Reporting graffiti

 South Glos Council has confirmed its policy on removing graffiti:

• All graffiti should be reported to the Council
• Graffiti on public property will be removed in 3 working days
• Offensive/hate crime graffiti is removed within 1 day unless police investigations are ongoing
• Graffiti can be reported online here
• Graffiti on private property is the responsibility of the property owner
• The Council will report graffiti on utility boxes (phone, electricity etc) to the utility provider 

But if they DON'T deal with it in the 3 days / 1 day after you've reported it, please let your nearest Focus Team member know (see list here)

Your views on anti-social behaviour

Avon and Somerset Police are running an online survey about anti-social behaviour. If you're using a desktop or laptop you can fill it in here and there is also a mobile and tablet version. The survey closes on Sunday 9th February, 2014.

Small saving for one person costs community £thousands

To avoid a small collection charge someone recently dumped a sofa in an underpass on Shire Way. Subsequently it was set on fire. Smoke blackening the walls and the roof of the underpass was damaged. The heat was so intense that the paving slabs cracked.

Cllr Mandy Sainsbury said "The whole appalling incident could have been avoided if the householder who dumped the furniture had organised for a collection from South Gloucestershire Council.

"It would have cost the householder just £17 but now the council will have to foot the bill to clean and repair the subway, which will run into thousands of pounds, such is the extent of the damage."

Who's got it in for our kids?

Over the weekend two swing seats in Lilliput Park were stolen for the third time in a year - they were only replaced in April. This follows just a few days after a brand new toddler springy horse ride, costing nearly a thousand pounds, was ripped off its foundations and thrown into the stream.

There's also been serious vandalism recently at Woodchester Park, which has delayed the revamp.

It's not just young children doing all this - this is adults trashing play equipment. Not to mention the posh wooden gate that's just been stolen from the Shire Way entrance to Wapley Bushes.

Has someone got it in for our local kids? Please contact the police if you see anything suspicious.

Rodford Way fatal accident - update

The Rodford Way crossing was the main item of discussion at last week's Yate Safer Stronger Community Group meeting. South Glos tabled a report at the meeting giving background and listing actions they are taking:

• Schools road safety education - continuing at all local schools
• Tackling anti-social behaviour - a CCTV dome has now been erected near the newsagents, and a multi-agency meeting is being arranged
• Subway maintenance - graffitti removal, cutting back undergrowth at entrance
• South Glos asked for local people to work with S Glos to help improve usage of the subway, but they did not seem to have heard of the Abbotswood Action Group

South Glos reckon it will take a few months for their measures to have their full effect. It was agreed that a new survey of pedestrian movements would be done around the anniversary of the last survey (27 April 2009), the results to be reported to the following Yate SSCG meeting (June?), the report to be circulated BEFORE the meeting this time.

South Glos's stance is that the safest way to cross Rodford Way is via the subway, therefore the problem is to persuade people to use the subway. When we have the results of the next survey we can see whether there has been a significant increase in the proportion of people using the subway. In the meantime the Rodford Way Crossing will remain one of the Yate Safer Stronger  Community Group's three key priorities.

Trouble brewing at Abbotswood

Police have arrested two teenagers after a woman narrowly escaped serious injury when a bucket of set cement was dropped from a balcony over Abbotswood shops.

In an earlier incident teenagers smashed a window of one of the shops.

Police patrols have been increased in the area.

Anyone with information about the latest incident, which happened on December 16, should contact police in Chipping Sodbury or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

The Gazette has more details of the Abbotswood incidents.

Problems in Sodbury - update

Police have warned that drinkers in Chipping Sodbury will face tough action from the police if they are caught acting anti-socially.

As well as the criminal damage we have already reported on, there was violence last weekend including a fight and an assault in the early hours of Sunday. A total of five people were arrested.

Police have said they will operate a zero tolerance policy on drunken behaviour between now and Xmas (We hope they carry on for New Year, as well - Ed.)

Sodbury Town Council's closed circuit TV system system is see as key to identifying people causing vandalism in the Street. The Town Council has agreed £35,000 to upgrade and improve the CCTV system.

Read the detailed Gazette story here.

Problems in Sodbury, Yate, Shire Way

It's been a bad season for vandalism and other unacceptable behaviour. Shopkeepers and residents in Chipping Sodbury are up in arms about late-night vandalism in the Street - broken windows and other damage.

Meanwhile at Abbotswood a dispersal order is now in effect to deal with anti-social behaviour. Police and Police Community Support Officers now have the power to send unruly groups out of the area. Anyone who refuses to move on, or who returns to the area within 24 hours, could be arrested. (Details on the Avon and Somerset Police website).

Along Shire Way a cable phone and TV box in Blaisdon has been pushed over twice in two days, and at the weekend a large pane of glass was smashed in the bus shelter between Woodchester and Maismore.

Street cabinets damage / cable phone update no. 2

Cllr Mandy Sainsbury, whose phone was affected by the cabinet vandalism, reports that her land line is finally back on.

"I bumped into a rather harassed Virgin engineer on my morning walk. Apparently the idiots poured petrol into the junction box and set fire to it, so Virgin have had to rebuild the whole box".

"Some folk got re-connected ok but some didn't, so the engineers are in the area trying to track down the individual houses that need work to get the lines active again".

"Any blog readers still off should contact Virgin ASAP to get their (I have to say helpful) engineers round".

Street cabinets damage / cable phone update

Some phone lines are back on after the firework damage to the Virgin phone cabinet between Blaisdon and Woodchester about a week ago.

However some people are still off - and one neighbour reports "If you ring my number you get a ringing tone but the line in the house is as dead as a dodo. Virgin have no idea when service will be resumed!"

Isn't it about time Virgin sorted it out? Several local residents have said that they can't get any information from Virgin at all.

New target for vandals - street cabinets

The metal cabinets you see by the roadside are either electricity, BT phones or cable TV/phones. A couple of weeks ago a BT cabinet in Harescombe was pushed right over during the night.

In the latest incident on Wednesday the Virgin (ex Telewest and Blueyonder) phone box between Blaisdon and Woodchester was damaged by fireworks and burnt out inside. Cable phones in the area are off until Sunday or Monday because of the repairs needed.