Gayton Neighbourhood Watch has been operating for over 10 years and its main objective is to make Gayton a safer place in which to live. It aims to help residents protect themselves and their properties, and in co-operation with the police, to reduce crime and the fear of crime in the community.

Regular meetings take place:-

to review any criminal activity in the village
to review police crime statistics
to discuss ways of improving residents awareness of crime
to discuss various crime prevention measures
to consider improved methods of communication to residents
to take other steps necessary to help fulfil its aims and objectives.

Every area in Gayton is covered by a voluntary ‘watch co-ordinator’ who is responsible for communicating information to residents on his/her ‘beat’. Equally, he/she is available to help with any problems that might arise.

Police messages are sent via ‘Ringmaster’ to Joan Wood, the Police Contact for the village, and are circulated to co-ordinators and residents where appropriate.

An e-mail list is kept of people wishing to be alerted to current scams or who wish to be informed of any police messages concerning crime in our area. Anyone wanting to have their name added to this list should contact Geoff Wood on tel. 858800. Please be assured that your address will not be revealed to anyone else as all messages are sent individually as blind copies.

Shed/Door Alarms, Personal Attack Alarms and other ‘Beat the Burglar!’ products are available at reduced prices for Neighbourhood Watch groups. See price list below. For a demonstration, contact your co-ordinator.

Watch Co-ordinators. See list below.

All residents are encouraged to keep a lookout for any suspicious characters or vehicles seen around the village and to report them to the police (or if appropriate, to their watch co-ordinator).

UV marking system
Neighbourhood Watch have special marker pens available for residents to write their post code in a hidden position on valuables to help the police identify and return property in the event of it being stolen. The mark which is only visible under UV light can be written on most valuables, particularly TV, computer and general electrical goods, also vulnerable items such as lawn mowers and other expensive garden equipment. The fee is just 50p to borrow a pen and UV torch light. If you would like to go ahead, contact your local NHW co-ordinator who will provide the pen and torch.

A more sophisticated, hi-tech system is the SmartWater Strategy, which is used for permanently marking goods and property. A small trace or the material is applied to any item of property and it invisibly marks it and and can only be detected under a UV lamp. It is also unique in as much as every single kit has its own "DNA" so any stolen property is common only to your property and that kit is registered on a database only to you. Warning signs and labels are included with each kit.

Our NHW Association has negotiated a special price for the kit. Normal price offered on SmartWater’s website is Ł43.48 annual. We can get them for just Ł17.63 (Ł15+VAT) one-off payment, no carriage charge. We can get this deal through Roade NHW who are ordering in bulk.

If you would like to order a kit (which will code 60 - 70 items), please let your NHW co-ordinator have your cheque for Ł17.63 made payable to Roade NHW, and write your name, address and phone number on the back.

Correct use of the 999 Emergency Service
As many as 6 out of every 10 calls received by the Northampton Police Communications Centre are either malicious or hoax and these are not only wasting valuable police resources, they are also potentially putting lives at risk. In addition, a high proportion of the remaining calls should have been made on the non-emergency number, not 999.
Each 999 call has to be treated professionally and thoroughly. The call handler can waste valuable time trying to establish whether or not it is genuine - in the meantime a real emergency could be waiting.

When to call 999
The obvious emergency is if a life is in danger or someone is being physically threatened. Or if you are witnessing a crime happening at the time, or you think the offenders are still nearby - then you should ring 999.
Other emergencies involve road traffic collisions. If you witness or are involved in a serious traffic accident where someone is badly injured, or where vehicles are causing obstruction or danger to other road users, then call 999.

... and when not to
For incidents that don't fit the emergency criteria described, call 08453 700700. For example, if your car is stolen or broken into; or you arrive home to find you have been burgled and there is no sign that the offender is still in the house or nearby, it doesn't merit a 999 call.

There is also a dedicated Neighbourhood Watch number 01604 432436 for non-emergency calls.

Non-injury accidents
Serious injury road traffic collisions are emergencies, but many collisions don't need to be reported to the police at all. Minor traffic collisions that are 'damage only' do not have to be reported as long as drivers exchange details at the scene. If someone receives minor injuries then you are required to report this to the police and produce a certificate of insurance within 24 hours. But do this by calling the non-emergency number above or by calling in at a police station front counter during opening hours.

Only in cases of real emergency should the ‘999’ number be used. For other contact numbers, see below:-

Northamptonshire Police Daventry Police Station New Street Daventry NN11 4BS Tel. 08453 700700	Community Beat Officer Will Hawes Towcester Police Station Watling Street Towcester Northants NN12 6DE Tel: 01327 303209	HELPLINES Victim Support - 0845 3030900 Womens Aid - 0845 7023468 Samaritans - 0845 909090 National Drugs Helpline - 0800 776600 Crimestoppers - 0800 555111

Name	Address	Area
Joan Adams	25 Hillcrest Road	Hillcrest Road
John Allen	Outback, Back Lane	Back Lane and Bugbrooke Road (south side/school side)
Jens Buus	The Birches, 6 Baker Street	Baker Street
Pat Byrom	Westgate House, Eastcote Road	Westgate House, Goggs Farm & Gayton Wilds
Tony Barrett	Deans Lodge	Deans Row
John Davidson	Eight Acres, Tiffield Road	Tiffield Road
Steve Johnson	High Trees, Blisworth Road	Blisworth Road
John Knight	10 Milton Road	Milton Road
Rita Poxon & Rod Poxon	Karibuni, Park Lane	High Street & Park Lane
Tony Rogers	6 Eastcote Road	Eastcote Road to bungalows
Barry Steer	12 St Mary’s Court	St Mary’s Court
Geoff Wood	Linthorpe House, Back Lane	Back Lane, Bugbrooke Road (north side) and Banbury Lane

Beat the Burglar!

Product	R.R.P.	Special Offer
Shed / Door Alarm	£19.95	£10.00
Personal Attack Alarm	£9.95	£5.00
Door / window wire	£1.99	£1.00
Door Chain	£5.49	£3.00
Spy-hole Door Viewer	£3.49	£2.00
UV Postcode Marking Pen	£1.99	£1.00

Buy the Complete Pack
Including FREE Crime Prevention books & warning stickers
For only £20

You can even add a Low Energy Security Light
(dusk to dawn security for less than 1p per night)
For £7.50

To download an order form, please click on either or as required.

Further details from:
Community Liaison Office
Northants Police
(Northern Policing Area)
London Road
Kettering
NN15 7QP

Tel: 01536 534800 e-mail: NHWnorth@AOL.com