Spot-checks operation on taxis to ensure public are safe at Christmas

A PRE-Christmas clampdown on taxi and private hire operators saw two vehicles taken off the road immediately for failing safety checks.
The operation was carried out jointly last week by West Somerset Council, police, and vehicle inspectors.
A total of 25 taxis and private hire vehicles were randomly stopped for spot-checks which were carried out at Minehead police headquarters.
Police motorcyclists rounded up hackney carriages up to eight-seats in size, and engineers from the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) made safety checks.
Of the two prohibition notices which were issued - preventing the operator trading immediately - one was lifted on the same day after minor remedial works by qualified mechanics.
Council licensing committee chairman Councillor Jenny Hill said: “Taxis are very much in demand at this time of year so we were pleased to discover the vast majority of operators are keeping their vehicles in a safe and sound condition, and meeting the strict standards for public hire vehicles.
“It is vital that there is no compromise in ensuring public safety, and that people can trust in the reliability of hire transport.”
Police, who conduct roadside checks on all vehicles to ensure they are roadworthy, taxed, and insured, urged motorists to conduct regular checks on their vehicles to ensure they complied with manufacturer and use regulations.
Inspector Carol Pearce said: “These checks are a regular occurrence in West Somerset.
“By working together with all agencies, we can ensure that when a member of the public gets into a taxi in West Somerset, it is completely roadworthy.
“I would urge all drivers of motor vehicles to regularly check their lights and ensure that the windscreen washes are topped up
“Keeping your vehicle safe and roadworthy is the best Christmas present you can give yourselves, your family, and your fellow humans.
“Stay safe over Christmas, if you drink - don’t drive.”

Armed police swoop to 'free hostage' after 999 hoax

ARMED police rushed to a house in Minehead town centre in the early hours of Tuesday after 999 calls that a person was being held hostage by a man with a gun.
But it turned out to be a hoax which later resulted in a youth being arrested and fined for wasting police time.
The emergency network received several calls from a mobile phone around 12.30 am on Tuesday, which caused police to believe that there was a firearm or a bomb involved in the incident.
An armed response unit was despatched to Bampton Street and a man was arrested and taken from a house into police custody.
However, police could not find any trace of a gun or any other weapon, and the arrested man was later found to be an innocent party and was released.
Two days later, on Thursday, further inquiries led police to a 19-year-old man, whom they arrested for wasting police time. He received a fixed penalty notice.
Minehead police Inspector Carol Pearce said: “I am satisfied that following information that somebody was being held hostage in some way, an appropriate response was made.
“All calls are recorded and traced and we will respond with an appropriate level of force as we believe necessary.
“As we believed firearms or bombs were involved, it required us to respond with an armed unit.
“We urge people not to get silly during the festive period because those who do will be traced and dealt with accordingly.”

New faces and boundaries for West Somerset police beat teams

CHANGES have been made to the faces of police neighbourhood teams across West Somerset as a result of retirements and officers moving on.
Minehead police Inspector Carol Pearce said: “I welcome our new appointments, who each bring additional skills to the local policing teams.
“Over the next few weeks the new beat managers will be getting to know their areas and making contact with local residents and key individuals.
“We are all committed to keeping West Somerset a low crime area, and to follow on the excellent work undertaken by all the staff over the last year.
“The neighbourhood teams are now tackling low-level crime and anti-social behaviour with the support of other agencies.
“It is important that all residents have their say, and they can do so via our website or by attending any of the area panel meetings which provide an opportunity at the start for the public to raise any concerns regarding how their neighbourhood is run.
“I am sure our new members of staff will be welcomed by their local communities.”
As part of the changes, boundaries of some of West Somerset’s beat areas have also been slightly altered to provide improved police cover for local residents.
The changes include:
Williton beat - PC James Holdsworth replaces Paddy O’Sullivan, who is due to retire in the near future.
PC O’Sullivan will remain at Williton to assist in the handover of his beat, which now solely covers Williton.
PC Holdsworth previously worked in Weston-super-Mare on the child abuse investigation team before transferring to West Somerset.
In addition, PCSO Mark Middleton-Smith moves across from Watchet to cover Williton with PC Holdsworth.
The new PCSO for Watchet is Linda Brooks, who has transferred from Taunton.
Old Cleeve and Crowcombe and Stogumber beats - PC Fiona Clopet takes over from PC Dave Masters, who has moved across to cover West Quantocks, in turn replacing PC Steve Woodward, who has transferred to Taunton.
PC Clopet worked in Williton several years ago and had recently been working in the road policing unit until her appointment as the beat manager.
The beat is another which has also been changed slightly, by taking in Crowcombe and Stogumber, while Carhampton moves back under the management of the Exmoor team.
Dunster, Aville Vale, and Carhampton and Withycombe beats - PC Mark Curren joins the team from Bristol, replacing PC Clare Adams, who stays with the Exmoor team but now covers the Dulverton and Brushford and Brompton Ralph and Haddon beats, where she takes over from recently-retired PC Colin Haddrell.
Minehead beats - PC Jamie McCall has been appointed to a new beat manager’s position within the Minehead town beat team.
He will take responsibility for the town centre and the commercial heart of Minehead, including Butlins.
It means the Minehead town beat team increases to three PCs, supported by four PCSOs.

Good behaviour by youngsters is rewarded by Dreamscheme

POLICE have praised the success of a scheme in Minehead which rewards youngsters for good behaviour on a housing estate.
Teenagers who act as ‘better citizens’ on the development off Seaward Way can enjoy activities such as fishing trips and days out at the Alton Towers theme park.
The Dreamscheme initiative was launched nationally last year with Home Office funding to help cut down youth crime.
Minehead police Inspector Carol Pearce said incidents of bad behaviour in Minehead had fallen greatly since the scheme started.
She said: “About 12 months ago, we were looking at 150 to 200 reports of anti-social behaviour for that period of the year.
“In the second period of the year since we started that process, we are looking at less than 10.
“It is demonstrating that if we do work with young people and the wider community on a one-to-one basis and people get to know who their beat managers are and who the young people are, if we work together and have community cohesion, we will have a better society for all of us to benefit from.”
‘Dreamscheme - Seaward Way’ celebrates its first anniversary this month.

• Our photograph shows some of the youngsters from the estate who were taken to see a Football League match at Plymouth Argyle in February of this year. Photo submitted.

YouTube videos of youths being arrested sparks investigation

A YouTube video of police arresting a group of youths in Minehead has been branded a ‘glorification of crime’ by the district’s police chief, Inspector Carol Pearce.
Inspector Pearce said she would investigate the internet video - taken on a mobile phone - with a view to using it as evidence in criminal proceedings.
Two poor-quality clips were posted on the social networking site, both showing groups of teenagers being confronted by police officers in the town.
In one, a youth is seen being restrained by officers while another is removed from the scene.
One member of the group is filmed smiling at an officer as he is handcuffed and arrested.
In the second clip, police can be seen moving in to tackle a gang and trying to control the youths as they show resistance.
The videos were apparently separately uploaded in June and August of this year.
Inspector Pearce said: “It is disappointing that someone finds this something to laugh at.
“An arrest is a serious undertaking and we do not take arresting people lightly.”
West Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger said: “It is glorification of crime and makes people think it is okay to get arrested, film it, and post it as a sort of hero’s charter.
“I advise people not to do this because it is not clever and in many ways makes people think it is okay to be anti-social.”
Somerset West divisional Supt Damian Kearney called on anybody who had any video footage which could help the investigation to contact police.
Supt Kearney said: “The fact that people see it as some sort of amusing part of their day to watch is concerning.
“I do not know the facts of these incidents but ultimately there is usually a victim and I would rather people’s efforts were placed on bringing offenders to justice than getting some sort of titillation by uploading it to a film-sharing website.”

• Our photograph shows a still from one of the YouTube video postings.

Safety crackdown nets taxis and private hire vehicles

A SAFETY crackdown on private hire and taxi cabs in West Somerset has been carried out jointly by West Somerset Council, the police, and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA).
They joined forces for the operation last week, on Thursday, August 21, when 22 vehicles were rounded up by police motorcyclists and taken to Minehead police headquarters.
There, they were inspected by the council and VOSA.
Four prohibition notices - which stop the operator from trading with immediate effect - were issued.
Three notices were lifted after minor remedial work was completed by qualified mechanics, but one hackney carriage from outside the district had to return to its home town for remedial work.
District council licensing committee chairman Councillor Jenny Hill said: “We were pleased to find that the majority of private hire and taxi cabs were in a safe and sound condition, and those that did not meet the stringent standards only needed minor work to bring them up to scratch.
“However, it shows that we are not prepared to compromise public safety or public trust in the generally good service provided by our licensed operators.”
Police Inspector Carol Pearce said: “Road safety is an important issue for all road users, whether drivers, passengers, or pedestrians, and we were delighted to help our colleagues with this operation.
“All vehicles suffer general wear and tear, so we recommend that all drivers regularly check their vehicles to ensure that they comply with the construction and use regulations.
“Local police conduct roadside checks to ensure vehicles are roadworthy and appropriately insured and taxed.”

Police using new powers to reduce alcohol-fuelled crimes

NEW powers for police have resulted in a fall in trouble in West Somerset caused by drunken yobs, the district’s police chief said yesterday.
Inspector Carol Pearce said dispersal powers under the section 27 notices mean police can move on anybody who is displaying anti-social behaviour or whose conduct could result in alcohol-fuelled criminal activity.
Inspector Pearce said that since the introduction of the powers in February, officers had issued 22 notices in Minehead, making the town a safer place in which to live and to visit.
Police now have the power of arrest if anybody refuses to move on when asked to do so, resulting in seven people being arrested since February.
Inspector Pearce said: “It is having quite an impact on reported anti-social behaviour and minor nuisance crime, which have both seen quite a fall.
“It is also connected with work we have been doing with local agencies, including the district council and licensees, with regular enforcement incentives in premises.
“These orders make it much more pleasant for holidaymakers and residents.
“It is all down to the amount of work locally that has gone on.”

Crime is still falling says West Somerset police chief

THE number of crimes being committed across West Somerset has continued to fall, the district’s police chief, Inspector Carol Pearce, has claimed.
Inspector Pearce said there was a 25 per cent reduction in crime last year, and a further five per cent fall since April of this year.
She said: “It is all about keeping our community safe and enabling people to feel safe, whether on holiday or a resident.”
Inspector Pearce was speaking after a successful Operation Relentless initiative at the weekend in which officers visited alcohol-designated areas and licensed premises to detect licensing and drug offences and to seize alcohol.
The York House Inn, in Minehead, which is a Pub Watch member, took part in drug testing, working with police and the licensing department.
An Itemiser machine was used and 49 people were tested for controlled drugs - with none found to be positive.
The number of alcohol seizures was also well down on the previous such exercise, and Inspector Pearce said this type of prevention activity would be repeated by partners across West Somerset.
Inspector Pearce said: “This is a positive indication that police presence, and new orders, are having an impact on people’s behaviour.
“It shows that most of the time we have people in the right place at the right time.
“Police officers, PCSOs, and Special Constables are routinely checking alcohol-designated areas, seizing alcohol, and moving people on though a Section 27 Order where they may cause a nuisance.”
Inspector Pearce said people now understood the message that police were taking anti-social-behaviour and drugs abuse seriously.
However, she said it remained important for residents to keep the police informed about any problems they had in their area.
She said: “I make sure my patrols are in the areas we know they are needed.
“If people do not tell us about their problems, we do not always know they exist.”

Appeal for people to join Neighbourhood Watch schemes

MORE members are needed for Neighbourhood Watch schemes across West Somerset to help police fight crime in local communities.
Benefits for members include regular information on home security from local co-ordinators on your road or street, specials offers on home security products and discount on home insurance.
Minehead Sector Inspector Carol Pearce said: "We are always hopeful that more people will sign up and join up with Neighbourhood Watch, becoming an active part of their local community.
"While Neighbourhood Watch is successful in West Somerset, we still have some towns and villages which are not involved and I am keen to come together with other agencies and show them the benefits.
"Members are also important to us as we look to create safer, stronger neighbourhoods across the county."
John Lees, chairman of the Somerset West Crime Prevention Panel, also encouraged local people to read the packs and get more involved.
He said: "The folder comes to members with the compliments of all agencies involved in the project, and I would like to thank the local firms who have sponsored its production"
West Somerset Community Safety Liaison Officer Pete Hughes also gave his backing to the initiative.
He said: "West Somerset is one of the loveliest and most scenic parts of the country in which to live and work, Its also one of the safest in terms of crime and anti-social behaviour.
"I am delighted to be associated with the production of this folder which includes important information and practical tips to make sure householders are aware of what steps they can take to reduce the chance of them becoming a victim".
You can obtain more information about joining schemes by contacting Somerset Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator Lindsey Stone in the Watch Schemes Office, Bridgwater Police Station, on 0845 4567000 during office hours.
You can also look at the Neighbourhood Watch pages at www.avonandsomerset.police.uk