Thames Valley Horsewatch

[TracingEquines]

Dogwatch No.1047

1. MISSING DOG - (found, see No.1048)

Dogwatch No.1048

1. MISSING DOG

The staffordshire terrier reported missing in Alert 1047 has been recovered safe and well.

2. RURAL CRIME

On the night of Tuesday 10th - Morning of Wednesday 11th a tackroom was broken into on a farm in Tidmarsh, near Reading. Thieves entered via fields in the direction of the M4. Wood panelling was removed to gain access. A meessy search was conducted including of the veterinary cabinet.

Between 2pm on 9th Feb and 10 am on 10th Feb a shed at a property in Pangbourne ROad, Upper Basildon was broken into. High value gardening tools were stolen.

Dogwatch No.1049

1. DOG STOLEN!
• Date and time: 11/02/15 1057 hours
• Location: Mursley, Milton Keynes
• Circumstances: Dog was in front garden, neighbour witnessed three males in the road, one lifted dog out of garden and all three made off. They are possibly linked to a “W” prefixed grey coloured estate vehicle.
• Description: French Bulldog, female, brindle colour, microchipped, wearing a brown leather collar and tag, answers to Margot. She is intact. A neutered male bulldog was not taken.
• Picture of the stolen dog shown below

2. RISE IN DOG THEFTS IN THE SOUTH EAST?

Some of our members will be aware of an article that has appeared in the latest edition of 'Modern gamekeeping' entitled 'Gundogs are the new scrap metal'. Those wishing to view the article in full can find it by clicking the link below. I have added the text to the message for those wishing to view it here. Please note, the dogs mentioned in this article have NOT been stolen from within the Thames Valley Police area:-

Link = http://www.moderngamekeeping.com/news/g ... rap-metal/

Thieves are targeting working dogs in increasing numbers after new legislation blocked cash payments for scrap metal.

Thefts of working English springer spaniels, cockers and labradors have rocketed since changes to the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964 made it a criminal offence to pay cash for scrap metal from 3 December 2012.

Recent cases include the double theft of working dogs from Lynchmere Kennels near Chichester in Sussex. Two springers and a cocker were stolen on the morning of Friday 11 January. Thieves returned the following Monday night and took three terriers and another cocker spaniel. Sussex Police teamed up with colleagues in Hampshire amid fears it was the work of an organised gang.

Sergeant Jon Chapman of Chichester District Neighbourhood Policing Team told reporters: “We have been working closely with Hampshire Constabulary following a spate of similar dog thefts in Hampshire and are following a number of lines of enquiry which I am unable to discuss any further at this stage.”

Just days earlier Hampshire Police had warned of an organised gang targeting working dogs after cocker spaniels Tia and Maisie were taken from kennels near Winchester at around 3am on 31 December. Thieves had already been active in the area, stealing a six-year-old black-and-white cocker named Jarvis, estimated to be worth £1,500, from kennels in Bullington the previous night. That followed the theft of two English springers in Holbury, and another dog held to ransom for a week in Thornhill.

Working to recover Tia and Maisie was Colin Butcher, a former Surrey Police detective inspector who three years ago set up Pet Detectives, a specialist investigations agency based in Surrey.
Modern Gamekeeping spoke to Colin as he prepared to enter a gypsy site near Southampton in search of Tia and Maisie. Much of his work involves gypsies, but he has also dealt with cases where dogs were taken by a jilted lover or sacked employee. He says it has taken up to 18 months to recover a working dog; some are never found.02_maisie-tia-poster2

Colin says that the tightening of scrap metal regulations may be a factor, but “the gypsy community have been involved in dog theft for decades, and I’ve been recovering dogs from gypsy sites for a long time. What’s unusual now is that they are going missing at this time of year, as the shooting season is coming to an end. Clearly they are going into breeding or reselling.”

He suspects a new market may be emerging for stolen gundogs in the Eastern Bloc. “There’s a rise in shooting and an absence of really good dogs over there. At the moment it’s just rumours and unsubstantiated evidence, but there is one guy in particular that we are keeping an eye on.”

Colin says he can sometimes gain access to sites by working with the local council liaison officer. “We’ll walk around and every dog that doesn’t look as if it belongs, we scan it for the microchip. We can speak to the microchip database while we’re on site, and they’ll give us the information if that dog is lost or stolen. If that’s the case we will recover it.”

Some often feel that the police avoid confrontation, and fail to take action even when the legal owner can identify stolen dogs or property. Colin says that, in his experience, the police attitude varies. “Sometimes it’s just lack of time. They have a lot of different incidents to deal with. We’ve had a lot of cooperation from some police forces, while others have been, frankly, crap. It can come down to whether the individual police officer is an animal lover or not. It they love animals, they seem to find the time.”

Colin always tries to go to the police with hard information that they can do something with. Where he can’t get on to a gypsy site openly, he may employ covert surveillance techniques, or even enter the site secretly. He recently got onto a site and photographed a brown cocker spaniel secured with a chain and padlock, getting close enough to scan it for a microchip – although sadly that dog was not chipped.

“I’ve been around working dogs most of my life and I can tell when a dog is trained,” says Colin. “I know that cocker was a working dog, but we can’t go taking dogs unless we can prove they belong to someone else, or we’re as bad as the thieves themselves.”

He warns against taking the law into your own hands, however, as one gamekeeper did over the Christmas break. That keeper recovered his stolen dogs, along with a quad bike and various tools – but ended up with an airgun pellet embedded in his leg.

Colin works closely with gamekeepers, and says that dog theft can be the result of a shooting estate lowering its guard. “You let someone on to do a bit of ferreting or beating. Sadly, they speak to their family and the next generation come along and they don’t have the same sort of agreements with the landowners.”

A spokesman for the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation said: “Gamekeepers are no strangers to dog theft. All too many keepers have to contend with the havoc left behind by criminals operating in rural areas. Gamekeepers are diligent in taking steps to ensure that their dogs are kept as safe and secure as it is humanely possible for them to be, but it is nevertheless important that keepers continually review their security arrangements to meet any new, potential threats.”

Often stolen dogs will be used for breeding, and typically a dog will be sold on to a site that specialises in that breed of dog. “For example, we know of a site in Essex where they breed black labs and Yorkshire terriers,” says Colin. “In the north of England, at the moment they are tending to specialise in the toy breeds.” When a dog is no longer any use for breeding, the breeder will often just release it into the countryside. That could be months or even years after it was stolen, but if it’s microchipped there’s an excellent chance it will be reunited with its owner.

That’s the hope of Dawn Maw, whose four-and-a-half-year-old GSP bitch Angel went missing on 6 December during her morning walk near her home in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Angel had won a field trial award the previous week, making her one of only two GSPs in the country to qualify as a ‘full champion’ for her success in both showing and working.

Since then Dawn has worked tirelessly to find Angel, offering a £3,000 reward, initiating a Facebook campaign, arranging for 15,000 posters to be put up, and contacting every vet and dog rescue in the country. She has visited traveller sites to no avail. “They were a bit frosty initially, but I was diplomatic and said perhaps their kids might have found Angel wandering around,” Dawn says. “Now when I visit I’m offered a cup of tea, but I’m no nearer to finding Angel.”

Dawn responded to several potential sightings and was disappointed when they turned out to be other dogs, but says it just makes her more determined. “I would never have parted with Angel. It’s impossible to put a value on her, but I have certainly spent £10,000 getting her to this stage.” Dawn continues her campaign, and has also been in touch with Colin at Pet Detectives, who is following various lines of enquiry, including the possibility Angel might have been taken by someone with a grudge against her owner.

Dogwatch No.1050

1. TERRIER STOLEN! - (found, see No.1051)

2. FACEBOOK

If you have an account on Facebook then please join use there. Our last alert relating to a stolen terrier (Alert No.1049) was seen by other 187,000 people. It does help in getting a message out and we have just under 3,000 people following us there. Go to http://www.facebook.com/dogwatchalert to join us on Facebook.

3. CLARIFICATION

In Alert No.1049 I referred to an article that I had been lead to beleive had come from the latest edition of 'Modern Gamekeeping'. The article was actually published in 2013. I am happy to set the record straight on this and point out that Hampshire Constabulary have done a huge amount of work to reassure rural dog owners in relation to dog thefts in the area.

[TracingEquines]

Farm Watcher UK

BURGLARY FROM STORAGE CONTAINER

Location - Flackwell Heath, Thames Valley

Officers from the Chepping Wye Valley Neighbourhood policing team are appealing for witnesses following a burglary which his occurred between 2100 and 2200 hours on 16th February from a container in a field off Juniper Lane, Flackwell Heath.

If you have any information, please call 101, quoting reference number 43150045728. Alternatively, if you wish to provide information anonymously, you can call crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Spread the word!

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Dogwatch No.1052

1. RURAL CRIME

On Thursday 26th Bebruary at 9.15 p.m. at a Farm in Mead Lane, Upper Basildon, Reading, a vehicle (thought to be a subaru) turned into the farm, and then spin around and drive away across a field. Upon further investigation it appears that the offenders had been looking around various outbuildings, and had damaged several locks in an attempt to gain entry. Nothing has been stolen, although the farm has been subjected to several burglaries in the past.

Please note there has also been a recent spate of burglaries to sheds, garages and outbuildings in the South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse area over the last few weeks. Offences mainly occur overnight in rural locations, with offenders stealing items such as garden hand tools, high value power tools and bikes.

Please property mark items of value. This may stop it being sold on and if recovered will assist police in identifying the owners so it can be returned and could also help catch criminals.

[TracingEquines]

Dogwatch No.1053

1. RURAL CRIME

On 1st March (Sunday night) at a farm on Baydon, Hungerford, offenders drove a 4x4 onto the farmland damaging fencing. They also drove at and killed a deer and a dog, presumed to be theirs, as it did not belong to the farm

2. FUEL THEFTS

We have received a report that heating oil is being stolen from external tanks in the Banbury and Bicester rural area. Since November 2014 there have been at least 18 offences. A white long based white van has been seen acting suspiciously in the following villages prior to the offences:

Milton Gated Road, Upper Tadmarton, Launton, Stratton Audley, Middleton Stoney, Duns Tew, Hethe, Bucknell and Stoke Lyne

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Dogwatch No.1054

1. RURAL CRIME

Overnight on the 4-5 March at a Farm Shop on Pangbourne Road, Theale, the rear delivery doors were forced open followed by two internal doors. The Farm Shop and stock room were searched and a microwave oven from the stock room was stolen. If you have a farm shop – please take extra security precautions at this time.

Between 9am and 2pm on the 4th March an offender(s) attempted to gain entry to a rural property on the Aldworth Road, between Aldworth and Streatley. A rear kitchen window was found smashed but no entry was gained.

2. DOG ATTACKS ON HORSES

A message from the Mounted Section of TVP:- Recently there seems to have been an increase in reports of dogs attacking horses, particularly while out riding. I would like horse riders to be aware of what to do if they are involved in such an incident while out riding and to highlight the relevant legislation which has been put in place to deal with such incidents. This is also relevant to dog owners who may walk their dogs in areas where they could encounter horses. The British Horse Society has an informative section on their website including all of the relevant information at http://www.bhs.org.uk/safety-and-accide ... og-attacks please feel free to share this with friends.

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Dogwatch No.1055

1. SHOTGUNS STOLEN

Thames Valley Police is appealing for information after a series of burglaries in Chinnor that officers believe are linked. Several high value items and shotguns were taken during the incidents.
Between 7.45am and 3.45pm on Friday (6/3) offenders gained entry to a property on Timber Way, Chinnor by smashing a glass panel on the rear kitchen door panel and using the keys that were in the lock to open the door. The offenders forced a gun cabinet from the wall of the master bedroom and stole the four shotguns that were kept inside it.

The victim inherited the shotguns, which previously belonged to the deceased father of the victim. The details are as follows:
• A rare Miroku Presidential over/under, 12 bore shot gun, which has an oval silver crest pressed into the wooden butt of the gun. This has been rounded and polished.
• A Miroku over/under 12 bore shot gun.
• A Miroku over/under, 12 bore, self-loading shot gun
• A Miroku over/under, 12 bore shot gun
• A .22 air rifle
• A blue handbag containing shooting vests, ear defenders and shot gun certificates

Several high-value pieces of jewellery inherited by the victim were also stolen in the incident. An Omega Constellation wrist watch, a pocket watch, and a Rolex GMT Master Wrist watch were taken in the incident.
Officers believe the three incidents from the weekend are connected to recent burglaries in Tilehurst and Reading, and also another burglary in Hampshire

Dogwatch No.1056

1. LAND ROVERS STOLEN

On Monday 9th March between 10am and 1.50 p.m at Hurley Village Car Park, a Green Landrover 90 index L 3** EJB was stolen.

On Monday 9th March at 10 pm at a farm in Ascot Road, Holyport, a bright orange Timberwolf TW 190 wood chipping trailer was stolen. A dark coloured Land Rover / Range Rover was seen driving away.

On Monday 9th March at 9.15pm at a farm in Wargrave, a green Landrover Defender was stolen index RN ** LXJ. The owner saw it being driven away followed by another car. The police confirm that the car had been involved in a burglary in Newbury. It later drove through Egham at 10.30 p.m

Between 7th and 9th March, at a farm in Brize Norton, offenders entered the rear of a solar farm under construction from a bridle path across a field. They then cut copper cables from the solar panels and stole at least two separate drums of cabling.

Dogwatch No.1057

1. RURAL CRIME

On Tuesday 10th March, overnight, at a farm in Shurlock Row, offenders drove a vehicle onto the farm grounds, forcing open the electric entrance gates, damaging the mechanism. They then drove into the farm compound, where there are industrial units rented by separate businesses. The offenders drove around for several minutes before leaving the same way they arrived. Nothing appears to have been stolen. CCTV shows a vehicle (a two door Mitsubishi Shogun in blue/green with a silver/grey bumper and a rear spare wheel) but does not reveal an index.

On Tuesday 10th March, overnight between 4.10 AM and 5 AM at a farm in Sulhampstead, offenders entered farm land from Harts Lane, using one or more vehicles. They removed small trees and a public footpath sign to access the property. The doors to a barn were then forced open and several motorcycles, lawnmowers and power tools were stolen. Tyre tracks then lead back towards Harts Lane again

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Dogwatch No.1058

1. FARM VEHICLES STOLEN

12/3 - 13/3 Thursday / Friday Farm, Goring Heath, Reading. Farm accessed via fields at the rear. Several outbuildings entered, tools, diesel and a red Honda Foreman 400 Quad bike stolen.

12/3 - 13/3 Thursday / Friday Farm, Goring heath, Reading. Entered via an insecure gate, then on foot went to steal a new Holland TC21D tractor, bikes, loading ramps from various unlocked sheds.

13/3 Monday 4.30 p.m. / 5.30 p.m. Farm, Upper Basildon, Reading. Shed searched on a farm and a green Honda Quad bike stolen – it was later found abandoned nearby.

2. METAL THEFT

16/3 Monday 4 p.m. / 5.30 p.m. Farm, Lockinge, Wantage. Solar farm entered, cutting through the perimeter fence. A JCB telehandler was hotwired and used to transport 2 drums of copper cables and 10 pallets of solar panels – 300 individual panels.

3. OWNERS OF STABLES BEWARE!

17/3 Tuesday Overnight. Stables, Aldworth, Reading. Offenders forced entry to stable yard and have stolen a trailer and a quantity of horse feed. There was also an unsuccessful attempt to steal horse drawn carriages, which were kept there.

14/3 – 15/3 Saturday / Sunday Stables, Denham. Offender broke down a wooden fence which runs parallel to the Denham Road to gain access to stables. Lock cut from stable door and horse feed stolen.

Dogwatch No.1059

1. MISSING DOGS - Found

2. MISSING DOG

A large brown Rhodesian Ridgeback with a red collar went missing on Thursday 26th March whislt being walked in the fields between Marston Ferry Road and Wolfson College bridge (alongside the river path) in Oxford. Once again, please contact us if you have any information regarding this dog.

Dogwatch No.1060

1. MISSING DOG

A dog that went missing in Bucklebury has been spotted in Ashampstead (Postcode RG8....Berkshire) twice on Friday. The dog is called Bess and she is a 6 year old labrador x german shepherd. She is black with a greying muzzle and was wearing a red collar when she went missing. She is microchipped.

She is quite timid and may run off when approached. She was seen yesterday morning near Hartridge Lane and she was spotted in the evening in Dog Lane. If you do see her please contact me via our email alert AT dogwatchalert.com

2. MISSING SPANIELS ARE BACK HOME

The two cocker spaniels reported missing in Dogwatch Alert No.1059 have returned home safe and well.

Dogwatch No.1061

1. TERRIERS STOLEN

These two Plummer Terrier puppies were stolen from a house in Knowl Hill, Berkshire, on Monday 23rd March at around 1:20pm. Please pass this message on if you can. They are both bitches and are microchipped. A black Skoda Octavia was seen acting suspiciously in the area at the time.

Dogwatch No.1062

1. THEFT OF HORSE DRUGS AND TACK

There has been another theft of horse medication, this time over the weekend when Bute was stolen from a property in Ufton Nervet.

The advice is to consider marking your packs of horse medication with a unique serial number (or recording the exisiting one) and then registering it for free on the National Property Register at www.immobilise.com then to report i tif it is stolen.

If you would like your sadllery marked please contact the Bucklebury and Downlands Neighbourhood Police Team by calling the Police Enquiry Centre on 101 or e-mail: BuckleburyandDownlandsNHPT at thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

2. HUNTING ACT OFFENCES

Thames Valley Police has charged five men in connection with Hunting Act offences in Southmoor, near Abingdon.

Danny Johnson aged 58, of Cwmynyscoy Road, William Johnson aged 23, and Jason Jones aged 24, both of Folly View Lane, Tom Jones aged 27, of Upper Race and Robert Smith aged 19, of Lower Race, all from Pontypool, Gwent, were charged on Wednesday (25/3), with daytime trespass on land in pursuit of game.

The offence occurred on Friday (9/1) near West Hanney, Oxfordshire and the five men were arrested on the same day in Southmoor, on suspicion of Hunting Act offences.

The men have been released on bail to appear at Oxford Magistrates Court on the 5 May 2015.

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Dogwatch No.1063

1. STOLEN TERRIER RECOVERED

One of the two Plummer Terriers stolen from a property in Knowl Hill (Dogwatch No.1061) has been recovered running loose between Slough and Windsor. The remaining terrier remains missing.

2. RURAL CRIME

Between the 3rd and 6th April at a farm in Foscote, Bucks, a Caterpillar lift truck index W 4** BJW was stolen from an outbuilding. Access to the farm was through an unlocked gate and the lift truck had been hidden behind straw bales.

Between the 3rd and 7th April at a farm in Watlington, Oxon, offenders removed a padlock from a gate to access a remote shed. They stole a green & yellow John Deere 3036E compact utility tractor – serial number LV3036ECCH410180. Tyre tracks lead from the shed across 2 fields to a car park

[TracingEquines]

Farm Watcher UK

RESULT! 5 MEN CHARGED WITH HUNTING OFFENCES

Location - Abingdon, Thames Valley (Oxfordshire)
Thames Valley Police has charged five men in connection with Hunting Act offences in Southmoor, near Abingdon.
Danny Johnson, 58
William Johnson, 23
Jason Jones, 24
Tom Jones, 27
Robert Smith, 19
all from Pontypool, Gwent, were charged on Wednesday (25/3), with daytime trespass on land in pursuit of game.
The offence occurred on Friday (9/1) near West Hanney, Oxfordshire and the five men were arrested on the same day in Southmoor, on suspicion of Hunting Act offences.
The men have been released on bail to appear at Oxford Magistrates Court on the 5 May 2015.
Well done to all involved!

HAVE YOU LOST A COLLIE DOG?

Location - Warfield, Thames Valley (Bracknell Forest)
A stray male black & white Border Collie has been found by officers in Hazlewood Lane by the entrance of Zeneca in Warfield.
The dog has a brown leather collar with no tag. The dog has no chip.
Police feel this may be a working dog, possibly from a local farm.
If anyone knows who this Collie belongs to, please call 101 and ask for PC 5603 Katie Ali at Bracknell Police Station.

STOLEN TRACTOR

Location - Watlington, Oxfordshire OX49 ‎ (Thames Valley)
Between Friday (3/4) and Tuesday (7/4), offenders removed a padlock on a gate to gain access to a shed in Christmas Common.
A green and yellow John Deere 3036E compact utility tractor and loader bucket were stolen. Tyre tracks lead across two fields to a car park at the top of Hill Road.

[TracingEquines]

Dogwatch No.1064

1. RURAL CRIME IN WEST BERKS

There have been a spate of burglaries from barns and other farm buildings in West Berkshire over the last few days. Items that have been stolen include gardening power tools (strimmers, chainsaws etc) and trailers.

Please help the police catch these people... if you see anything suspicious please call the 24-hour Police Enquiry Centre on 101 immediately and quote URN 356 of 29/04/15 or if a crime is in progress dial 999.

Dogwatch No.1065

1. RURAL CRIME

Over the weekend at a farm in Bourton, bucks, thieves stole a blue New Holland TM165 tractor, index X 2** VJN, from an open fronted barn. The tractor had an Amazon US1801 field sprayer attached. The vehicle does not have a tracker installed.

Between the 3-5th May at a farm in Wantage, Oxfordshire, offenders gained access to the farm by damaging the gate at the top of the driveway. They then smashed a door lock to get into a barn, where they stole a red Polaris quad bike, valued at approximately £4,000.