This page is relevant to all villages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nottingham Knockers

A great deal of people, especially the lone elderly, do not like opening their front door to be face to face with a young man selling what most households already have in their possession. If anything, the Nottingham Knocker call is more akin to menacing begging based on some of the Facebook posts regarding this activity. Often, a Facebook post raises the alarm for locals so that they can be more wary of opening the door. Stickers on doors stating 'No doorstep Selling Zone' do not deter these people. Most of the time the Facebook alarm is too late and so a simple Whatsapp group for an instant alert would work better. A simple statement of Road and Village will quickly highlight where these activities are taking place.
If you want to be notified by and/or notify your neighbours of activity in the areas covered by these pages follow the instructions below.
Click here to join if you're reading this on your mobile or scan the QR code with your phone if looking at this on your PC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Statement from Steven Broadbent - Local Authority Funding Reform
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Responding to the government’s statement on Local Authority Funding Reform, Leader of Buckinghamshire Council, Steven Broadbent said:

The government’s statement today is a mixed bag, and for me, a very real concern remains around what a ‘place-based’ formula means in practice and the ongoing potential for funding that pays for vital local services to be redirected away from areas like Buckinghamshire.

We have more than 550,000 residents here in Buckinghamshire and their lives and needs are just as important as those elsewhere.

I welcome the further opportunity to make representations to government on how funding will need to recognise the relative costs of delivering services across different parts of the country.

However, this eight week consultation is more than 100 pages long so working through the detail will be a complex exercise as we need to completely understand the impact on Buckinghamshire of what is being proposed to make a fully considered and informed response.

Locally, an absolute priority is ensuring our residents get value for money from their council tax. We are a large unitary authority with considerable pressures in social care, home to school transport, and SEND provision so we cannot see an outcome where funding is directed away from this area.

Today’s statement does seem to demonstrate a starting point on some of the biggest issues facing local government, particularly confirming a multi-year financial settlement and an acceptance of the sector’s calls to update the adult social care formula building on previous academic research, which could also benefit county areas.  It is also welcome to see rural communities recognised alongside more built-up areas in the aspirations around this work and it’s vital that the government stays true to its word on this.

My job is to make sure Buckinghamshire’s voice is heard in the continuing conversation. Ultimately, we need to see real progress and sustainable outcome for all councils when it comes to how money is allocated to local authorities.”

Buckinghamshire Council libraries launch new Carer’s Card​

Following a successful ‘CareFest’ in Buckinghamshire libraries – the first week of its kind, a new library card has been launched for carers. The new card, beautifully designed by local young carers, provides a new library membership category tailored specifically to Buckinghamshire carers.

This new category offers two key benefits: no overdue fees and an extended loan period of an extra week. The Council recognises that carers often face unpredictable schedules and responsibilities, which can make it difficult to return items on time. By removing the pressure of fines and giving them more time, the initiative aims to make it easier for unpaid carers to access and enjoy library resources without added stress.

The card was launched during CareFest - a vibrant, week-long festival celebrating the vital contributions of unpaid carers across the county. Organised by Carers Bucks and supported by Buckinghamshire Council through its Healthy Libraries programme—a partnership between Public Health and the library service—this inaugural event added a new dimension to the Council’s ongoing support for carers.

Held during Carers Week last week, (Monday 9 June to Friday 13 June), CareFest brought together carers from across Buckinghamshire to connect, learn, and take part in a wide range of free activities. With events hosted in libraries across the county and additional sessions available online, the festival was designed to be inclusive and accessible to all. Attendees enjoyed well-being sessions, heard from inspiring guest speakers, and explored engaging information stands.

 

 

Loan sharks - understanding the dangers and how you can make a difference

 

We are delighted to invite you to our FREE webinars about STOPLOANSHARK, which is a government funded initiative that not many of us know about.  In fact, our Head of Membership had never heard of them until she attended a local event in West Yorkshire, during Neighbourhood Watch Week this year.  The presentation was truly informative, emotionally moving and hopeful.  In fact it was so good that we didn't want to keep it to ourselves!

 

What you can expect at this webinar

 

• What a loan shark was
• That it could happen to anyone of us
• Warning signs that someone could be a loan shark
• Techniques they use to catch their next victim
• Success stories of  investigations and convictions by this amazing team
• New school uniform campaign
• How they help victims
• How you can help

 

 

We have teamed up with STOPLOANSHARKS to bring to you two FREE webinars on Thursday 17th July.  These will be at 1pm and 6pm.  No need to attend both, but please try to attend one of them.  Each webinar will be 1 hour long.

 

How to secure your space

 

Both webinars will be via Zoom and all you need to do is book your free place for the date and time you would like to attend.  Spaces are limited, so please ensure that you book early.  Please click on the date and time to complete your registration on the Zoom platform.  You will be sent a confirmation email following this.

 

Thursday 17th July 2025 - 1pm Thursday 17th July 2025 - 6pm

 

 

If you are unable to attend, but would like to know more about STOPLOANSHARKS, please visit their website: www.stoploansharks.co.uk.

 

Tell us what you think about Neighbourhood Watch

Neighbourhood Watch's mission is to enable people and communities to be connected, active and safe. Our last strategy laid out three key aims, to be:

 

- An authoritative voice on crime prevention.

 

- The most popular way for citizens to engage with their community.

 

- A contributor to community health and wellbeing.

 

We want to know how we are doing in delivering these aims, we also want to know what you think about us as an organisation.  What do we do well, and what could we be doing better?

 

Please take our short survey, it only takes five minutes and your insights are really valuable.

 

Start the survey.

 

 

 

Action Fraud: Ticket fraud survey

 

In April, we launched our new ticket fraud awareness campaign to help people protect themselves against scams.

 

As part of the Action Fraud scam network, we’d like to hear your thoughts. Your feedback helps shape future alerts and campaigns.

 

Please click here to complete the survey

 

Didn’t see the original email? That’s helpful for us to know too — just let us know in the survey.

 

If you’d like to find out more about Action Fraud or our work around fraud prevention, please feel free to email at nfib.protect@cityoflondon.police.uk.

 

New quishing alert: £3.5 million lost last year to fraudulent QR codes

 

Action Fraud is urging people to look out for rogue QR codes, after 784 reports of ‘quishing’ were made to Action Fraud between April 2024 and April 2025, with almost £3.5 million lost.

 

A new alert has been issued by Action Fraud, warning about quishing, a form of phishing where a fraudulent QR code is scanned, designed to steal personal and financial information. The warning encourages people to stay vigilant and double check QR codes to see if they are malicious, or have been tampered with, before scanning them online or in public spaces.

 

Action Fraud can reveal that quishing happens most frequently in car parks, with criminals using stickers to tamper with QR codes on parking machines. Quishing also occurred on online shopping platforms, where sellers received a QR code via email to either verify accounts or to receive payment for sold items.

 

Reports also showed phishing attacks were taking place impersonating HMRC, or other UK government schemes, targeting people with QR codes designed to steal personal and financial details.

 

What can you do avoid being a victim of quishing?

 

• QR codes used in pubs or restaurants are usually safe to scan.
• Scanning QR codes in open spaces (like stations and car parks) might pose a greater risk. Check for signs that codes may have been tampered with (usually by a sticker placed over the legitimate QR code). If in doubt, do not scan them: use a search engine to find the official website or app for the organisation you need to make a payment to.
• If you receive an email with a QR code in it, and you're asked to scan it, you should be cautious due to an increase in these types of 'quishing' attacks.
• Finally, we recommend that you use the QR-scanner that comes with your phone, rather than using an app downloaded from an app store.

 

If you receive a suspicious email, report it by forwarding it to phishing@report.gov.uk

 

Find out how to protect yourself from fraud: https://stopthinkfraud.campaign.gov.uk

 

If you’ve been a victim of fraud, report it at www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, contact Police Scotland on 101.

 

 

 

 

Romance Fraud

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More than £106 million lost in the last year within the UK to romance fraud.

 

New figures from City of London Police, the National Lead Force for fraud, show that more than £106 million was lost to romance fraud in the UK last year, as the number of victims continues to rise.

 

Data from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) reveals a disturbing 9% increase in romance fraud reports in the past year, with 9,449 reports made in the 2024/25 financial year. On average, victims lost £11,222 each—proof of the emotionally devastating and financially ruinous impact of these crimes.

 

Detective Inspector Duncan Wynn, Head of Central Fraud Unit at Thames Valley Police, said:

 

              “Fraudsters continue to exploit manipulative tactics to their advantage.

 

Finding love is understandably a very personal matter, but we need to heighten our collective understanding of how romance fraud works to strengthen our wall of defence.

 

Isolation is a key tactic used to cut off victims from sources of support meaning there are less opportunities for a different perspective other than the fraudster’s own.

 

Are you speaking to someone online who is encouraging you to back away from family and friends? (Even though they have never met them?)

 

Have they expressed a negative opinion about you doing anything that doesn’t involve them?

 

Does the contact seem intense, with extreme declarations of love at odds with the short time you have been speaking to each other?

 

Whilst it is natural to expect a heightened level of intensity at the start of any relationship, there are subtle signs of control which demonstrate the fraudsters’ tactics do not align with what a healthy relationship looks like.

 

For those not looking for love, we still have a role to play in looking out for our family/friends/colleagues who may be looking for love.

 

Do you know someone who has mentioned they have started to talk to someone online?

 

Does it seems to have taken over their life, to the detriment of all other interests?

 

Keeping the connection open is key to counteracting isolation.

 

Learn more about the clever tactics used in our e-book - A guide to spotting romance fraudsters | Thames Valley Police

 

If you, or someone you know has been targeted, please take a look at our It wasn't you fault, Romance fraud-a practical support guide”

 

Detective Superintendent Oliver Little, from the City of London Police, said:

 

"Romance fraud isn’t just a financial crime—it’s a deeply personal betrayal that can leave lasting emotional scars. For the second consecutive year, male victims have slightly outnumbered females, challenging outdated stereotypes about who is affected by these scams.

 

“Despite this, stigma still surrounds romance fraud victims, often driven by misconceptions that they are foolish or lack judgment. In reality, criminals use sophisticated tactics to manipulate emotions and gain trust, making anyone vulnerable.

 

“We want to remind everyone that romance fraud can happen to anyone, regardless of gender or background. If something doesn’t feel right in an online relationship, take a step back, verify identities, and seek advice. Speaking up can not only protect yourself, but also help prevent others from being and bring those responsible to justice."

 

Breaking outdated stereotypes, data reveals that—for the second consecutive year—male victims slightly outnumber female victims, challenging the misconception that romance fraud primarily targets elderly women. However, while more men reported cases, female victims tended to lose larger sums of money. This is likely due to the prolonged engagement with fraudsters, who manipulate emotions over extended periods.

 

The 50-59 age group experienced the highest financial losses, totalling £22,108,334. This demographic is particularly vulnerable as they often have greater financial resources, are still in the workforce, and may be experiencing personal life changes such as divorce, separation, or the loss of a partner, making them prime targets for fraudsters.

 

One key tactic used by scammers is ‘love bombing’, where fraudsters overwhelm victims with excessive affection, manipulation, and emotional control to create dependency. Intelligence gathered by City of London Police suggests that nearly twice as many female victims engaged with suspects for a year or more compared to males, indicating a reluctance to believe they’ve been deceived.

 

Romance fraud isn’t just about losing money—it’s about emotional betrayal, psychological harm, and the erosion of trust. City of London Police urges the public to question suspicious relationships, verify identities, and protect both their hearts and their bank accounts.

 

How to stay safe from romance fraudsters:

 

• If you have met someone via a dating app, stay within the messaging function of the application. Don’t feel pressured to hand over your mobile number and move the conversation over to SMS or a messaging platform like WhatsApp or Telegram.
• Be suspicious of any requests for money from someone you have never met in person.
• Be cautious about how much personal information you are sharing online and who you are sharing information with.
• Speak to your family or friends to get advice and perspective. Fraudsters will subtly isolate you for their own purposes.
• Profile photos may not be genuine. Performing a reverse image search can find photos that have been taken from somewhere, or someone, else.

 

It is important that no matter how long you’ve been speaking to someone online and how much you think you trust them, if you have not met them in person, it’s important that you do not:

 

• send them any money, even in the form of gift cards;
• allow them access to your bank account;
• transfer money on their behalf;
• take a loan out for them;
• provide copies of your personal documents, such as passports or driving licenses;
• invest your own money on their behalf or on their advice;
• purchase and send the codes on gift cards; or
• Agree to receive and/or send parcels on their behalf (laptops, mobile phones etc.)

 

 

Council cracks down on drivers misusing disabled parking permits
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Buckinghamshire Council has conducted a successful partnership operation with teams across Parking Enforcement, Fraud, Blue Badge, along with Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), coming together to tackle the misuse of Blue Badges.

The enforcement initiative took place across car parks and on-street parking restrictions in Aylesbury, Amersham, Chesham, and High Wycombe, focusing on identifying and addressing the abuse of Blue Badge permits, along with educating motorists on the inappropriate use of disabled bays.

The operation coincided with the national Blue Badge Day of Action on 30 May, when local authorities across the country united in a collective effort to tackle misuse of the scheme. Buckinghamshire Council extended its activity through to 3 June, reinforcing its commitment to protecting the integrity of the Blue Badge system.

During the operation, a total of 151 Blue Badges were inspected. As a result, 23 Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) were issued. Additionally, over 60 information leaflets were distributed to Blue Badge holders, offering guidance on how to protect their permits from theft or improper use.

Investigations are ongoing, and prosecutions may follow where appropriate.

If you suspect someone is misusing a Blue Badge, you can report it confidentially to the council.

First civil enforcement penalties issued for littering from vehicles in Bucks
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Buckinghamshire Council has issued its first fines to people captured in the act of littering from their vehicles using newly adopted civil enforcement powers.

The initiative, which forms part of the council’s wider For Bucks Sake anti-littering campaign, aims to crack down on roadside littering and hold vehicle owners accountable for waste thrown from their cars.

The new powers, under the terms of the Littering from Vehicles Outside London (Keepers: Civil Penalties) Regulations 2018, allow the council to issue a Penalty Notice (PN) to the registered keeper of a vehicle from which litter is thrown, regardless of who committed the act. Buckinghamshire Council is one of the first councils in the country to implement this process which is more streamlined and quicker than the criminal route to prosecution but still sends a strong message to anyone who may be tempted to litter.

All three cases resulted in a penalty notice for £500 being issued. In the first case, dating from 4 April 2025, a van driver was caught on roadside CCTV discarding litter from the passenger side footwell while parked on the A412 in Denham. The footage was sent to the vehicle owner, and the fine was deducted from the drivers’ wages.

The second incident took place in Bierton on 26 April 2025 when a driver threw a water bottle from his window on the A418. The offence was captured by a dashcam in the vehicle behind and submitted via the council website.

In the final case, in Iver on 15 May 2025, a small sack of litter was thrown from a moving vehicle on the A412, scattering waste across the road and hedgerows. The incident was once again captured by roadside CCTV.

In all three cases the maximum fine of £500 was given - and paid in full.

Last year the council launched the For Bucks Sake campaign to combat littering. As part of the initiative, drivers are asked to submit dashcam footage if they record evidence of littering from vehicles. Submissions must clearly show the offence and the vehicle’s registration number. Evidence can be uploaded on the council website.

All income from fines is ring-fenced for environmental enforcement and street cleansing.

To submit dashcam evidence visit here.

 

 

Vote for Thames Valley Police Community Heroes!
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Community policing is vital in keeping our neighbourhoods safe, building trust, and ensuring everyone feels supported.

Thames Valley Police Community Policing Awards recognise the outstanding dedication of police officers, staff, and volunteers who go above and beyond to make a difference in our communities!

Now is your chance to show appreciation for those who deliver exceptional support and made a positive impact within their communities. Your nomination helps highlight the incredible work of our local officers, staff and volunteers, ensuring their efforts are recognised.

Nominate your community hero on our website

Nominations close Friday 18 July - make sure to get yours in by then!

 

 

Unknown Number Scam and others

Many of us receive unknown numbers ringing on our main lines or mobiles. Often the number may show up as 01844, or 01296 - Aylesbury, or 01494 - Wycombe all local numbers but be careful if you ring them back because a local self employed business received a call, rung back on the local number 01844 and was charged £3.50 to hear someone say "hello".

These scammers use a simple but effective tactic, they will call your phone straight away then hang up before you get the chance to answer. Your phone records the missed call which yo are unlikely to recognise. Many people will call the number back to see who called them. However, the returned call can lead to a scam in two ways.

1. The number you called back may have been set up as a premium rate number without you knowing, which means you will be charged by your phone provider to connect the number as well as charged a lot for the minute you stay connected.

2. When you call the number back you may be greeted with an automated message telling you that you have won a prize, along with another number you must call in order to claim that prize. The second number is usually set up as a premium rate number which ends up costing you a lot to connect to them as well as a higher rate per minute to stay connected to claim your prize.

TEXT Message scams are on the increase ad generally start by sending you a text from a number you do not recognise.

However, the text is generally worded as though it is being sent from someone you know and using the words "Hi it's Tom or Alison. I have just arrived how are you? or "Happy Birthday old fella, we should meet up for a catch up?. Another common tactic is for an automated message  to be sent which sounds like someone flirting with you. This tactic works well as many people respond and begin texting back many times with the scammer. It is only later  when it is too late that they have been charged a higher rate per message sent & it can get worse as sometimes phone companies will charge you to receive the message as well.

Remember to stay vigilant and check the unknown phone number first by visiting:  https://whoscalled.co.uk

WhatsApp

If a family member or friend makes an unusual request on WhatsApp, always call the person outside of WhatsApp to confirm their identity. ⚠Report spam messages or block a sender within WhatsApp. Press and hold on the message bubble, select ‘Report’ and then follow the instructions. If you lost money as a result of the scam message, please report it to @actionFrauduk. https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/

Ask Silver

The new scam checker Ask Silver is a simple tool that anyone with a smartphone can use to protect themselves from scams. All you need to do is upload a screenshot of any text, email or website you are suspicious about. Using the power of AI, Ask Silver will instantly check on the communication in question and indicate whether it’s safe or a ‘Red Flag’, also suggesting next steps to stay safe.

Founder Alex Somervell, was inspired to launch a service called Ask Silver, after a family member lost around £150,000 in a scam. To use Ask Silver, start by signing up at https://www.ask-silver.com/ It is available inside WhatsApp, just like any of your other contacts that you can message. Once you sign up, you will  receive a one-time email with a QR code to scan, which opens the WhatsApp chat. You then simply send through a screenshot of anything you want to check, and you can even report scams to the authorities with one tap at the end of the check.

Filling in Forms

Do you get annoyed when you fill in a form and have to enter your phone number even when you know that the company does not really need it? What are they going to do with it? Who will they give it to? Your privacy is valuable – protect your phone number with trueCall38! The solution: enter their phone number 0333 88 88 88 88 (that’s three threes, eight eights) as your phone number, and if, or rather when, they call, those cold call culprits will hear their short but sweet recorded message:- "trueCall38 is handling my calls. I prefer not to be contacted by phone, so please contact me via my email address. Goodbye!" Note: Some online forms are very fussy and will not  accept the full trueCall38 number. If the number is rejected then enter 0333 8888 888 (three threes, seven eights).

And lastly

Most of us are cutting our lawns, or doing a light trim to a hedge, or  putting in plants etc - remember please do not leave your expensive items out when you pop back into the house/shed or garage as you may find on your return your gardening equipment has gone for a walk.

Another quick thought,  and this may sound strange but if you are  going upstairs or into another room whilst at home always remember to lock your backdoor, never leave it unlocked, because you will not hear an uninvited guest come into your house and help themselves to whatever they fancy at your expense!

 

 

Don’t get hooked: new warning urges the public to continue reporting phishy emails and texts with 41 million already reported

 

As of April 2025, the total number of phishing scams reported to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS) reached over 41 million since its launch in April 2020. This has resulted in 217,000 scams being removed from across 393,395 websites pages by the National Cyber Security Centre.

 

Insight revealed by Action Fraud shows the top industries impersonated in reported phishing emails were streaming services, tech and telecommunication companies, with some posing as various UK government schemes.

 

Action Fraud, the national fraud and cyber crime reporting service, launched a phishing awareness campaign to urge the public to beware of phishing scams and report all emails and messages if they look suspicious.

 

Spam calls and suspicious text messages can be reported too. By using 7726, a free service offered by mobile network providers, customers can forward suspicious text messages, which helps the removal of scam websites and allows networks to block users sending scam text messages. Between April 2020 and April 2025, more than 27,000 scams were removed as a result of being reported using 7726.

 

Superintendent Amanda Wolf, Head of the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau at the City of London Police, said:

 

“We know it can be difficult to spot fake messages or tell if a call is genuine. Criminals can change tactics fast and use the technology available to constantly create genuine looking emails and messages or facilitate calls that feel authentic - all designed to trick us and try and steal personal and financial information.

 

“Every phishing email reported helps us gain a better understanding of the tactics being used and enables us to tackle it head on by identifying malicious URLs trending in phishing emails and texts - they can be taken down and disrupted, preventing further activity. The more reports received, the more people we can protect, preventing them from becoming victims.

 

“Don’t get caught out, Stop, Think Fraud, and make sure you report suspicious-looking emails or messages if you receive them. You can forward emails to report@phishing.gov.uk, or forward spam text messages to 7726.”

 

What is phishing?

 

'Phishing', ‘quishing’ or ‘smishing’ is when criminals use fake emails, text messages, QR codes, or phone calls to trick victims.

 

The goal of a phishing message is to encourage the victim to click a malicious link, or scan a fraudulent QR code, which usually leads them to a genuine-looking website, designed to make victims part way with their financial and/or personal information. Criminals will use well-known brands or organisations the victim already has a connection with, like a bank or tradesperson, to make fake emails seem genuine and more convincing.

 

How can you protect yourself?

 

If you’ve received an email that doesn’t feel right, STOP!

 

break the contact – don’t reply, click on any links, call any phone numbers or make any payments

check if it’s genuine: contact the organisation directly using an email address or phone number you know is correct, e.g. from your utility bills, via a search engine, on the back of your card or by calling 159 for banks

before you delete the email, forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk

If you’ve received a text message that doesn’t feel right, STOP!

 

• break the contact – don’t reply, click on any links, call any phone numbers or make any payments
• check if it’s genuine: contact the organisation directly using an email address or phone number you know is correct, e.g. from your utility bills, via a search engine, on the back of your card or by calling 159 for banks
• forward the message for free to 7726

 

If you’ve received a call that doesn’t feel right, STOP!

 

• hang up
• check if it’s genuine: contact the organisation directly using contact details you know are correct, such as those on a utility bill, official website, the back of your card or by calling 159 for your bank
• don’t trust the Caller ID display on your phone – it’s not proof of ID
• report it by sending a text to 7726 with the word ‘call’ followed by the scam caller’s number

 

For more advice on how to protect yourself from fraud: https://stopthinkfraud.campaign.gov.uk/

 

If you’ve lost money or provided financial information as a result of a phishing scam, notify your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.