In the know

A man has been charged following an investigation into an indecent exposure in Hanger Hill, Weybridge. Leon Blenkinsop, 24 (14/07/2000 ) from Middlesborough was charged with indecent exposure, criminal damage, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possession of a bladed article in a public place. 

He was remanded in custody and appeared in Staines Magistrates court on Monday, 24 February.

At the end of January, four officers from our Roads Policing Team and Tactical Firearms Unit were awarded Chief Constable’s Commendations after saving an elderly couple from a fire in Guildford. Last August, Sergeant Dan Ayrton was returning to base when he spotted what appeared to be fog hanging over a property on the road. Thinking this odd in the middle of summer, he wound down the car window and realised it was actually smoke billowing from a garage attached to a nearby bungalow. Dan immediately raised the alarm to the elderly occupants. Their smoke alarms weren’t working, and they had been asleep with no idea of the fire raging just outside. Sergeant Ben Hudson and PCs Chris Fairclough and Pat Nixon rushed to the scene to assist, and the four officers managed to gain entry to the house, which by now was saturated with heavy smoke. They helped the elderly couple to safety before Dan, Chris, and Ben returned to the bungalow and carried out a room-by-room search to make sure there was no one else inside. Satisfied the house was clear, Dan, Chris, and Ben made their way to the rear of the garage to see if there was any way of putting the fire out. Although all police cars carry handheld extinguishers, the fire was too large for them to be effective, and the officers were driven back by an explosion from inside the garage. Surrey Fire & Rescue arrived shortly afterwards and were able to safely extinguish the fire, containing it to the garage and the roof and preventing it from taking hold of the entire house. The Fire Commander later confirmed the fire had been caused by a freezer in the garage that had recently been filled up, combined with the hot weather conditions in the days prior. The commander reported that “the fire was just breaking into the roof, so if you had not noticed it and got the occupants out, the roof would have been alight and the outcome very different.” Dan required oxygen treatment due to smoke inhalation, but the officers were luckily otherwise unharmed. Without Dan, Ben, Chris, and Pat’s heroic actions, both occupants would likely have succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning. The officers not only saved their lives but prevented the couple’s home from being destroyed. For their selfless courage, they were awarded a Chief Constable’s Commendation: an award that is reserved for those who have carried out extraordinary acts of bravery and public service.

We have been seeing a rise of distraction thefts in Ashford. The most common type of distraction thefts we are currently seeing is where victims with disabled parking badges are being told by fraudsters that they need to register their disabled parking badge via an ATM with various bank cards. When they have their back turned at the ATM, the fraudsters take the bank card from them and flee the scene. Our most recent reports took place in Tesco, Staines Road West, Ashford. The suspect was described as a man, tanned complexion, 5’4” tall, average build, black slick back hair, wearing a blue surgical mask and a blue top tracksuit. Anyone can be caught out by distraction thefts, they are often quick, seamless and go unnoticed. Being alert and aware of your surroundings is important. Always remain vigilant with personal belongings in public. Whether you are approached, or your attention is diverted by someone, ensure all valuables are safe and refrain from having them in easily accessible pockets, as this can allow criminals to swipe them quickly while you are otherwise occupied. If you have been a victim of distraction theft, you can report it at Report a crime | Surrey Police

We have seen an increase in reports of theft from cars and vans across Surrey – notably tools and work materials. Take extra care when leaving high-value items within your vehicle. Could you consider bringing them into your home at the end of the day, ensuring they are not left unattended? Perhaps give thought to forensically marking your tools – this will make them identifiable if later found. Remain observant and understand the signs of potential theft from vehicles. These can include:

A person, or small groups of people, looking into vehicles or repeatedly walking or driving through an area

A person, or small groups of people, attempting to get into a van quickly

Suspects should not be approached – instead call 999 straight away, describing as many details as you can.

If you believe you have been a victim of vehicle theft, report at Report a crime | Surrey Police.

If you have witnessed a group of people acting suspiciously and believe this could help an ongoing investigation, report to our Suspicious Activity Portal at Suspicious Activity Portal | Surrey Police