Residents get tips on home safety (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Residents get tips on home safety

THE people of Chipping Norton were given advice and information on how to make their homes safer last week.

A Thames Valley police "roadshow" was in the town for two days, to offer help to people about safeguarding their property.

During the two-day initiative police and other agencies surveyed more than 300 homes in the town, with around 50 homes being kitted out with extra security measures like door chains, security bolts, spy holes and smoke alarms.

Sector Inspector Nick Deacon said: "The Chipping Norton Safer Homes initiative was an overwhelming success.

"Burglary in Chipping Norton has risen by 29 offences compared to this time last year and it is important that residents join forces with us so we can combat the problem together."

The roadshow - which visited the Market Place and Walterbush Road -also included advice from Oxfordshire fire service, Anchor Staying Put, West Oxfordshire Housing, West Oxford-shire District Council and Oxfordshire County Council trading stand-ards.

4 On hand to offer advice were, from left, Sgt Kath Lowe, Judith Johnson, from Trading Standards, Monica Downton, West Oxon Community Safety Partnership, Richard Offord, West Oxon housing, Bill Butcher, crime reduction advisor at Thames Valley Police, and Michelle Bowerman, West Oxon housing. dc5372