New Milton Advertiser 30th Oct 2020

6 · Friday 30th October 2020

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Forest to share new rural police o cers

A CHRISTCHURCH man is set to be sentenced for raiding the kitchen of an exclusive hotel and stealing more than £1,700 worth of contents. Jack Alexander (30), of Nelson Drive, pleaded guilty to taking food, kitchen equip- ment and chef ’s knives from the Christchurch Harbour Hotel in September. Poole magistrates granted him bail on condition he does not go to the hotel, to reap- pear for sentence on 20th January 2021. Man admits raiding hotel for kitchen goods Land plea to help meet Forest housing targets A SENIOR councillor ap- pealed for land for new rural homes to help New Forest District Council hit its hous- ing targets. Cllr Michael Harris called on Brockenhurst Parish Council colleagues to speak up, telling them: “If you know or hear of any plots, I would love to know about them.” Cllr Harris, who is NFDC’s cabinet member for the local economy, said it had a target of building 600 new homes within five years. Arrest made after phone and wallets taken A MAN was arrested after a phone and two wallets were stolen from contractors working at New Milton’s landmark water tower. Access was gained to the compound in Osborne Road around 11.45am last Tuesday, when a maintenance cabin was entered and the items taken, along with a battery pack. A 51-year-old local resident was detained by police on suspicion of burglary and released under investigation pending further enquiries.

TWO new police officers will be deployed to a New For- est-based Country Watch team following calls from agricultural groups for more rural policing. Poaching, hare coursing and equipment theft were among is- sues raised when repre- sentatives from the Country Land and

that supports our communities as best we can with the finite resources available to us, we have been focused on develop- ing our rural crime strategy to ensure we are targeting those areas which present the great- est threat, risk and harm.”

The rural officers will be tackling agricultural and business crime; rural isolation, game sports and wildlife ronmental and heritage crime; and rural com- munity crime and road safety. Hampshire and Isle crime; serious and organised crime; envi-

Business Asso- ciation (CLA) and National Farmers’ Un- ion (NFU) had their an- nual liaison meeting with H amp s h i r e Constabulary.

A PENSIONER whose body was pulled from the sea between Barton and Milford had drowned, an inquest has confirmed. Emergency crews rushed to Taddiford Gap, off the B3058 Milford Road, after Anne Shotter was found in the water shortly before 2.30pm on Wednesday 12th August. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of the 77-year- old administrator’s death, established from a post- mortem examination, was read out during a hearing opened at Winchester Coroner’s Court. The report also stated Ms Shotter, of Shingle Bank Drive, had malignant mesothelioma in an area around her lungs – a With 156 of- ficers being add- ed to the county’s roster this year as part of the government’s plan to recruit 20,000 nationwide, the CLA and NFU want more cov- erage in rural areas. Speaking after the meeting, Ch. Insp. Alex Reading told the A&T that the two new Country Watch officers were in addition to the large group of extra of- ficers allocated across the force. From their New Forest base the pair will cover the Water- side area, as well as the Test Valley and Bishop’s Waltham. “Public confidence in the po- licing service provided to our rural communities is something we are always looking to im- prove,” said Ch. Insp. Reading. “To help us deliver a service

of Wight NFU adviser James FitzGerald said the group was encouraged to hear police were set to launch more rural polic- ing tactical groups, adding to one in the east of the county. CLA south-east regional di- rector Michael Valenzia added: “Many farmers and landowners have seen a rise in issues since lockdown, especially around livestock-worrying linked to increased access and a lack of knowledge of the countryside among a minority of visitors.” Although the group has been actively promoting the Coun- tryside Code and its inclusion in the school curriculum, it wants officers to “play their part”.

Milford Primary School has erected a marquee to give pupils more space during the pandemic

School a class apart with outdoor lessons

really important to give them a chance to get outside and run around or perhaps have a dance to some music. “The children absolutely love it – they have all adjusted so incredibly well to the huge changes we have had to make to school life. This allows us to continue doing the activities that they love through the win- ter.” The school plans to hire the marquee until April at a cost of around £7,200. Miss Crawford added: “Al- though it is a large expense for us to hire the marquee, for the suppliers its will also be a bit of a lifeline. “They have essentially had their whole summer season wiped out this year so we are also supporting another local business to stay afloat.” Motorists using public car parks should consider parking alongside other cars and incor- porating a wall. They should also avoid park- ing half on the pavement as this can provide easier access for thieves. Local garages can also be asked to weld any bolts hold- ing converters in place to make them more difficult to remove. Further advice can be found at bit.ly/2HlNqdY Converter thefts should be reported to Hampshire police online at bit.ly/2Teo9oC and people are asked to include de- tails of any markings that can help identify any which are re- covered.

sports even when they cannot meet face to face. The costs of hiring the mar- quee have been supported by a £750 grant from Milford Parish Council and a £1,000 donation from ACE Water Works plumb- ing and heating. However, the school is still looking for extra cash to help cover the hire costs through the winter months. Miss Crawford said: “We have been given money towards ex- tra tuition for the children that need it but there is no extra money for things like marquees or extra resources. We have a parent who is looking into set- ting up a crowdfunding page for us. “Because our children are taught in bubbles, they will spend a lot their time in one classroom – so we felt it was Hondas and Toyotas are par- ticularly vulnerable because their converters are cleaner and therefore the valuable metals contained within them are less likely to corrode. “They are also easier to ac- cess on hybrid vehicles. “Catalytic converters can be stolen within a few minutes by using just a few basic tools, but there are ways you can protect your vehicle if, like many peo- ple, you don’t have access to a garage.” Tips to help avoid falling vic- tim to such thefts include park- ing the vehicle with its bonnet or exhaust – depending on where the converter is fitted – to the wall.

around even in bad weather. Head teacher Kate Crawford said: “The marquee is huge and really well ventilated so it ideal for the children to run around in. “If the weather is awful it means we can still go ahead with PE lessons and our for- est school learning; and it also gives us an extra space to do small group work and provide curriculum catch-up for the children who need it.” Last week children from all year groups were able to com- pete in a virtual ball games challenge run by teachers and students from Priestlands School in Lymington. Their scores will be tallied against other local primary schools taking part in the chal- lenge, to enable youngsters to continue enjoying competitive A SPIKE in catalytic convert- er thefts in the New Forest has prompted a warning from po- lice for motorists to keep vehi- cles secure. Since the beginning of Octo- ber, six thefts have been report- ed in the district, with areas targeted including Ringwood, Totton and Fordingbridge. The rate of these offences is believed to be linked to the high prices fetched from the rhodi- um and palladium contained within the converters. This year the value of these metals has increased, making them more desirable to thieves. A Hampshire police spokes- person said: “We are seeing that cat converters on hybrid

Head teacher books huge marquee to give pupils winter space

Woman (77) found in sea had drowned

BY ROZ WATERS

A SCHOOL has created a new outdoor classroom to help its pupils get through the winter with some extra space amid the pandemic. Milford Primary School said the importance of sports and outdoor learning persuaded it to invest over £7,000 hiring a huge marquee. The structure, which is roughly the same size as the school hall, has been supplied with flooring, lighting and ta- bles to enable youngsters to spend time outside and run

condition caused by inhaling asbestos fibres. As reported by the A&T in August, witnesses said her body was pulled from the sea as a coastguard helicopter flew overhead. Along with the Lee-on- Solent-based helicopter, the incident was attended by a Lymington coastguard rescue team, RNLI crews from Lymington and Mudeford, paramedics and police. A spokesperson for Hampshire police said at the time that the death was not being treated as suspicious. The hearing at theWinchester court was adjourned, and a full inquest is due to take place on 2nd June 2021.

Catalytic converter thefts alert

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