Vandalism to Community Benches in Bickerton
Please find attached a statement regarding the vandalism to the community benches in Bickerton
Change of date for September Parish Council Meeting
The date for the Parish Council meeting scheduled to take place in Monday 18th September has had to be changed due to unforeseen circumstances. This has been re-scheduled for Monday 25th September. The venue and time remains the same.
Your contact with NY Police – Message from the Chair
I recently received a visit from North Yorkshire police as a follow up to my report about criminal damage to one of our commemorative benches. We also discussed car theft. PC Pierre Olesqui is our Community Policeman and is keen to help. He asked me to pass on his contact details on chatterbox and our PC website. Any suspicious activity, registration numbers for cars etc should be emailed to him.
The parish council welcomes this more proactive approach from North Yorkshire police which we hope will be productive.
The damaged seat is now reinstalled with hopefully stronger fixings.
Contact details:
Janet Hanson
What is “smishing”
How to protect yourself from “smishing”
With scams on the rise, it’s vital to educate yourself about “smishing” texts – what they are and how to stay safe
“Smishing” refers to phishing attacks, or attempted scams, conducted over SMS texts or messaging apps such as WhatsApp – and it’s on the rise in the UK.
Scammers know how to impersonate legitimate organisations. These can include your phone network, bank, or delivery company (or even one of your close friends or relatives). Scammers can skilfully nudge you towards clicking links, sharing personal information or transferring money.
Losing money is the last thing anyone needs right now. The criminal gangs behind scams are constantly developing more sophisticated methods – which means we need to be more sophisticated in our responses, too. Here’s what you need to know about keeping yourself safe from smishing.
Watch out for signs
It’s a red flag if you are asked for a one-time code, password or other security information. If you receive a text that looks like it’s from a known supplier and requests any of these details, it’s malicious and should be reported (scroll down to learn how).
Other tell-tale signs of smishing messages include spelling errors and an urgent tone telling you to act or call immediately.
Watch out for web links, contact names or email addresses that are incorrect, look strange or use substitute characters. For example, a text using the number zero, rather than the letter O. Remember: scammers are trying to exploit people’s desire to save money at the moment. If a deal feels too good to be true, it probably is.
Do your checks
Not sure whether a mobile phone message is authentic? Don’t click any links or follow the instructions in the text. Instead, see if you can independently verify the information in the message. Look up phone numbers or email addresses to see whether they’re legitimate. Confirm the message’s contents by checking with the organisation directly.
For example, if you’re expecting a parcel, you could be vulnerable to delivery scam texts containing links to “track your order”. But you should be able to check your package’s status on the verified company’s website rather than clicking links in a text.
Report immediately
Forward suspicious texts to 7726 immediately, including the message’s contents and the number it came from. The 7726 number is linked to all the UK’s phone networks. It means the scam number can be blocked and investigated.
You can report attempted HMRC scams via the dedicated government website.
Reach out for help
No one is immune from falling victim to smishing scams. Worried that you’ve clicked a suspicious link or shared information with someone you shouldn’t have? Don’t panic but act quickly.
Contact your bank, change all relevant passwords, and monitor related accounts to check for fraudulent activity.
Information first published by O2 Nov-2022.
Nat West Bank Scam Update
Received from:
Andy Fox
North Yorkshire Police, Financial Abuse Safeguarding Officer, Economic Crime Unit
The attached information is from my colleagues at Nat West bank who ask I circulate it which gives practical advice about impersonation scams, namely criminals pretending to be the police or your bank.
I think it is also worth a reminder about the type of scams we are seeing in North Yorkshire. Please be aware of scam calls about energy refunds/assistance. The reduction in your energy bills comes direct from the supplier and you do not have to apply for it.
Remember, the police or bank will NEVER ask you to move money to a ‘safe’ account and if you are ever told to lie to the bank/police/family etc as to why you are sending/moving money, it is a scam.
You can download this leaflet from the link below.
Withdrawal of Connexions bus service 412 from Wetherby to York
Update: 17th March 2023 – BBC reports that the 412 Service has been secured through to 2025. You can read more on the BBC article here.
Update: March 2023 – York City Council have issued a tender for this service. We await the outcome.
Your Parish Council has been co-ordinating efforts with other Parish Councils along the route of the 412 bus service in order to create a stronger voice in efforts to retain this Service.
You may be aware that the service was due to end on 10th December 2022.
*****
The following letter has been received from North Yorkshire County Council.
“We have been advised that Connexions Buses are wishing to withdraw their journeys on service 412 from 22 October owing to staff shortages. Service 412 is operated commercially and the decision to withdraw or change the service is that of the operator, not the County Council.
To give some context, we spend £1.6 million across the whole of the County to support local transport services. Throughout the pandemic we have provided significant support to services, and many would been lost, including this one if not for financial support from NYCC and Department for Transport.
We are aware of the challenges being faced by operators due to reduced passenger numbers, increasing costs and staff shortages, however this is one route of over 70 that have been identified as at risk across the County. As I am sure you appreciate it is impossible to support and retain all of them without significant additional funding.
We have only been advised of the intention to withdraw the service earlier this week and are working with our neighbouring authorities City of York Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority to explore what options are available to maintain some level of service for passengers. We hope to be able to update customers on the outcome of these discussions in the near future.”
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee 2022 Update
THE QUEEN’S PLATINUM JUBILEE 2022 UPDATES
Buckingham Palace has announced the plans for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations over the four day weekend, Thursday 2 June through to Sunday 5 June 2022.
Please find attached a Platinum Jubilee Bulletin with all the links to information you may need to pass on to your community. Also attached is information from Bruno Peek, Pageantmaster for The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Beacons. A link to a detailed guide relating to beacons is included in the bulletin. A poster inviting community choirs to take part in performing ‘A Song for the Commonwealth’ is also attached.
21/01623/REMMAJ. Reserved matters planning application Turnpike Lane
The Parish council have submitted an objection to the reserved matter application for the above, following outline planning permission being granted previously.
A copy of the objections are attached and have been forwarded to HBC. The plans for the site can be viewed on the HBC planning applications portal, using the reference number above .
If you wish to put in an objection, please make sure your comments are about the reserved matters application. Planning permission has already been granted for the development , a judicial review was made to try to overturn the decision and failed. Any objections must be to get the best possible outcome for the village with the proposed development.