Month: June 2022

Reigate and Banstead residents asked to be vigilant after distraction thefts

Surrey Police are appealing for witnesses after two elderly people had their bank cards stolen as part of a distraction theft in Redhill and a robbery in Reigate.

The robbery happened on 22 June at around 10.30am when an elderly woman was paying for her parking at a pay machine in Upper West Street car park in Reigate. She was approached by a man who began speaking to her and once she had finished paying, the man forcefully snatched her bank card and ran away.

He is described as Asian, around 30-years-old and 6ft in height with short black hair and was wearing a white shirt.

The distraction theft happened at around midday on Monday (27 June). An elderly man was walking along Station Road when he was approached by a woman asking for directions. The woman asked him to write the directions down when two men approached and joined her.

When the man got home, he realised some of his bank cards had been taken out of his wallet.

The woman is described as White, around 20-years-old with medium length brown hair and was wearing a black dress. The two men are described as Asian and around 55-years-old.

Fortunately, in both cases, the debit cards were cancelled before any money could be taken.

Inspector Alex Maguire, Borough Commander for Reigate and Banstead, said: “We believe elderly people were deliberately targeted for their bank cards in both of these cases.

“I would advise all residents to remain vigilant to strangers who are behaving suspiciously and keep all belongings in a secure, zipped bag which sits in front of your body, and share this advice with elderly neighbours, friends and family.

“If you think you may have been the victim of a distraction theft, or have any information about suspicious behaviour in the area, please contact us straightaway.”

If you think you can help with our investigation, including if you have CCTV or dashcam footage of either of the areas at the time, please contact us quoting PR/45220066999 for the Redhill incident and 45220066312 for the Reigate incident via:

•            Webchat on our website https://www.surrey.police.uk/

•            Our online reporting tool https://www.surrey.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/cor/tell-us-about-existing-case-report/

•            Calling us on 101

If you do not wish to leave your name, please call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Witness appeal after PCSO stabbed in Esher.

Witness appeal after PCSO stabbed in Esher. Surrey Police are appealing for witnesses after an off-duty Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) was stabbed in Esher earlier this afternoon (21 June).

The PCSO had left Elmbridge Police Station and was walking through Old Church Path when she was approached by a young man and stabbed in the arm at around 2.50pm. She has been taken to hospital with serious injuries.

The boy is described as White, aged 14-15 years old and of slim build. He was wearing black trousers and black footwear with a black hooded top and a surgical face mask. He is believed to have fled the scene in the direction of Esher Park Avenue.

Two 15 year-old boys and a 14-year-old boy were arrested in Claygate a short time later on suspicion of attempted murder, they remain in custody.

Detective Inspector Gareth Hicks, who is investigating the incident, said: “We do not believe this to be a terror-related incident, but we do believe this was a targeted attack as the PCSO was wearing parts of her uniform at the time.

“We would like to speak to anyone who may have seen someone matching the suspect’s description or witnessed three young men on a moped in the areas of Esher and Claygate between 1.30 and 3.50pm this afternoon.

“I would urge anyone who may have witnessed something, no matter how insignificant, to contact us as soon as they are able.”

If you witnessed the incident, or have CCTV or dashcam footage of the area at the time, please contact us quoting P22128991 via:

•            Webchat on our website https://surrey.police.uk/

•            Online https://www.surrey.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/cor/tell-us-about-existing-case-report/

•            Calling us on 101

If you do not wish to leave your name, please call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Raising the Flag in Support of Armed Forces Day

Mole Valley District Council once again raised the Armed Forces flag at its Dorking office in support of Armed Forces Week (20-25 June 2022).

The Chairman of Mole Valley District Council (MVDC), Councillor Paul Potter raised the Armed Forces Flag at 10am on Monday 20th June outside MVDC’s Pippbrook offices. The flag will be flying for the week, and taken down after Armed Forces Day on the Saturday.

Councillor Paul Potter, said; “I am exceptionally proud to have been able to unite with others around the United Kingdom in raising the Armed Forces Flag today. The flag is flying at our Dorking offices as a mark of respect and in recognition of the contribution made by the Armed Forces community.”

Councillor Keira Vyvyan-Robinson, MVDC’s Cabinet Member for Projects and Armed Forces Champion, said: “Armed Forces Week takes place each year and is an opportunity for the whole country to express its appreciation of the involvement and sacrifices made by those who serve, or have served, in Her Majesty’s Armed Forces, in addition to Service families and cadets. This special week also recognises the dedication of Reservists who balance their civilian lives with a military career and would be ready to serve, should their country need them. The annual Reserves Day is held on Wednesday 22 June.”

Community events taking place to mark Armed Forces Day 2022 can be searched by visiting the Armed Forces Day website.

Scam Which Happened in Epsom 18th June

On Saturday 18th June one of What’s On In My Town follower contacted us after her 91 year old mother  came so close to losing everything. The victim and her daughter would like to raise awareness how easy it was and to warn others how not to fall victim.

It happened between 6-7pm on Saturday 18th June in Epsom, Surrey. The daughter got a phone call from her mother asking if any one of the family could go round to hold her hand because the police were coming any minute to collect her bank cards and all her cash.  They had called her on the phone talking to her for an hour. The person was ‘PC Smith’ to say that someone had cloned her card and withdrawn £250. They gave her a number for Lloyds bank to report it, which she did, and the bank said they would give her the £250 back and would cancel her cards. They also asked her to read out all of her latest transactions. She totally believed them. Thank goodness she messaged her daughter who saw the message and acted immediately.

As soon as the daughter received her message she tried ringing but the scammers were still keeping the line open even though she said she wasn’t talking to anyone. The daughters husband went straight around to her flat and the daughter called 999. When the husband arrived he found his mother-in-law looking for a mat when asked why she told him “They asked me to put my cash and cards in an envelope and put them underneath a doormat for collection.” The scammers called again and the mum passed the phone to the husband the scammers rang off straight away.

The whole thing was very convincing and the mum was totally taken in. They didn’t take the card numbers over the phone or the CCV but she gave them her PIN numbers. They would have collected the cards and emptied her accounts.

The Police did attend and have told the family that the criminals never pick up the cards themselves but use couriers, so it’s very difficult to catch them.

Please share and warn vulnerable friends, relatives and neighbours.

All incidents of fraud should be reported to Action Fraud which is the UK’s national fraud reporting centre. You can also report by calling 0300 123 2040 Monday to Friday 8am – 8pm.

If a victim of fraud is elderly or vulnerable, reports can be made directly to Surrey Police in order for a Safeguarding intervention to take place.

Scams often operate across geographic boundaries and we work together with a number of national partners to build a bigger picture of how and where scams are operating. Your information can help. If you have you received a suspicious phishing email, text, or phone call you can help tackle these types of scams by informing our partner agencies:

What to do if you receive a suspicious email?

• Email: forward it to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS) via [email protected]

What to do if you receive a suspicious text message?

• Text message: forward to 7726. This free-of-charge short code enables your provider to investigate the origin of the text and take action, if found to be malicious.

What to do if you receive a suspicious phone call?

• Phone calls / Social media: report these to Action Fraud via their website: actionfraud.police.uk/report-phishing

Please share and warn vulnerable friends, relatives and neighbours. The Police Will Never call you and ask for your bank details or need your bank cards.

Citizens Advice Epsom & Ewell fights cost of living fraud

Citizens Advice Epsom & Ewell is joining Scams Awareness Fortnight 2022, a national campaign to protect and prevent people from becoming victims of economic fraud.

Citizens Advice Epsom & Ewell advisers are helping an increasing number of people who have been targeted by a scammer just as the cost-of-living crisis takes hold.  Types of scam include ID theft, unpaid tax claim, online sale and delivery and stolen tenancy deposit.

Ahead of many households receiving vital government help to cope with rising prices, Citizens Advice and the Consumer Protection Partnership have launched their annual Scams Awareness campaign.

For information on the genuine types of help available and how you’ll receive it, see If you’re struggling with living costs and Grants and benefits to help you pay your energy bills on the Citizens Advice website.

Lisa Davis, Chief Officer of Citizens Advice Epsom & Ewell, said “We know scammers prey on our worries and fears, sadly the cost-of-living crisis is no exception.

“We’re asking everyone to help spread the message that scams are crimes that can happen to anyone. Fraudsters always find ways of exploiting difficult times and the cost of living crisis is making many more people vulnerable.

“Anyone can be targeted by a scam, and as the purse strings are tightened and financial pressures pile on, it’s important we work together to protect ourselves and each other.”

To stop more people from falling victim to these types of scams, Citizens Advice Epsom & Ewell is sharing five top tips to help you guard against a potential scam:

      • It seems too good to be true – for example, scammers pretending to be energy companies to lure people into “too good to be true” deals
      • You suspect you’re not dealing with a real company or a genuine person – take a moment to step back and double-check
      • You’ve been pressured to transfer money quickly
      • You’ve been asked to pay in an unusual way – like by an iTunes vouchers or a transfer service
      • You’ve been asked to give away personal information such as passwords, PINs or other verification codes.

If you’ve been scammed, Citizens Advice Epsom & Ewell advises:

      • Talk to your bank or card company immediately if you’ve handed over any financial and sensitive information or made a payment
      • Report the scam to Citizens Advice. Offline scams, like those using the telephone, post and coming to your door, can be reported to the Citizens Advice website or by calling 0808 223 1133. Report online scams to the dedicated Scams Action service either online or on 0808 250 5050
      • Text scams can be reported to your mobile phone provider by forwarding it to 7726
      • Also report the scam to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

Burglar who continued to offend while awaiting trial is jailed

A man has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment following a string of burglaries and vehicle thefts across Surrey.

Tristram Spencer, 35 of Watney Close, Purley appeared at Guildford Crown Court on Friday (10 June) after pleading guilty to multiple offences.

An investigation initially launched on Friday, 15 January 2021, after officers were called to a residential address in Diceland Road in Banstead following reports of a Burglary. The victims returned home and initially realised their Jaguar XFR had been stolen from the driveway. When they entered their home, they found that the rear patio doors had been smashed and multiple items including a TV, car keys, an Xbox, a Playstation and a drone as well as luxury watches had been stolen. Whilst on the phone to police, another vehicle belonging to the victims to which they had returned home in, was stolen. An initial search for both stolen vehicles was conducted, but neither could be found.

Officers, including Scenes of Crime Officers attended the location to carry out enquiries including taking swabs of blood left on a door handle within the address. Further CCTV enquiries in the following weeks outlined the moments that lead up to the burglary and showed Spencer driving to and from the scene, blazingly returning after the initial Burglary to steal the victims’ second vehicle.

Spencer was arrested on the 1 February 2021 on suspicion of Burglary, theft of motor vehicle and driving offences. He was initially bailed and later charged for these offences in August 2021 and was awaiting trial.

Whilst awaiting trial, on Wednesday, 16 February 2022 Spencer came to officer’s attention again following a Burglary in Fetcham. The victim had returned to his home in School Lane to find the rear patio doors of his property had been smashed and multiple items, including car keys, jewellery, sunglasses and a designer bag had been taken. In similar circumstances to the offences in Banstead, whilst on the phone to the police, the victim witnessed his BMW being driven away from his driveway having returned home to the devastation left after the burglary.

Fortunately, the victim had attached a tracker tag to the set of car keys stolen, which was able to provide a live location for police. Officers were able to see that the keys had come to a stop at an address in Beckenham. When officers attended the address, Spencer was seen inside the property and matched the description of the suspect given by witnesses. After being arrested, Spencer made a number of significant comments to officers, including “Do you want to retrieve their car?”.

When searching this address, officers found and seized multiple stolen items including jewellery, the BMW key and even post addressed to the victim of the Fetcham burglary. The victim’s vehicle was located the following day, parked up nearby to his address.

Spencer was swiftly charged with a further Burglary and Theft of Motor Vehicle offence and remanded into custody. During court proceedings, Spencer admitted being involved in two additional burglaries in Cobham and Slough which were taken into consideration in his sentencing.

On Friday (10 June) at Guildford Crown Court, Judge Rufus Taylor sentenced Spencer to seven years imprisonment for all offences.

Investigating Officer PC Joseph Brown said “Spencer is the definition of a career criminal, who had no remorse for his victims. Having just caused devastation within the victim’s homes, he would brazenly return whilst the victims were reporting these crimes to steal what can only be described as their last financial asset from under their noses.

“He would make the journey to Surrey and Berkshire, specifically targeting properties, breaking into people’s homes, and taking anything of value he could get his hands on. Having been given an opportunity by the courts initially to consider the crimes he had committed in Banstead, he showed total disregard to the judicial system and the victim’s by continuing to offend.

“This has been a thorough investigation which has resulted in a substantial sentence, meaning a prolific burglar is off the streets.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank colleagues and especially members of the public who came forward to provide us with vital information and CCTV which proved crucial in this case, which gave Spencer no option but to plead guilty to his crimes.”

Latest news from Chris Grayling MP

Drunk Driver Jailed After Drinking 11 Cocktails and 15 Shots

A man, whose dangerous drink driving resulted in a young woman losing her leg has been sentenced to three years in prison.

Michael Marsden, 23 of Laburnham Road, Aldershot appeared at Guildford Crown Court Friday (10 June) where he was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple offences.

Officers were called to the A31 Farnham Bypass in the early hours of Saturday, 5 June 2021 following reports of a collision involving a car and a pedestrian, where the car had failed to stop. The 22-year-old female victim had been walking home when she was hit by a car with such impact that she lost her leg.

Off-duty Superintendent Adam Smith was driving home from work when he came across the scene. He administered life-saving medical attention to the victim along with an off-duty paramedic Jen, using his belt as a torniquet to prevent further blood loss.

Extensive enquiries commenced and overnight, officers identified a Blue BMW which they believed to be involved in the collision. This belonged to Marsden and officers recovered this vehicle from an address in Farnham where they found the car to have a cracked front bumper and was missing a wing mirror. When questioned by police, Marsden claimed that he believed he had hit an animal and blamed the foggy weather conditions.

He was arrested and toxicology revealed that he was over the drink driving limit. Marsden had been at a ‘bottomless brunch’ event in Guildford, where he drank around eleven cocktails before getting in his car to drive to more pubs in Aldershot where he consumed a further fifteen shots and two pints. Phone work then showed that the day after the collision, he had been looking at Surrey Police’s appeals for witnesses and had messaged friends and family about the collision.

He was charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving whilst alcohol level over the limit, failure to stop and failure to report.

Michael Marsden appeared at court on Friday (10 June) where he was sentenced to three years in prison and was disqualified from driving for 54 months.

Investigating Officer, Detective Constable Rick Edwards said “Throughout this investigation, Marsden has shown no remorse for what he has done and has even been witnessed mocking the collision amongst his friends.

“The victim has shown immense bravery this past year and I hope that this result gives her some closure and allows her to move forward with her life. It was extremely lucky that Superintendent Adam Smith was driving past at that moment and he, along with the paramedics involved saved the young victims life.”

Following the conclusion of court proceedings Friday, the victim thanked Surrey Police for the support throughout this investigation.

Celebrating Jubilee and over 25 years of Twinning

Epsom and Ewell Town Twinning Association welcomes delegation from its  twin town of Chantilly. Celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and over 25 years of Twinning in the Borough. The Epsom and Ewell Town Twinning Association was established in 1994 to administer and develop the partnership between the two towns on behalf of the Borough.

Over the Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend, the Epsom and Ewell Town Twinning Association entertained a large group of visitors from Chantilly, including the  Deputy Mayor and members of the Chantilly Comité de Jumelage, to celebrate 25 years of the official signing of a Twinning Charter in 1995 and to join in some of the Jubilee excitement in the Borough, and the Derby, the visit having been postponed for two years due to the pandemic.

Highlights of the visit

Over the years, many such visits have taken place, links between schools, clubs, choirs and individuals have been established, and friendships made. This weekend some of the original contacts from the Chantilly and the Epsom Model Railway Clubs were reunited. There were also new introductions, with two members of Chantilly’s Karate Shotokan club joining the Chief Coach and members of Mo-Ichido Martial Arts Club for an impressive training session, and high school teachers meeting to discuss involvement in an international project in Chantilly. Meanwhile, the rest of the party were taken on a guided tour to Ermyn Lodge breeder and trainer’s yard, the historic stables at the Durdans, and Horton Chapel.

There were some more official, commemorative moments, when The Mayor of Epsom and Ewell, Councillor Clive Woodbridge, and the Mayoress, Mrs Mary Woodbridge, joined for the planting of a European Oak tree in Rosebery Park, and a visit to Epsom marketplace to show off the recently placed Derby Hall of Fame roundels which feature notable Derby winners, including 1965 winner Sea Bird from Chantilly. Time out was allowed, of course, for lunch at a local pub and essential shopping in the Ashley Centre.

No celebration would be complete without speeches, delivered in English and French by both parties, and the exchange of gifts, with Epsom and Ewell presenting Chantilly with a display case of  limited edition Jubilee coins, and an individual commemorative £5 coin for each visitor. The Mayor of Epsom and Ewell was delighted to receive a very handsome model of horse’s head, mounted and engraved on interlinked horseshoes. This will be on display in the Town Hall in due course.

The Epsom and Ewell Town Twinning Association

The Epsom and Ewell Town Twinning Association is always delighted to hear from  organisations looking for their equivalent in Chantilly, as well as individuals offering language skills or seeking a way to improve their French. The Association has a regular programme of local events in the Borough, both social and educational, allowing the chance to practise speaking French. There is a very popular annual French Public Speaking Competition for Schools, run jointly with Epsom Rotary,  and regular Soirées Françaises for members. Of course there are also fundraisers like quizzes and the appreciation of French food and wine from time to time.  Advice on visiting Chantilly, where to stay and what to see, is available too.

Established in 1994, Epsom and Ewell Town Twinning Association is a non-profit association, funded by members’ subscriptions and fundraising, and run by a group of volunteers to fulfil the obligations of the formal twinning agreement signed by the Mayors of Chantilly and Epsom the following year. It is not supported financially by the Borough.  

For more information on The Epsom and Ewell Town Twinning Association:

Or to register interest in joining, please see our website www.epsomtwinning.com or

email: [email protected] .