Whetstone was where I began my day in Blaby Council area – largely because I had heard such good things about the Boyzee Café in Warwick Road. And a very good breakfast I had there too.
I then drove over to Blaby to meet with Inspector Allingham, the local area commander. We went on a very informative “patch walk” – actually more by way of a “patch drive” around Blaby, Whetstone, Littlethorpe, Cosby and Countesthorpe. We discussed a wide range of local issues, but the main topic was about the “car cruising” or road racing that has been taking place on the Blaby Bypass. The good news is that the mass meetings that have been causing so much anxiety and danger to local residents are now largely a thing of the past. The numbers of these have fallen dramatically. There are still isolated instances of single cars or small groups misusing the bypass for racing, but Inspector Allingham is looking into ways to tackle this new problem.
I then met with Cllr Les Phillimore, the Chair of the Blaby Community Safety Partnership. We had a wide ranging discussion about how our two offices can work together to keep people in Blaby as safe as possible. Of particular concern were instances of domestic abuse, but we also covered escooters, street crime and burglaries.
My next visit was to the village of Thurmaston. I went to the church to meet the Church Warden, but found myself talking to a pair of Canadians who had come over to England to track down places related to their ancestors. In Thurmaston they were seeking the church font where their great, great, great, great grandfather had been baptised. And they found it!
I also spoke to several residents, all of whom were complimentary about the police and the work that they do. There were some concerns about road safety in the village, and about an attempted burglary a few weeks ago. In Sharnby residents were concerned about theft from cars and again about a burglary.
Back in Blaby itself I met with Cllr Terry Richardson, the Leader of the Council. He was really complimentary about the service that his residents get from the local police, and appreciated the close co-operation between his officials and the staff in the OPCC. So the day ended on a suitable high note.
