Local MP Jack Lopresti has met residents and Avon and Somerset Police Inspector Clive Summerill to discuss the high number of burglaries that have taken place in Bradley Stoke and surrounding areas in recent months.

The meeting was arranged after concern had been expressed that families who may own gold jewellery are being specifically targeted by organised gangs.

According to a report on Mr Lopresti’s website, Inspector Summerill was able to hear about some of the fears that residents have that their properties may be in danger of being burgled. He was able to give them some background to the form that the burglaries are taking, that organised groups are finding properties to burgle before a different group carries out the break-in. He was also able to let them know that the police have made some arrests, with some of those arrested currently on remand. Ideas on how to combat these crimes were discussed, and Inspector Summerill was able to give crime prevention advice to those present.

Mr Lopresti commented:

“I was very pleased to be able to bring the residents who have contacted me about these crimes together with the police.”

“These crimes are a concern to large numbers of my constituents and I hope that we were able to provide some reassurance that the police are doing all they can to combat the problem. I have written to the minister with responsibility for policing to ask him whether the National Crime Agency can become involved and for there to be a national strategy in place.”

More: Official statistics show burglary rate down in January »

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Well over 200 people attended a public meeting at Holy Trinity Church, Bradley Stoke on Tuesday 24th January to share their concerns over a surge in burglaries in the area, and in particular the proportion of these incidents in which so-called ‘high value gold’ was stolen.

The meeting took place just days after properties in Savages Wood Road, Bradley Stoke; Bourton Close, Stoke Lodge; and Clyde Grove, Filton were targeted by ‘high value gold’ burglars within the space of just 30 minutes, in what police believe were linked incidents.

Statistics released by the Home Office show that there were 16 burglaries recorded in Bradley Stoke during November 2016 (the latest month for which data is available online). This is the highest in any month over the last six years (which is as far back as online data goes). In the 12-month period ending one year previously (December 2014 to November 2015), there was an average of 3.0 burglaries per month, a figure which has risen to 4.8 in the year to November 2016.

The latest surge easily exceeds the most recent peak of nine burglaries recorded in April 2016, which local police described at the time as a “spate”.

Latest figures disclosed

In response to enquiries from the Journal, Avon & Somerset Police have disclosed more up-to-date figures which show that there were 38 domestic burglaries in Bradley Stoke between the last week in June 2016 and 17th January (a period of around six-and-a-half months) and of these, 22 have involved thefts of ‘high value gold’.

The public meeting was organised by Bradley Stoke town councillor Tom Aditya who has close connections with many Asian families in the area, a section of the community which has been disproportionately affected by this type of crime.

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