Young family join fight for Weymouth street lights to be turned back on (From Dorset Echo)
When news happens get involved. Send your pictures, views and video to us by text and email
Young family join fight for Weymouth street lights to be turned back on
10:00am Monday 8th October 2012 in News
By Joanna Davis
LIGHTS PLEA: Carl Perry with his shed that was broken into
A YOUNG family have joined in the fight to get street lights turned back on in Weymouth after burglars took £5,000 worth of their belongings.
New parents Carl Perry and Jess Lantree said they were gutted to discover that their locked shed had been broken into and mountain bikes, a toolbox and tools had been taken.
The thieves struck during the night and removed the items over the fence of their back garden in Knoll Rise at Littlemoor in Weymouth.
Jess, 19, was feeding newborn daughter Ellie just before 3am when she heard the family cat meowing but didn’t think anything of it.
The next day the shed door was found wide open with items missing.
She said: “It annoys me so much because they didn’t think about the consequences of this for our family.”
Carl, 27, a technician, was planning to use his tools to become self-employed. He said: “This is gutting. It’s taken me five or six years to accumulate all these tools.
“It would have taken some time for someone to be able to lift the stuff over the back garden fence, walk down the streets with the heavy toolbox, all the tools, a pressure washer two bikes and load it into a vehicle.
“There must have been more than one because of the weight of that toolbox and if there were street lights on someone might have seen something.”
The two stolen bikes are a green and black Kona Stinky Dee-Lux and a black Kona Shred.
Both bikes have specific markings and the Kona Stinky Dee-Lux is worth around £2,500.
Dorset County Council has decided to switch off nearly all of its 20,000 street lights in residential roads between 1.30am to 6.30am to help save £150,000 from its street lighting budget and reduce carbon emissions.
Members of the Littlemoor Community Action Group have launched a petition to get them switched back on because of fears about crime increasing in the area.
Carl said: “I will happily sign this petition that’s going around to get the street lights back on.
“I think it would be a deterrent to criminals. If it’s a cloudy night it’s so dark out there and you can hardly see anything.
“I would be happy to give a £200 reward for information that leads to the return of the tools.”
A Dorset Police spokesman said: “We believe it happened between 6pm on Wednesday October 3 and 7am on Thursday October 4.
“We are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information to call us on 101.”
Councillor Views
WEYMOUTH and Portland borough councillor for Littlemoor Rachel Rogers said that the county council needed to take note of the incident.
She said: “Clearly the lights out policy is contributing to increased fear of crime in Littlemoor and beyond. I think Dorset County Council need to take note.”
Dorset county councillor for Littlemoor Andy Cooke said he thought there was a ‘good case’ for the lights being switched on in various locations in Littlemoor and Dorset.
County councillor Les Ames, who represents Portland Tophill, recently spoke to an environment overview committee about residents’ concerns about the street lights being turned off in Bedford Road and Hereford Road.
County councillor Robert Gould, cabinet spokesman for environment, said the council would continue to work with Dorset Police to ensure ‘high crime areas’ were illuminated at night.
He said: “Obviously we have to make a huge amount of savings and street lighting has been identified as one of the areas we can make significant savings by implementing this policy, which has been rolled out across the county.
“We’ve worked in consultation with the police, town and parish councils and already keep streets lit where the police have advised us there are high crime areas and in town centres and so on where a lot of people are around at night.”
Coun Gould added: “Generally speaking there haven’t been any significant problems and a lot of residents have been very welcoming of the policy, in terms of minimising light pollution.
“We do need to make these savings but obviously we’ll keep monitoring the situation and listening to any concerns.”
Comments(20)
Chalbury
says...
10:31am Mon 8 Oct 12
shy talk
says...
10:54am Mon 8 Oct 12
Caption Sensible
says...
11:02am Mon 8 Oct 12
marabout
says...
11:15am Mon 8 Oct 12
Caption Sensible wrote:I have paid for the street lights with my council tax and I want them to remain off. They waste energy and are too expensive. keep the lights off.
You have paid for the lights via your Council Tax. To not provide the service and yet still claim the money is plain theft.
lostnfound
says...
11:59am Mon 8 Oct 12
I feel sorry for the family, who like others, have lost their possesions to thieves who presumably must have been local to know that the items were in the shed.
I am not a grockle
says...
12:22pm Mon 8 Oct 12
Chalbury wrote:Chalbury and shy talk - you have no knowledge of the security measures this family had in place. The story says the shed was locked and it's clear it was a concrete shed with a metal grille door - stronger than most wooden sheds, which wouldn't stand up to a screwdriver.
Does he have a street light in his back garden? Perhaps a better, stronger lock in the first place on the would have prevented the theft.
In most cases it doesn't matter what security you have in place, if someone is determined enough they will get in.
Blimey - give the guy a break. I just hope it doesn't happen to you, because you obviously have it all sorted, you unsympathetic carpers.
maximan
says...
1:09pm Mon 8 Oct 12
I am not a grockle wrote:And an expensive bike on diplay next to a large glass window?....in Littlemoor? Bet they didn't case the joint at nightime...
Chalbury wrote:Chalbury and shy talk - you have no knowledge of the security measures this family had in place. The story says the shed was locked and it's clear it was a concrete shed with a metal grille door - stronger than most wooden sheds, which wouldn't stand up to a screwdriver.
Does he have a street light in his back garden? Perhaps a better, stronger lock in the first place on the would have prevented the theft.
In most cases it doesn't matter what security you have in place, if someone is determined enough they will get in.
Blimey - give the guy a break. I just hope it doesn't happen to you, because you obviously have it all sorted, you unsympathetic carpers.
I am not a grockle
says...
2:14pm Mon 8 Oct 12
maximan wrote:And you don't think the scroats who do this stuff don't see someone riding an expensive bike and clock where they live?
I am not a grockle wrote:And an expensive bike on diplay next to a large glass window?....in Littlemoor? Bet they didn't case the joint at nightime...
Chalbury wrote:Chalbury and shy talk - you have no knowledge of the security measures this family had in place. The story says the shed was locked and it's clear it was a concrete shed with a metal grille door - stronger than most wooden sheds, which wouldn't stand up to a screwdriver.
Does he have a street light in his back garden? Perhaps a better, stronger lock in the first place on the would have prevented the theft.
In most cases it doesn't matter what security you have in place, if someone is determined enough they will get in.
Blimey - give the guy a break. I just hope it doesn't happen to you, because you obviously have it all sorted, you unsympathetic carpers.
Why do people seem so intent on blaming the victims? Like I said, I'm sure it won't happen to you.
maximan
says...
3:03pm Mon 8 Oct 12
I am not a grockle wrote:No...coz I haven't got a bike
maximan wrote:And you don't think the scroats who do this stuff don't see someone riding an expensive bike and clock where they live?
I am not a grockle wrote:And an expensive bike on diplay next to a large glass window?....in Littlemoor? Bet they didn't case the joint at nightime...
Chalbury wrote:Chalbury and shy talk - you have no knowledge of the security measures this family had in place. The story says the shed was locked and it's clear it was a concrete shed with a metal grille door - stronger than most wooden sheds, which wouldn't stand up to a screwdriver.
Does he have a street light in his back garden? Perhaps a better, stronger lock in the first place on the would have prevented the theft.
In most cases it doesn't matter what security you have in place, if someone is determined enough they will get in.
Blimey - give the guy a break. I just hope it doesn't happen to you, because you obviously have it all sorted, you unsympathetic carpers.
Why do people seem so intent on blaming the victims? Like I said, I'm sure it won't happen to you.
greenleon
says...
4:44pm Mon 8 Oct 12
bnaty12
says...
5:24pm Mon 8 Oct 12
Duckorange
says...
5:42pm Mon 8 Oct 12
maximan wrote:There's some shifty bloke in Littlemoor selling one if you're short
I am not a grockle wrote:No...coz I haven't got a bike
maximan wrote:And you don't think the scroats who do this stuff don't see someone riding an expensive bike and clock where they live?
I am not a grockle wrote:And an expensive bike on diplay next to a large glass window?....in Littlemoor? Bet they didn't case the joint at nightime...
Chalbury wrote:Chalbury and shy talk - you have no knowledge of the security measures this family had in place. The story says the shed was locked and it's clear it was a concrete shed with a metal grille door - stronger than most wooden sheds, which wouldn't stand up to a screwdriver.
Does he have a street light in his back garden? Perhaps a better, stronger lock in the first place on the would have prevented the theft.
In most cases it doesn't matter what security you have in place, if someone is determined enough they will get in.
Blimey - give the guy a break. I just hope it doesn't happen to you, because you obviously have it all sorted, you unsympathetic carpers.
Why do people seem so intent on blaming the victims? Like I said, I'm sure it won't happen to you.
marabout
says...
10:58am Tue 9 Oct 12
radiator wrote:No, you mis-understand me.
I am not a grockle wrote:I have to agree with you on that one,as for Marabout there is an old navy saying which goes "F*** you jack I'm inboard, just about sums you up.Chalbury wrote: Does he have a street light in his back garden? Perhaps a better, stronger lock in the first place on the would have prevented the theft.Chalbury and shy talk - you have no knowledge of the security measures this family had in place. The story says the shed was locked and it's clear it was a concrete shed with a metal grille door - stronger than most wooden sheds, which wouldn't stand up to a screwdriver. In most cases it doesn't matter what security you have in place, if someone is determined enough they will get in. Blimey - give the guy a break. I just hope it doesn't happen to you, because you obviously have it all sorted, you unsympathetic carpers.
I would be very happy to tuern the lights on should there be a need or should the local populace want them back on but that is far from the case. The evidence suggests that most crime takes place during daylight hours. Burgulars do not like the dark. They like to be able to see their prey. They like to be able to see all of their escape rouites and they like to be able to see their route to the hoard. The romantic notion of burgulars swaggering about with a bloindfold and a bag of swag over their shoulder is nonsense. In Bristol they have seen a reduction in night time crime of 20% as a result of them turning the lights off. In Gloucetser they have seen a crime reduction of 28% as a result of them turning the lights off.
There is no requirement to have street lights on in the middle of the night.
Caption Sensible
says...
12:13pm Tue 9 Oct 12
Then stop taking the money for it then and pay it back to the rightful owner - the taxpayer!
Mcdugluss
says...
2:58pm Tue 9 Oct 12
Chalbury wrote:There was. 4 solid locks, a metal gate, and a solid inner door also locked!
Does he have a street light in his back garden? Perhaps a better, stronger lock in the first place on the would have prevented the theft.
Mcdugluss
says...
3:02pm Tue 9 Oct 12
maximan wrote:This was at night time can you not read? . Thanks for the advise tho, i'm gonna go home and block up the windows up so they can't see in to the house either.... dont want them taking the TV, sofas, tables and chairs just because its visable.
I am not a grockle wrote:And an expensive bike on diplay next to a large glass window?....in Littlemoor? Bet they didn't case the joint at nightime...
Chalbury wrote:Chalbury and shy talk - you have no knowledge of the security measures this family had in place. The story says the shed was locked and it's clear it was a concrete shed with a metal grille door - stronger than most wooden sheds, which wouldn't stand up to a screwdriver.
Does he have a street light in his back garden? Perhaps a better, stronger lock in the first place on the would have prevented the theft.
In most cases it doesn't matter what security you have in place, if someone is determined enough they will get in.
Blimey - give the guy a break. I just hope it doesn't happen to you, because you obviously have it all sorted, you unsympathetic carpers.
Mcdugluss
says...
3:05pm Tue 9 Oct 12
marabout wrote:have you not thought...maybe they use torches, at night more people are asleep so its easier to nick. But with lights on maybe someone would have seen them moving about!
radiator wrote:No, you mis-understand me.
I am not a grockle wrote:I have to agree with you on that one,as for Marabout there is an old navy saying which goes "F*** you jack I'm inboard, just about sums you up.Chalbury wrote: Does he have a street light in his back garden? Perhaps a better, stronger lock in the first place on the would have prevented the theft.Chalbury and shy talk - you have no knowledge of the security measures this family had in place. The story says the shed was locked and it's clear it was a concrete shed with a metal grille door - stronger than most wooden sheds, which wouldn't stand up to a screwdriver. In most cases it doesn't matter what security you have in place, if someone is determined enough they will get in. Blimey - give the guy a break. I just hope it doesn't happen to you, because you obviously have it all sorted, you unsympathetic carpers.
I would be very happy to tuern the lights on should there be a need or should the local populace want them back on but that is far from the case. The evidence suggests that most crime takes place during daylight hours. Burgulars do not like the dark. They like to be able to see their prey. They like to be able to see all of their escape rouites and they like to be able to see their route to the hoard. The romantic notion of burgulars swaggering about with a bloindfold and a bag of swag over their shoulder is nonsense. In Bristol they have seen a reduction in night time crime of 20% as a result of them turning the lights off. In Gloucetser they have seen a crime reduction of 28% as a result of them turning the lights off.
There is no requirement to have street lights on in the middle of the night.
bnaty12
says...
3:05pm Tue 9 Oct 12
oldbrock
says...
5:36pm Sat 13 Oct 12
marabout wrote:Captain Sensible merely made the point that the cash is taken but the service withdrawn, a commonsense point, it IS theft. Perhaps you have more pence than sense?
Caption Sensible wrote:I have paid for the street lights with my council tax and I want them to remain off. They waste energy and are too expensive. keep the lights off.
You have paid for the lights via your Council Tax. To not provide the service and yet still claim the money is plain theft.
scubadude says...
10:15am Mon 8 Oct 12