has been prepared by a member of 20’s Plenty for Sandford, also attached.   Click here for report. This may be useful to you as background, as it talks about the issue of  North Somerset Highways’ rejection of wide- area 20 mph limits for our County.  We have yet to see the draft policy document from 2020, so that can’t as yet be commented on, but it is expected to follow the Report fairly closely, as that is what was voted on by Councillors.

We are looking forward to hearing from you all.

Sincerely,

Cresten and Ian for
20’s Plenty for Sandford

If you get some unexpected news that you’re owed a ‘refund’ from the Tax Office, it may seem like good news. But, remember that with the self-assessment deadline looming on January 31, fraudsters will be bombarding people’s email inboxes and phones with fake offers of tax refunds. They may also cold call victims, or text or email links which will then take them to a false page, where their bank details or money will be stolen.

Over the past year, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has received nearly 900,000 reports from people about suspect contact – including over 620,000 reports from people about bogus tax rebates.

Never give out your personal information or click on links or download information from unexpected emails. If someone calls you out of the blue and makes you feel under pressure, just put the phone down to give yourself time to think. Details of suspect calls or emails claiming to be from HMRC can be forwarded to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and texts to 60599.

Friendly, reliable Carer needed for my wonderful mother – who lives between Wrington and Langford. Regular Saturday and Sunday morningshifts available. Car essential. 

Responsibilities would include personal care, manual handling and food preparation. 

If interested in joining a fantastic small team who help my mum maintain her independence at home, please contact Jess on 07595 024 811 or message me for details.

Anniversary Coffee Morning, in aid of Children’s Hospice South West. Saturday 25th April in the Methodist Hall, Congresbury. 10am to 1pm. £1.00 entry, to include tea or coffee and biscuits. Bedding plants and produce for sale. Tombola.

25^thFebruary 2019 was claimed to be the hottest February Day ever recorded. The sun shone all day and despite the early morning frost, it felt like Spring. The best place to enjoy Spring has got to be the ‘Strawberry Line’.

I was not the only person to take advantage of the glorious weather. Two young Mums were pushing their babies in pushchairs at the same time as answering their phones ! The normal rash of cyclists all trying to beat the speed record for the track and lots of Joggers. One ambitious walker asked how far it was to Wells. Perhaps he had a dose of ‘Spring Fever’.

Michael Greaves