Burglary victim spurred to form NHW group

Andrew Tancock (centre) with other members of the Snowberry Close Neighbourhood Watch group in Bradley Stoke.

A Bradley Stoke man has formed a Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) group in the hope of encouraging people to “look out for each other” after his home was stripped bare of valuable items while he and his family were away on holiday last August.

Recounting the moment when the family discovered they had been burgled, Andrew Tancock, of Snowberry Close, said:

“On pulling up outside our home, we noticed that the curtains in all of the rooms were pulled closed, which is not how we left them!”

“As we went in through the front door, our world was shattered as we discovered our home had been burgled from top to bottom, with every room having been ransacked.”

“Virtually every single electrical item in the house (including televisions, phones, laptops and iPads) had been taken, together with jewellery, money and watches.”

Police told Mr Tancock that the burglary may have taken place over the space of more than one day, which left him wondering why “no one saw a thing”.

Determined to help prevent others having to go through a similar experience, Mr Tancock looked into the possibility of forming a NHW group.

“Setting up the group was very straightforward. The police provided us with leaflets to distribute to our neighbours. We had responses from 15 households and held our first meeting in November.”

Neighbourhood Watch signs have now been installed on lampposts in the street and advice packs circulated to all members.

Mr Tancock added:

“The group has been a great success and we now work closely with our local police, who provide me with regular updates for circulation to our members.”

Anyone interested in joining the group or forming one for their own street should contact Bridget Whittle, NHW Coordinator for South Gloucestershire, on 01454 864404.

More info: Neighbourhood Watch Scheme (Avon and Somerset Police)

Photo: Andrew Tancock (centre) with other members of the Snowberry Close NHW. [Click image to enlarge]

This article originally appeared in the February 2015 edition of the Bradley Stoke Journal news magazine, delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH, to 9,500 homes in Bradley Stoke, Little Stoke and Stoke Lodge. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.

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