Meeting and greeting Crowcombe and Stogumber new beat PCSO

‘MEET and Greet’ sessions are being organised by Crowcombe and Stogumber’s new beat PCSO David Rowe.
PCSO Rowe will be available from next month to accommodate anybody living in his new beat area who wants to discuss any issues of concern.
He said: “My meet and greet sessions will still be held in the Community Policing (CPU) bus and will still be an opportunity for you, the local public, to meet your Neighbourhood Beat Team and discuss any issues that you may have.”
The sessions will be held on the first Monday of each month and will last for 45 minutes.
The new times and venues are as follows:

• 5.30 pm - outside Crowcombe Post Office
  
• 6.30 pm - Notley Arms car park, Monksilver
  
• 7.30 pm - Roadwater Post Office car park
  
• 8.20 pm - Lysaght Hall car park, Old Cleeve

PCSO Rowe continues also to cover Old Cleeve parish, while his previous beat of Carhampton and Withycombe has reverted to PCSO Sue Hurley and PC Mark Curran, who work from Minehead Police Station.
The Crowcombe and Stogumber police neighbourhood beat team is now managed by PC Fiona Clopet, who works from Williton Police Station.

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.

Slimmers' fashion show raises £300 for CLOWNS charity

MORE than £300 was raised for West Somerset charity CLOWNS from a fashion show held in the Hobby Horse, Minehead.
It was organised by the Slimming World girls at Carhampton with consultant Amanda, and Tracy-Anne Fraser, of The Frock Exchange, Minehead.
The evening was a great success with nearly 70 tickets sold, and it raised a total of £305.73.
The models were all from the Carhampton Slimming World group with sizes from 8 to 24 and aged 19 years to older than 70 years, all wearing new clothes supplied by The Frock Exchange.
The cheque was presented to CLOWNS at the Carhampton Slimming World group which is held on Wednesday evenings at 7 pm.
Ms Fraser said: “It was a great chance to show people that we do not just stock dress agency clothes but also brand new.
“The evening wear and wedding outfits were particularly popular with some of the models buying their outfits as they liked them so much.”
The event was supported by local businesses which supplied items for a draw, including Butlins, Minehead, which gave a one-year family pass worth £99.

Witness appeal after spate of car crashes leaves one driver critically ill

A SERIES of car crashes across two days on West Somerset roads left a total of six people trapped in wreckage.
The most serious incident occurred at about 6.20 pm on Tuesday, November 27, when a Citroen Saxo and a Mini One travelling in opposite directions collided on the A396 between Dunster and Timberscombe, close to Kittswell Farm.
Police closed the road until 12.30 am on Wednesday, November 28.
Both car drivers were trapped in the wreckage and had to be released by fire and rescue crews using hydraulic cutting gear, a process which took more than an hour.
The driver of the Citroen, a man, suffered serious head injuries and was taken to Derriford Hospital, in Plymouth, where his condition was described as ‘critical’.
The Citroen had been travelling from the Tiverton direction toward Dunster and Mini was being driven from Dunster toward Timberscombe when the accident happened.
Two fire crews from Minehead and a rescue tender from Taunton attended the incident.
Police later appealed for any witnesses to the collision, or anybody else with information about it, to contact the force’s collision investigation unit on 0845 4567000.
Or they could call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, where they do not have to give a name but could receive a reward.
The secure Crimestoppers contact form could also be used, which can be found on the internet at https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/crimestoppers/ContactForm.aspx.
Another serious incident occurred later on Tuesday, when a vehicle careered off the A39 and into a field between Williton and West Quantoxhead.
A man and a woman were trapped in the wreckage and it took fire and rescue crews working with hydraulic cutting equipment nearly two-and-a-half hours to free the pair.
Both casualties then had to be individually carried on boards in a fire service Land Rover across a field to waiting ambulances before they could be taken to hospital.
Two fire engines from Williton and a rescue tender from Taunton attended the scene of the accident, which happened a few minutes before midnight.
No other vehicle was involved in the crash.
Previously, on Monday, November 26, two people were reported trapped in a crash between two vehicles on the A39 at Carhampton.
It happened at almost 6.30 pm but when rescue services arrived on the scene the two casualties had already been freed from the damaged vehicles.
One fire engine from the Minehead station and a rescue tender from Taunton attended the incident and the crews made both vehicles safe and assisted police with lighting and removing debris from the road.