Police are warning members of the public to be vigilant after residents in North Norfolk were called by phone scammers this morning (13 March).
 
Two people living in the Fakenham area received phone calls from offenders claiming to be police officers in London.
 
They were told that there had been fraudulent use of their bank cards – in some cases the line then went dead and in others they were told to call back on another number and when they tried the line had not been cleared.
 
Incidents have previously been reported in the Norwich area and residents should remember the following:
 
 •         Your bank or the police will never ask for your PIN, bank card or bank account details over the phone – never give these details out.
 •         If you receive such a call leave the landline for at least five minutes to make an outside call. Fraudsters will keep the line open and have been known to play ring tones, hold music and a recorded message down the phone so the victim believes they are making a call to a legitimate number.
 •         Use a friend or neighbour’s telephone instead.
 •         Friends, family, carers and neighbours are asked to spread the word to ensure everyone is aware of this scam and what they should do.
 
Anyone who believes they have been a victim of fraud should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. You can also report a fraud to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via their websitewww.actionfraud.police.uk

Here is a link to the correct report.

Sorry for the earlier confusion.

One of the more eagerly awaited participants at last night's Parish Council meeting was our PCSO Keith Clarke. He conveyed his thanks for all the information from villagers regarding the recent burglaries. He and and his colleagues will be around over the next few days so if you have any information that may be useful please feel free to approach him or phone 101.

There were 5 properties burgled, windows were smashed and items taken. One individual was arrested and charged in connection with 1 burglary in Fakenham and is in custody on bail for the Langham burglaries. The individual is a foreign national from the London area.

The investigation is ongoing.

Please be aware that 5 properties on Holt Road were burgled on Saturday at about 5:30.

If you see anything suspicious please call the police.

Norfolk Police report an increase in the theft of diesel from cars and farm machines and also the theft of catalytic converters, which are mainly from people carriers (Ford Galaxy/ Seat Alhambra). See the Police Direct page.

The scene of a helicopter crash yesterday evening (Tuesday 7 January 2013) remains cordoned off as investigations into the cause of the incident continues.
 
Police continue to lead on the enquiry on behalf of Her Majesty’s Coroner Jacqueline Lake and are being assisted by other agencies including the Ministry of Defence and US Air Force.
 
Today these agencies have examined the scene of the crash which has also been visited by the Coroner, to establish the safest and most respectful way of removing the deceased and the wreckage. There will be some tasks taking place during the hours of darkness however, the aircraft and those who have died will remain in situ overnight as their removal could disrupt evidence at the present time.
 
The undamaged aircraft will also not be moved in order to preserve the scene and tomorrow items will start to be recovered from the crashed aircraft. Once the scene is handed over for the accident investigation element to begin, the cordon will still remain in place for a number of days. 
 
We appreciate this is likely to cause some disruption to the local community and will require the A149 to be closed from Salthouse to Old Woman’s Lane until possibly Monday.
 
We urge the public and members of the media to understand the situation and to have sympathy with the needs of the families of the deceased.  This includes respecting the cordons and no fly zones that are in place.
 
Speaking from the scene, Chief Superintendent Bob Scully said: "There are a significant number of specialists involved in the investigation including, the RAF, USAF and senior investigators and crime scene investigators from Norfolk Constabulary. We are all working together to secure all the evidence necessary for us to find out what happened to the aircraft.”

Four confirmed to have died in Cley helicopter crash
 
Emergency services and military personnel remain at the scene of a helicopter crash on the North Norfolk coast in which four people have died.
 
A USAF Pave Hawk HH60 helicopter from RAF Lakenheath crashed at the north end of East Bank on the Norfolk Wildlife Trust Cley Marshes Nature Reserve at around 7pm yesterday evening, Tuesday 7 January 2014.
 
Police can now confirm that the four occupants in the helicopter sadly died in the crash, details of the deceased will not be released until next of kin have been informed. It is not believed that anyone in the surrounding area has been injured.
 
A 400m cordon remains around the crash site which lies to the west of East Bank in marshland between the A149 and the coastline. A second helicopter from RAF Lakenheath was also in the area at the time of the crash and set down on the marshes to try to assist, this was within the cordon and so this aircraft remains at the scene whilst inquiries are ongoing. The A149 remains closed through Cley; access to Beach Road and East Bank is also restricted and there is no coastline access to the crash site.
 
Investigators from the police and other partners have visited the crash site to assess the scene. Due to the geography and the munitions from the crashed helicopter, inquiries into the cause of the collision, the recovery of the wreckage and second aircraft and an environmental assessment are expected to take a number of days to complete. To ensure the safety of people in the area and those involved in the ongoing inquiries, members of the public are asked to respect the cordons that are in place.
 
Norfolk Constabulary's Assistant Chief Constable Sarah Hamlin said: "I would like to pass on my condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of those US Air Force personnel who have sadly lost their lives in this tragic incident. Emergency services, the military, partner agencies and volunteers have been working through the night to deal with this difficult situation on our coastline and I would also like to thank them for their professionalism and resilience.
 
"As our inquiry moves on today and the recovery of the aircraft begins, I would urge the public to stay away from the area – the cordon and road closures are in place to allow our experts to carry out these processes safely and there is no risk to members of the public if this section of marshland is avoided.”

The Wells Safer Neighbourhood Action Panel (SNAP) meeting was held on Tuesday 10 December at Wells police Station.
The below priorities were agreed to take forward:
 o    Crime prevention advice around burglaries along the coastal parishes
 o    Rural crime and crime prevention
 o    High visibility officer presence in all parishes
These will be reported on at the next meeting which is due to be held on Monday 10 March at 6.30pm at Wells Maltings, Staithe Street, Wells-next-the-sea
 
For information on our forthcoming police events in your area and news stories please visitwww.norfolk.police.uk

Weekly crime summary 9th to 15th October 2013
There is a start to what might become a trend in North Norfolk and Broadland. A skimming device was found on the cash machine at one of our major supermarkets last Sunday. On Monday in Cromer we had another one discovered at the HSBC cash machine in the town and it may have been on the machine all weekend. Please be cautious and alert when using ATM’S and if it doesn’t look or feel right then call us and we’ll investigate.
 
As ever, make life difficult for criminals by thinking about your security and that of your property. Call us on 101 if you are aware of criminal activity, or 999 if you see a crime happening now.
District summary
Superintendent Stuart Gunn

The Police Direct bulletin for 07/08/13 includes this advice:  We have seen an increase in walk in/reach through type thefts across the Broadland area but they are just as probable to occur across the North Norfolk too. 
These types of offences are more likely committed by the opportunist thief.   Although the warm weather spell encourages us to open all the windows, leave the doors open and spend time in the garden, we should be mindful of the vulnerability of the front access of our homes.  
Just small steps can prevent these intrusive incidents, if you are in the garden make sure the front of the house is secure by closing windows and locking access doors.  If you leave your home for any length of time make sure all windows and doors are secure.  An insecure window illustrates an open invitation to an opportunist thief to help themselves at your expense.