CRASH FOR CASH GANG SENTENCED

Eleven people have been sentenced to more than 42 years for the part they played in a 'cash for crash' conspiracy. Between November 2011 and March 2013 the gang mainly from the Derby area deliberately caused over 40 road accidents and made fraudulent claims totalling more than £400,000. Two of the men involved came from Long Eaton. Adam Stark, 26, of Trenton Drive pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud but was found guilty and sentenced to 4years and 9months. Liam Swinfield, 22, of Northfield Avenue, Sawley was sentenced to 2years and 7months after pleading guilty to the same offence. The men and women involved were sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday April 7th.

The police operation entitled ‘Operation Skipsea’ began in 2013 where officers investigated a group who set up a vehicle recovery company to defraud drivers by making false injury claims. DC Kevan Handley who led the investigation said:
“The gang all played their part in this complex fraudulent activity, their roles ranged from carrying our fraudulent medical examinations of personal injury claims, driving the vehicles involved in the collisions to providing fraudulent vehicle examination forms. This type of crime will always be taken seriously, investigated thoroughly and will not be tolerated; the sentences received today reflect this.”

NEW BYE LAW GOES AHEAD

A new byelaw is soon to be made to give police new powers to crackdown on people urinating and defecating in public areas of Long Eaton and Ilkeston town centres. Erewash Borough councillors unanimously gave the green light to progress the making of the new law at a meeting of the Full Council on Thursday 9th March. Residents were asked for their views on bringing the new byelaw into force during a widespread consultation last year and there was overwhelming support for the move. Urinating or defecating in public is a problem in many town centres across the country – usually at night and weekends as revellers leave pubs and nightclubs and use shop doorways, alleyways and other areas as ‘toilets’. Police currently have only limited powers but the new byelaw will make the behaviour a criminal offence and anyone caught will face a fine of up to £500. The council’s neighbourhood wardens will also support police officers in enforcing the byelaw. Councillor Carol Hart, Erewash Borough Council’s Deputy Leader and Lead Member for Community Engagement, says:

“We don’t have a major problem in our town centres, but when it does happen it is obviously totally unacceptable. The respectable majority have great pride for their town and I really do feel for the shopkeepers, businesses and our own council teams that have to clear up such disgusting mess. There was overwhelming support for action and this byelaw will help and will hopefully serve as a deterrent.”

The council must now publish a notice of the making of the byelaw locally and on its website and written representations can be made during a set time frame of not less than 28 days. It is hoped that the byelaw will be in place by the summer and signs will be put up in the two town centres informing the public that it is in force.

HELPING THE HOMELESS

Erewash Borough Council Leader Councillor Chris Corbett has again signed up for the overnight charity ‘Sleep Out’ in Long Eaton to help raise awareness of the needs of the homeless in the community. The Sleep Out has become a popular annual event organised by the Long Eaton-based Canaan Trust – an independent charity which supports those who find themselves homeless. The Mayor of Erewash, Councillor Abey Stevenson, will also support the event by formally ‘launching’ the Sleep Out at 8pm on Friday 21 April alongside the war memorial in Long Eaton Market Place. Residents, sports clubs and other organisations are invited to join in the fundraising event and help raise as much money as possible. Those taking part will ‘bed down’ in the area around the war memorial until 7am the next morning. Councillor Chris Corbett, Leader of Erewash Borough Council, says:

“I have willingly given my support and have taken part in every Sleep Out since the event began several years ago. As a council we work alongside and recognise the importance of organisations such as The Canaan Trust, which works hard all year to help the disadvantaged and vulnerable people in our community.”

office@canaan-trust.co.uk or telephone 0115 946 4903. The Canaan Trust, which is based on Main Street in Long Eaton, is a charity that has been working to help homeless people in the borough for more than 20 years.office@canaan-trust.co.uk or telephone 0115 946 4903. The Canaan Trust, which is based on Main Street in Long Eaton, is a charity that has been working to help homeless people in the borough for more than 20 years.

CARS CLAMPED IN TAX CRACKDOWN



Erewash Borough Council Licensing Enforcement Officer Zoe Bull joins one of the police officers during the vehicle checks.



On-the-spot vehicle checks saw untaxed vehicles clamped during a major multi-agency exercise that took place near Ilkeston’s Gallows Inn playing fields this week (Tuesday 7 March). During the four-hour exercise, 16 vehicles were pulled over and nearly half were found to have no tax – with one driver found to have no insurance, no driving licence and no tax. Seven vehicles in total were found to have no tax, with one further motorist also found to have no insurance. The cars were all clamped and the drivers must each pay a £100 fine to have their vehicle released once the tax has been paid. In addition, two vehicles were served prohibition notices for vehicle defects and one was given advice.　 One driver was served with a Fixed Penalty Notice for littering.

As well as checking motorists, the exercise was also aimed at checking business vehicles had the proper documentation. Erewash Borough Council’s Licensing Enforcement team and Neighbourhood Wardens worked in partnership with Derbyshire Police and officers from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). Councillor Garry Hickton, Erewash Borough Council’s Lead Member for Environment, says:

“This is partnership working at its best – a proactive crackdown aimed at finding those businesses and motorists who flout the law. This should serve as a warning to other drivers and businesses to ensure they properly tax, insure and maintain their vehicles as we will hold future on-the-spot checks like this.”

The DVLA team had also run their mobile checks around the borough earlier in the morning when further vehicles were found to be untaxed.

 

FRAUD ADVICE IN LONG EATON

Our officers and staff at Royal Bank of Scotland are joining forces in Long Eaton to offer visitors advice on preventing fraud. Long Eaton Safer Neighbourhood Team is supporting a fraud awareness event being held tomorrow, Friday, March 17 at Royal Bank of Scotland on the Market Place. The event will run from 9.15am onwards with police officers being in the bank from 1pm to 4.15pm.

Sgt Damien Shannon, who is in charge of the team, said: ”The force is doing a lot of work to raise awareness of fraud and in particular, that committed on-line, so we are really happy to get involved with Royal Bank of Scotland and support this event.”

Peter Carr, manager at the Royal Bank of Scotland Long Eaton branch, said: “Our staff have regular training to help us stop fraud and scams. The aim of holding this event is to use this know-how, with the help of Derbyshire police, to equip our customers and visitors to the branch with the knowledge to protect themselves.”

For more information about the event contact the team on 101, or send them a message online by visiting the Contact Us section of our website

here.

For more advice about how to help prevent the latest fraud and scams visit

www.derbyshire.police.uk/fraud

FRAUD ADVICE IN LONG EATON

Our officers and staff at Royal Bank of Scotland are joining forces in Long Eaton to offer visitors advice on preventing fraud. Long Eaton Safer Neighbourhood Team is supporting a fraud awareness event being held tomorrow, Friday, March 17 at Royal Bank of Scotland on the Market Place. The event will run from 9.15am onwards with police officers being in the bank from 1pm to 4.15pm.

Sgt Damien Shannon, who is in charge of the team, said: ”The force is doing a lot of work to raise awareness of fraud and in particular, that committed on-line, so we are really happy to get involved with Royal Bank of Scotland and support this event.”

Peter Carr, manager at the Royal Bank of Scotland Long Eaton branch, said: “Our staff have regular training to help us stop fraud and scams. The aim of holding this event is to use this know-how, with the help of Derbyshire police, to equip our customers and visitors to the branch with the knowledge to protect themselves.”

For more information about the event contact the team on 101, or send them a message online by visiting the Contact Us section of our website

here.

For more advice about how to help prevent the latest fraud and scams visit

www.derbyshire.police.uk/fraud

COOL SCIENCE DAY

Celebrate British Science Week at Erewash Museum with some cool science experiments on Saturday 18 March. Back by popular demand, Sublime Science and Cool Science return to the museum when budding scientists can take part in fun experiments such as rocket launching and lemonade fountains. The science-themed activities are drop-in sessions between 11am and 3pm and offer something for all the family.

Booking is not essential but a small charge of £1.50 for children between the ages of 4 and 16 will be made. Adults and under 4’s are free. Councillor Mike Wallis, Erewash Borough Council’s Lead Member for Culture and Leisure, says:

“Drop in any time at the museum and be amazed at the weird and wonderful experiments on offer throughout the day. Science has never been so much fun, there’s something for all the family.”

6 YEARS FOR COOP ROBBER

A robber has been jailed for six years after holding up a supermarket at knife-point. Luke Monk pleaded guilty to robbing the Co-op, in Draycott Road, Sawley, on August 23rd last year and was sentenced at Derby Crown Court on Thursday, March 2nd.

Monk, of no fixed abode, and another man went into the shop at about 10pm that night. Monk (28) was brandishing a knife. After threatening staff they left with £2k worth of cigarettes and over £2k in cash. After threatening staff they left with £2k worth of cigarettes and over £2k in cash.

Police released CCTV footage of the crime and Monk was identified as a suspect. He evaded capture for five months despite extensive efforts to find him, which including an appeal and a £2000 reward offer from the independent charity Crimestoppers.

He was arrested at a house in Spondon on January 18th after being spotted on a pub CCTV. A second man, aged 25, was arrested on suspicion of the robbery shortly after it happened but there was insufficient evidence to charge him. Detective Sergeant Scott McDermott said: “You can see from the CCTV footage just how terrifying this robbery must have been for the staff who were working at the Co-op that evening, who were suddenly confronted by a man with a large knife. I hope this sentencing brings some form of closure for them and shows criminals that they will be pursued until we bring them to justice.

IN BRIEF

DOORS SMASHED AT BENNETTS

Glass doors have been smashed at the front of Bennetts Hotel and Restaurant on Derby Road Long Eaton. Vandals struck between 1am and 6am on February 24th. Nothing was taken. Anyone with information should call 101.

URINATING TOWNS NUMBER ONE PROBLEM

Erewash Borough Council have been given the go ahead to introduce a new law to stop people urinating in the street in Long Eaton. Before the law can be introduced a notice will have to be put up in the town centre asking the public to comment. The council would then consider the feedback and have six months to introduce the new law. Any person convicted under this new law would be liable to of a fine up to £500. If the scheme gets the green light from councillors on March 9th it could be introduced by the summer.

APPEAL REFUSED

Three Sandiacre men have been refused permission to appeal after being jailed for life in February last year. Peter Eyre was sentenced to a minimum of 32 years and his two sons Simon and Anthony 26 years and 23 years, after 3 people died following an arson attack on a flat in Langley Mill. Tennagers Edward Green, Amy Smith and her six month old baby died in the blaze after petrol had been set alight at the front door of the flat.