Police Report - Breaking News

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Opportunist Theft – 3 November 2011

A resident on Gillsland Road has reported that they had a number of items stolen from their car, which was inside their garage, at around 10:30pm on 3 Nov.
The garage door and car hatchback were both open, as the resident was loading it up from their house. More valuable items in the garage were not taken. It is worth noting that the garage is not obvious from the road, is up a secluded dead-end drive & several security lights come on automatically when anyone approaches.
The items stolen from the car included:
Green Berghaus anorak - medium size (has the resident’s business card in top left breast pocket)
Swiss Army knife - chunky red knife & has a white & black sticker with resident’s name & address on the black leather case.
Torch - chunky black torch in a nylon holster - also with a white & black sticker with resident’s name & address on the case
Coins - approx. £10 in loose change plus a black circular coin holder containing six £1 coins
The theft has already been reported to the Police. If you know or hear of any other information that may be helpful, then please contact PC Alan Hopper (alan.hopper@lbp.pnn.police.uk)
The thief left a blue disposable cigarette lighter on front passenger seat.
Please note that opportunist thieves will sieze on any unguarded opportunity.

Suspicious Clothing Collection - 31 October 2011

One resident in Napier Road recently received a bogus clothing collection bag through the door. It is designed to create the impression that it is for charity but the resident did not think it was. Others in Napier Road have received also these bags. If you are in possession of one of these bags, then please report it to the Police at St Leonards on 662 5000.

Suspicious Callers - 14 September 2011

Two young men came to the door of a property at the bottom of Merchiston Avenue, with a bag of stuff they were selling. The older one said he was doing door-to-door selling and that the other lad was a trainee on his first day. He asked if he could he show the property owner what they had to sell. The property owner asked him what organisation he was with and the seller replied 'Done and Dusted'. The seller was then asked for ID, and he had a hunt through his bag but couldn't find any and said it must be in the van. Would the home owner like to look at what he was selling anyway? The owner said he wouldn't be buying without seeing ID. He asked if he could come back later with his ID - the owner said maybe.
A local tradesman had already noticed them in the street and thought they looked a bit suspicious.
If they had been genuine, one would have thought that the trainer would do everything correctly when there was a trainee just starting?
A short internet search has not shown up any Charity by the name of 'Done and Dusted'.

Polwarth Terrace Burglary - 26 August 2011

A house on Polwarth Terrace was burgled in the early afternoon of Fri 26 Aug. Despite the alarm sounding and local neighbours quickly checking on the property, a number of valuable items were stolen. They gained access to the property via the conservatory door.

Bogus Dyson Vacuum Cleaner Repairers - 16 July 2011

Some Dyson owners have reported unwanted sales calls from bogus service engineers. Callers claim to be from Dyson. But what they're actually doing is cold calling people at random – in the hope they own a Dyson machine. Dyson never call without permission, or turn up without an appointment. If someone calls or knocks on your door claiming to be from Dyson, they aren't.

The work these companies carry out is often unnecessary and they use non-genuine parts. It can cost a lot more than their original quote – up to £150. And because it's not carried out by an approved Dyson engineer, it invalidates your Dyson guarantee.

Mugging near Meggetland - 14 June 2011

On Tuesday 14 June, an elderly woman was mugged and her handbag stolen outside the Tesco Exress on Colinton Road, near Meggetland. She was understandably very shaken. The thieves were two males, one dark-haired and over 6ft tall, the other shorter with ginger hair and a hoodie tied round his waist. They ran off towards the canal towpath. The Police have been interviewing people on the towpath in the hope that somebody may have seen the two suspects. Were you in the area around this time ? Did you see anything suspicious ? If so, please ring the Police on 662 5000.

Spylaw Road Burglary - 9 June 2011

There was a burglary at a house on Spylaw Road on the night of Thursday 9th June.
Police officers were patrolling the surrounding area during the small hours of the morning of Friday 10 June, checking to see whether nearby security lights had been triggered by the departing thief.
No more information is known at present.

Solar Energy Cold Callers (a message from Scambusters) - 19 May 2011

The Scottish Regional Scambusters Team are warning consumers to be on their guard regarding representatives from companies canvassing for solar panels and energy saving installations.

There have been recent reports of consumers in Scotland being cold called by telephone or receiving unsolicited home visits from company representatives offering the installation of solar panels or other similar energy saving devices on a special offer and pressure being applied on the day to sign expensive contracts, without the consumer having appropriate time to make an informed decision and consider other suppliers. We would urge consumers who are interested in acquiring a household solar energy system to fully acquaint themselves with information available from appropriate sources, particularly in relation to the expected financial dividends consumers could reasonably expect from energy being fed back into the National Grid. In this regard, it should be noted that for consumers to benefit from guaranteed payments from the Feed In Tariff (FIT) Scheme on systems installed after 1 April 2010, they must have been installed by a Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) approved installer.

Consumers may find it helpful to consult the The Energy Saving Trust, which is a non-profit organisation that provides free and impartial advice on how to save energy. Additional information and a list of registered installers can be obtained from the MCS, a quality assurance scheme focussed on ensuring the quality of renewable technology installations and products.

David Roderick, Trading Standards Manager, and joint head of the Scottish Regional Scambusters Team said, “We would advise consumers not to make a transactional decision following unsolicited home visits by cold callers. It is always beneficial to take an appropriate period of time to carry out some industry research on the product or service being offered and do not sign up immediately. We strongly recommend you consult the government backed websites and ensure that any installers are MCS registered”.

The MCS website is www.microgenerationcertification.org and their contact telephone number is 0207 090 1082.

Suspicious 'Recycling' Call - 8 April 2011

A suspicious man was calling at doors on Gillsland Road on 8 April 2011, at around 5pm. He asked if the residents had any 'recycling material' or any old jackets or clothes. He did not appear to be from any organisation, nor City of Edinburgh Council, nor a charity. He did not offer any identity or have a uniform. He was dressed in a red anorak and had a large black backpack, possibly like a guitar case. Age around 30+. It was suspected that, from his manner, he was going from door to door and looking for 'an opportunity'.
The Community Police Officers were informed, and within 10 mins they had acknowledged that they would actively go looking for the man in question.

Warning - Young Male Flasher - 8 January 2011

The police are investigating an incident of a young male (early 20s) exposing himself to twoteenage girls in the Merchiston area in the late evening of 7 January 2011. This is a serious matter for the police and no additional description will be posted here. Everyone should take extra care at night and please be aware of any strangers or unusual approaches. Please report any such events, concerns or any significant information to the police immediately. Thank you.

How not to De-Ice Your Car - 15 December 2010

Do not de-ice your car by leaving it running with the keys in the ignition
Across the country, many people will de-ice cars this winter by starting them up and leaving them running on their driveways or outside their houses while they nip back in doors. Under the terms of a comprehensive policy you should never do this.

Already in 2010, insurers have turned down hundreds of claims from people whose cars have been stolen during the few moments when the car is unattended.

Every car owner has a 'duty of care' under their policy to look after their car and avoid inviting theft. Leaving it running with the keys inside breaches that duty and is grounds for an insurer to turn down a claim if it is stolen. This winter, please ensure you defrost your car from the 'outside-in' and warm it up only when someone is sitting inside to protect it.

Suspected Criminal Activity - 10 December 2010

A young man in a woolly hat, claiming to be from the Council, has been calling on houses on the east side of Merchiston Avenue, telling people that Council workers will be along to clear snow "in about 45 minutes", but that they should continue to clear the pavements in front of their houses. He was not asked to show his
identity card - but might well have been unable to produce one!
The neighbour making the report thought he looked suspiciously like a would-be thief or look-out.
We are grateful that this was reported to the Neighbourhood Watch Street Co-ordinator for Merchiston Ave.

Reminder #1 – ATM Skimming - 13 August 2010

There have been a number of incidents of ATM skimming throughout Scotland recently. Please continue to be aware of this and take the following simple steps:

• Check the card reader before inserting your card. If you are suspicious do not use it and contact the bank or police as soon as possible.
• Check for additions to the ATM that are not usual (such as a leaflet holder).
• Cover your hand as you enter your PIN by holding your other hand above it.
• Check your account balance regularly.
• Inform your bank immediately if your account shows any transactions you did not make.

Reminder #2 – Sharing your details over the telephone- 13 August 2010

A number of householders have been contacted by a company claiming to be from a Crime Research organisation. They ask questions about the security of your home, including if you have an alarm and if you are in a Neighbourhood Watch. You should not give this kind of information over the phone. The company are trying to sell security systems and charge a very high maintenance rate.

If you are unsure of a caller’s identity on the telephone, ask them to write to you with the information they want to provide.

If you are interested in buying a security system, please seek a few quotes from companies that you trust, and be sure that you understand all of the costs involved, including ongoing costs.

To reduce the number of telephone calls you receive from companies trying to sell you items, register with the Telephone Preference Service: http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/tps/

West Castle Road Car Theft - Wed 28 April 2010

Between the hours of 11:30pm and 7:30am, a new Hyundai car had its front passenger window broken, whilst parked outside its owner's house. Nothing was found to have been stolen, and no fingerprints were left. It was suspected that the Sat Nav holder that was left on the dashboard gave the thieves their motive. The resident concerned reported that the Police were on the scene within 30mins, and were very supportive. They recommend that Sat nav holders are removed from sight (along with any front windscreen circular sucker marks). This type of theft was specifically featured in the January 2010 Police Report.

Scam Alert from Lothian & Borders Police - Tue 23 March 2010

Several reports of the following have been received happening in Clackmannanshire in Central Scotland, Fife area and Hillend, Edinburgh.
A well-dressed individual approaches looking for help, the male is often driving a Mercedes and the contact is made in either car parks or service areas. The story given is that the man has lost his wallet, or has had his credit cards/money stolen. He claims to be in desperate need of petrol and asks if you could lend/give him some money. In return he removes a gold chain or bracelet and a couple of rings which he gives you as a token of his thanks. He then offers to sell the rest of his rings/jewellery to obtain a little more cash.
Be warned that the items presented are not gold!
Police are requesting that any similar incidents should be reported as soon as possible. As always if you do feel under immediate threat however, then please call 999 immediately.

BT Disconnection Phone Scam - Tue 29 Sep 2009

A new telephone 'scam' is currently circulating. A 'representative of BT' calls to inform that they are about to disconnect you due to an unpaid bill. They ignore whether BT is your phone provider or not!
If they suspect that you're not being taken in, then they will 'prove' that they can disconnect you at any time by inviting you to hang up and try phoning someone else. All they seem to do is stay on the line with the Mute button held down, giving the impression that you have no dial tone when you try and re-dial.
They are expecting payment by credit card there and then of amounts from £31 to £118
The police are aware that these fraudulent attempts have just started.

Theft of Building Materials - Wednesday 8 July 2009

On the evening of Wednesday 8th July (around 8pm), a resident spotted a man helping himself to building materials in the grounds of the house at 5 Gillsland Road. The house and grounds are being extensively renovated and the whole area is a building site, with a lot of building materials, scaffolding and equipment on site.

The resident called the police and a police car and 2 officers (a policeman and a policewoman) attended. Before the police arrived, the man made off, carrying pieces of metal in an IKEA (the resident thought) bag. The resident gave a clear description of the man to the police. The police officer took notes and said he would also inform PC Alan Hopper, as our Community Beat Officer. It is understood that this site has been broken into previously.

This incident demonstrates that there are always people looking out for opportunities for easy pickings!

Burglar Apprehended and Confessed - Monday 16 March 2009

Following on from an incident on Friday 13 March 2009, a 21 year old male was detained on Monday 16 March 2009. During his subsequent interview he admitted to five housebreakings in Merchiston, plus a Housebreaking in Comiston Rd and Polwarth Crescent.

Burglary - Thursday 5 March 2009

The new owner of 8 Ettrick Road has informed us that he was burgled last night at around 3.00am, and the police say it bears the hallmarks of a very professional job. A window had been left unlocked - possibly by contractors working in the house. There were four adults sleeping upstairs at the time but the thieves managed to make off with quite a lot of items, and found the keys to a car parked in the driveway - which became the get-away-vehicle.

Three points:

1. If anyone noticed or heard anything suspicious in the wee small hours of Thursday 5th March, they should please contact the police at once.

2. All residents are advised to double-check that windows and doors are securely locked at all times. This may be particularly urgent during these times of financial turmoil.

3. If you have a burglar alarm, it's a good idea to have it switched on overnight. Your supplier can advise re arranging things so that the alarm is not activated by people or animals moving around indoors.

Mobile Phone Scam - Saturday 21 February 2009.

If you receive a phone call on your mobile from any person, saying that he or she is a company engineer, or telling that they're checking your mobile line, and you have to press #90 or #09 or any other number, end this call immediately without pressing any numbers.

There is a fraud company using a device that once you press #90 or #09 they can access your 'SIM' card and make calls at your expense.

Forward this message to as many colleagues, relatives and friends as you can, to stop it.

Many thanks for your time regarding this matter, take care and regards.

Alan Hopper 3521A
St Leonards Police Station

HMO Application for 1F2, 32 Merchiston Avenue - Monday 12 January 2009.

There is a hearing to be held on the 30 January 2009 at 9:45am in the City Chambers for a HMO application for flat 1F2 32 Merchiston Avenue. This application was objected by the residents in this block due to continuing anti-social behaviour and late night parties being held by this flat which lead to vandalism to the communal stairwell and damage to the main front door. In addition [a local resident thinks] the increase in vandalism over the year 2008 is related to these residents and their friends. [This local resident] would ask [their] fellow neighbours and residents of Merchiston Avenue to object this application for a HMO licence and any further applications as these particular flats are letting down the entire street. Your can submit objections to Suzanne Anderson, Council solicitor, Edinburgh City Council.

The above posting from a resident of Merchiston Avenue.

Merchiston Avenue Car Vandalism - Thursday 8 January 2009

This is the third occurence of car vandalism in recent weeks and this time a back light was pulled off one car. Next to this car another vehicle had its wing mirror broken.
A local resident is urging the police and other residents to contact the council and request that a camera is placed at the bottom of our street to try and catch these criminals.

The above posting from a resident of Merchiston Avenue.

Non-Waitrose Phone Scam- Sunday 16 November 2008.

We have been alerted by Waitrose to a new telephone scam being perpetrated in their name. Calls may say:

1. “You have been awarded either a prize or a holiday in a competition being run in conjunction with Waitrose. You are then asked to provide credit card details to claim the prize.”

OR

2. “There is a problem with your order. Please press 1 for more information.”

OR

3. “Friends or family have entered you in a Waitrose competition to win a holiday. Congratulations on your win. Please press 1 for more information.”

With the last two, pressing 1 connects you to a foreign premium rate number at £50 a minute.

If you receive calls such as these or other variations, no matter how plausible they may seem, under no circumstances should you give out your details or press 1. Simply hang up.

If you have inadvertently given your details, you should report this to your local police as soon as possible.

Waitrose assure us that if they were ever involved in a competition of any kind, they would never ask for bank or credit card details or ask you to press buttons on the phone for more information.

Burglary on Merchiston Avenue - Friday 31 October 2008.

A house had its front door forced during daylight on Friday. Anyone with any information or who may have noticed suspicious activity during the day please contact the police.
No details are available about the burglars but it is likely they would be carrying bags or items and may have used a vehicle.
Please ensure your doors and all locks are secure and alarms used when your property is empty.
Leaving a light on is a deterrent.

Comment on Recent Trends - Sunday 12 October 2008

Recently there have been a couple of thefts by housebreaking that have caused concern amongst my colleagues.

The housebreakings themselves did not occur within the Merchiston / Bruntsfield area but none the less are obviously unwelcome.

What causes myself and my colleagues concern however is that on each occasion that the crime occured, it has transpired that local residents have heard the commission of the crime but taken no action. That is to say that a resident has heard an alarm activation at approximately 3am and although concerned by the activation did not contact police.

A resident also was awoken from her sleep, again approximately 3am, to the sound of 'banging' and she attributed the noise to the sound of 'the bowling club being broken into again'. On looking out towards the bowling club she could not see anything untoward and so returned to her bed. Needless to say the bowling club had been broken into by forcing doors.

The point of all this is to again remind you that if you do encounter suspicious behaviour or there is activity that causes you to be concerned, please contact the police IMMEDIATELY and relay your concerns to the call operator. He or she will then determine the relevance of your information and where appropriate police officers will be sent to investigate.

Do NOT be afraid to contact the police. We would rather investigate a matter to discover the matter is a 'false alarm', than to be involved in a long and protracted investigation into crime. DO NOT think that you will be wasting police time. You may infact be saving police time and assisting in detecting offenders.

Alan Hopper

Car Break-In - Monday 6 October 2008

Just to let all our neighbours know, our VW Golf was broken in to in the early hours of Monday 6th October (between midnight and 6am). The car was actually sitting in our drive in front of our house in Polwarth Terrace. We think the responsible person (people?) was disturbed as various items were left lying in our garden and nothing appeared to have been stolen. We did report this to the police.

Car Speed Check - Wednesday 23 September 2008

Just to make you aware that following on from a residents complaint a Hand held radar, (speed check) was carried out on Wednesday 23 September 2008. This check was carried out at Polwarth Terrace.
A total of 21 vehicles were checked with a top speed of 35mph detected.
A further check was carried out at Greenbank Crescent. A total of 28 vehicles were checked again with a top speed of 35mph.
PC Alan Hopper

Continuing Car Damage - Sunday 6 July 2008

A resident on Merchiston Avenue was informed by a passer by at 5:50am on Sunday morning of a car opposite their house had had its window smashed and its door was hanging open.
There appears to be a weekend/Sunday trend to these car incidents.
Please can local residents remain vigilant and take whatever action they can to relocate their vehicles to minimise the risk and opportunity it presents to others?

Theft 'Slip-In' - Sunday 29 June 2008

Emerging Trend: A theft 'Slip-In' is when a theft is committed by taking property from a dwelling where security has not been breached, for example, leaving the back door open on a sunny day and someone popping in and taking something from the house.

Hotspot: Grange/Morningside
There has been an emerging trend of theft slip-ins to houses. Four have been committed in the vicinity recently, with further incidents of a male suspect knocking on doors in the area apparently looking for a B&B. In one case the male asked if the occupier could change euros - euros were stolen from a previous theft slip in from a house close by, thus the two are thought to be linked.

With the better weather approaching and many individuals leaving doors unlocked and open, it is possible that theft slip-ins may continue over the coming month and could affect a wider area.

To contact us on our non-emergency number please phone 0131 311 3131. You
can also check out our website for general information at www.lbp.police.uk

Emergency - In an emergency always dial 999. An emergency means someone is
in immediate danger, or a crime is taking place right now. If it is not an
emergency, please do not call 999.

Regards
Christine Harrison
Safer Communities Department
Lothian and Borders Police
0131 311 3371

Yellow Pages Deliveries - from 14 July 2008

We can inform you that DEYA Ltd will be delivering Yellow Pages and Telephones Directories from the 14 July 2008 and will take approximately 2-3 weeks. DEYA employees have been instructed not to leave them in view of the street, however there may be times when this is not possible. DEYA are hoping that they can enlist the support of neighbours wherever possible.

The contact for this is Karen Barnes, Tel: 0118 977 7239.

Lottery Scams - Fri 27 June 2008

It has recently come to light that individuals/groups are still attempting to obtain money from people by use of lottery scams. Essentially the scam works by informing a resident that he/she has won a large amount of money, but in order to obtain this amount the 'winner' must firstly deposit approx £1000 for admin fees etc. Usually the lottery will be a foreign Lottery, such as the Spanish Lottery with a prize of Euro750,000.

If you have not entered any lottery then you cannot win any lottery. Any such paperwork, or similar, that you receive should be ignored and placed in a bin immediately.

DO NOT respond. DO NOT deposit any money. If it sounds too good to be true then generally it is too good to be true.

PC Alan Hopper

More Car Wing-Mirror Vandalism - Monday 23 June 2008

At 23:30 hrs Monday 23 June, at least 3 cars had their wing-mirrors damaged. The Police know of these incidents.

Witness description of vandal: White male, dark trousers and was carrying over his shoulder a dark jacket. Youthful and average height/build. Only useful feature was that he was wearing a dark beanie style hat.

He was last sighted heading down Merchiston Avenue (North) towards Granville Terrace/Yeaman Place.

Suspicious Male trying Door Handles - Friday 19 June 2008

About 3:35pm on Friday 19 June 2008, a suspicious male was seen in Napier Road. It is believed that this male may have been trying door handles of properties in the street.

This male is described as white, late teens-early 20's, short dark hair, wearing a denim jacket, dark tracksuit bottoms and white training shoes.

Whilst no crime was committed this is a reminder to us all that there are opportunists out there that will take advantage of any opportunity that is given to them. Whilst I appreciate that, (on most days!), this is the hot time of year and therefore windows and doors will be left open, please don't give thieves a chance.

Furthermore, should you have any suspicions about an individual in your street then please contact the police and make us aware of your concerns.

DON'T WAIT until a crime is committed.

Thanks again

PC Alan Hopper

Car Wing-Mirror Vandalism - Sunday 1st June 2008

Last night (Saturday 31 May) there was a spate of car-wing mirror vandalisms in our neighbourhood - specifically the Merchiston Avenue area.
This has been reported via the neighbourhood watch website by one of our residents on Merchiston Avenue (a HUGE thankyou to them!) and an alert email sent to all residents who have provided us with their contact details.

The police are investigating it, but in the meantime, you may do 2 things:

1. Contact the police if you heard anything in the street outside after midnight on Sat 31 May.
Call St Leonards on 662 5000, or PC Alan Hopper on 662 5022

2. Keep your car off the roadside overnight wherever possible.
These incidents seem particularly to happen at the weekends and they are not cheap to fix.

Speed Checks - 28th May 2008

For your information a hand held radar check was carried out at the following locations on 28 May 2008.

Spylaw Road, 21 Vehicles checked, highest speed 30 mph
Merchiston Avenue, 17 vehicles checked, highest speed 24 mph
Braid Road, 23 vehicles checked, highest speed 24 mph

If there is a road that causes you concern with regards to speeding please make myself aware and I will endeavour to carry out a check at that location.

PC Alan Hopper

Pets have Priority - Sunday 25th May 2008

It has been brought to my attention that yesterday the police attended at an unoccupied house within Merchiston only to establish that the rear patio doors had been left open in order to permit the pet cat access/entry. The occupiers were infact away for the weekend in the knowledge that their patio doors were open! Whilst I understand that the welfare of pets is important please do not put the security of your property at risk. I'm pleased to say that on this occasion there was no loss, but the potential for loss was huge.

There is a minimal cost involved in fitting a cat flap in comparison to the likely losses that could be incurred should there be a break in.

May I again remind you all that using locks and window fittings is an essential part in securing your home.

Please don't give thieves a chance.

PC Alan Hopper

Car Number Plate Thefts - Friday 8th May 2008

During the night of Friday 8th May, 22 cars in West Castle Road, Polwarth
Terrace and the nearby neighbourhood had their number plates stolen.

Also one car in West Castle Road had its windscreen smashed.

The Police arrested the offender on Saturday morning - apparently an 18 year old student. We were informed that the police had notices on the windscreens of the affected vehicles by 8:30am on the Saturday morning.

The car owners are grateful to Carparts Motor Components shop on Yeaman Place (228 6222) who very quickly provided replacement number places at a discounted cost.