Baldwins Hill Watch group formed

Residents push back after series of car break-ins and thefts believed linked to increase in drug dealing and taking

A new neighbourhood watch group was formed for the Baldwins Hill area last night (Wednesday) by some 20 residents who met at the Foresters Arms at the invitation of licensee Lucy and organised by Sue Taylor of the Epping Forest Neighbourhood Watch.

The new group will be run by Lucy and will focus on the current prime concern of drug dealing and taking which the meeting concluded is leading to many related offence of theft from vehicles and homes and anti-social behaviour generally. Hills Watch will establish a link to the new group and work closely with it.  Hills Amenity Society welcomes this initiative and hopes it will lead to other associated groups being established along the forest edge in the York Hill, Staples Road, Queens Road and linked roads.

Co-ordinator Lucy can be contacted at  Info@forestersarmsloughton.co.uk (or by visiting the pub for a drink and/or meal!

Addressing the group former police officer Paul Harris offered a great deal of good advice on keeping homes, cars and possession safe. He also proposed a plan for pulsing back on drugs and drug dealing which the meeting concluded is at the root of the current spate of offences.

He urged all residents to start a log of what they see by:

• Recording time, date and location
• Numbers of people with and descriptions where possible
• Registration numbers of vehicles
• What is left behind (capsules, cigarette papers etc)

He said that by recording such information and filing it with Essex Police we would raise the level of priority given to this area. As always, in cases of emergency ring 999, less urgent to 101 and for the record by email to crime.bureau@essex.pnn.police.uk or using the online service https://report.police.uk/?asb.