On Monday 27 February, I came to Oadby and Wigston in response to some good news about local issues – though we are not out of the woods yet.
I started my day with a hearty breakfast of crusty bacon cob with black pudding on the side in the Corner Café in Canal Street, Wigston. I was the only person sitting down, but there was a steady stream of people coming in and out wanting takeaways. It turned out the owner used to work just round the corner from where by father was born “within the sound of Bow Bells” in London.
Then it was off to Wigston Police Station to met with Inspector Perry and Sergeant Coleman. We had a good long discussion about issues affecting the area.
First to be discussed was the outbreak of violence at Harborough Football Club back in late January. Not strictly Oadby and Wigston, but it comes under the same Policing Area. Apparently 10 arrests have been made and it is likely that most, if not all, will be dealt with outside of the formal criminal justice system with warnings and cautions.
We also dealt with some instances of violence against women and girls [VAWG]. My office is supplying 25,000 drink covers to Inspector Perry’s team. These are to be handed out at pubs and other venues. They clip over the top of a glass to stop the drink being spiked. There will also be posters giving advice on safety when out in the evening, to be put up in ladies toilets. It is expected that this project will go live in the middle of March.
It was, however, the spike in burglaries that dominated discussions. There has been a noticeable rise in the number of burglaries in Oadby and some in Wigston. In many ways the rise, although troubling, is not as bad as it looks. Many of the reported burglaries are break ins to sheds or garages, or attempted break ins. Nevertheless, the police have put in place an Operation to deal with the issues. Extra patrols are being put on while householders are being contacted to be given advice about how to make their homes less vulnerable – and some actual locks and other hardware to vulnerable individuals. There is a public meeting tomorrow evening organized by the local councilors which will have the police and MP in attendance. I’ll go along as well – watch this space.
