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local police updates
Environment Agency water safety warning
The Environment Agency is urging young people planning to go swimming,
fishing, cycle or simply hang out with friends down by their local
river over the summer holidays to be aware of the dangers posed
by fast-currents, cold water, structures such as weirs and locks,
and unstable riverbanks.
The Agency in partnership with the Royal Society for the Prevention
of Accidents (ROSPA) has produced a ‘Be
Safe around water’ leaflet designed to be sent to both
primary and secondary schools throughout the region.
Nick Gupta, Wessex Area Manager for the Environment, said: “Each
year around 50 children under the age of 16 drown. It is third most
common cause of accidental death amongst youngsters.’
In June this year, 18-year-old Jonathan Morton drowned in a tragic
accident in the Hampshire Avon river at Downton.
‘Jonathan’s death is a reminder of the dangers that
swimming in rivers or the sea may present. Now as the school holidays
approach children need to be especially aware of the risks.’
The leaflet was sent as a pdf file to the education departments
of Somerset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Devon
and Cornwall county councils, who then used their own web-based
systems to cascade the message to all their local schools.
The Environment Agency promotes the use of water for recreation
purposes and also wants to warn of the dangers.
Water may look safe, but it can be dangerous. Young people may
swim well in a warm indoor pool, but that does not mean that they
will be able to swim in cold water.
The dangers of water include:
- The speed of many rivers and sea currents are often well beyond
the ability of even the strongest swimmers to cope with safely
- Unseen underwater obstructions exist in many places. These can
include submerged pipe outfalls and discarded items such as shopping
trolleys.
- Other hazards such as broken glass and metal that have been
illegally dumped can cut and injure. Weeds can also trap the unwary
swimmer.
- Weirs, locks, piers and other structures demand extra care from
users and visitors.
Young people may be able to help themselves and others if they
know what to do in an emergency. If they see someone in difficulty,
they are urged to tell somebody, preferably a Lifeguard, or go to
the nearest telephone, dial 999, ask for the Police at inland water
sites and the Coastguard at the beach.
Other tips on the leaflet include:
- Don’t jump or dive into rivers or open water where the
depth is uncertain. If you can not see the bottom it may just
be that the water is not clear.
- Be aware of the dangers of structures
- Be prepared for cold water or changes in weather
- Make sure you are supervised by an adult
- Don’t swim where there may be strong currents and undertows
The Environment Agency manages some 1,000km of inland waterway
across England and Wales and issues safety advice as part of its
role to encourage everyone to enjoy these rivers as well as coastal
waters wisely.
The message is clear: Please take care when in, on and around water.
For more information on water safety visit:
http://www.rospa.com/ruadummy2/index.htm
Children and teachers can also find out more on:
www.wow4water.net/
and www.getsafe4summer.org.
Police Post Box at Downton Co-Op
The local police team has installed a Police Post box at the Co-Op.
This post box can be used to contact the police for:
- Crime information
- Anti-social behaviour information
- Crime reduction ideas or initiatives
- General information from local officers
The box is checked regularly by a local officer but should not
be used for reporting crimes or urgent enquiries.
HGV Restriction is Celebrated
Celebrating the positioning of the last of many road signs around
Downton, Redlynch and the New Forest are Robert Key MP, County Councillor
Julian Johnson, District Councillor Jane Launchbury, members of
the "Downton Residents Against Traffic (DRAT)" group,
and PC Matt Holland - Community Beat Manager.

It has taken 12 years to impose a lorry ban through the villages
on the B3080 in south Wiltshire. Over the years there had been a
significant increase in the number of large lorries using the road,
frequently at night or in the early morning, causing much noise
and stress to local residents living alongside the road.
Wiltshire county Councillor Julian Johnson commented " I am
delighted that at last we now have the HGV ban in place on the busy
B3080. These restrictions will do much to improve the quality of
life for those people living in Downton and Redlynch and I thank
all those who campaigned so hard over the years to help in bringing
it about".
The need now to enforce the new area-wide weight restrictions for
Downton and Redlynch was highlighted during consultation with local
communities and was identified as a Policing priority. The Neighbourhood
Policing Team have been carrying out enforcement checks since the
beginning of April, when the temporary Tannery Bridge signs were
removed and the permament ban came into force. Over 40 heavy commercial
vehicles have been stopped during this period. Whilst the majority
of lorries were found to have legitimate access for the purpose
of local deliveries, officers have issued Fixed Penalty fines to
drivers of 6 vehicles as well as handing out maps showing the zone
boundaries to increase awareness of the new restrictions. Enforcement
will remain a high priority to ensure that lorry drivers do not
attempt to use the B3080 as a convenient rat-run.
Salisbury District Councillor Jane Launchbury said, “We are
delighted with the impact of the HGV restriction scheme and it is
excellent that the Neighbourhood Police Team (NPT) has already started
working on enforcement as a local priority. We are grateful to our
NPT officers and also to the Police Traffic Management and Road
Safety Unit who are working to help our community.”
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