The Rock Challenge® – an international performing arts competition for schools and colleges, focuses on driving home positive messages about substance misuse and crime prevention by providing young people with the opportunity to experience a ‘drug free high’.

The event aims to capture the imagination of young people by providing them with an exciting and unique opportunity to experience the buzz of performing in a professional venue in front of their peers, families and friends. This year the Rock Challenge® reaches out across the world to reach young people in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Dubai, Japan, Europe, and the UK. The focus is on bringing young people together to have fun and be the best they can be without the need for tobacco, alcohol and other substances.

The Rock Challenge® tour in the UK in 2011 will be the biggest anywhere in the world. This year the organisation will stage 45 events across the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, involving 25,000 young people aged 7-18 from 376 schools and colleges. Attached with this press release is the list of every performing school in the country.

Last night the Rock Challenge held its inaugural event in Inverness at the Eden Court Theatre and the event was a tremendous success. The event was won by Charleston Academy with their performance ‘Two Different Worlds’. It was a fantastic performance and one that had everybody from the judges to the audience completely captivated. Below are the awards that each school won as well as their theme description.

ALNESS ACADEMY, Alness, Ross and Cromarty (New school): the CK Events Award for Staging, and the Northern Constabulary Award for Concept Originality

CHARLESTON ACADEMY, Inverness (New school): the Visions Unlimited Award for Video Performance, the Inverness Blue Light Partnership Award for Costume Design, the Be Your Best Foundation Award for Stage Crew, the Northern Constabulary Award for Set Design, the Inverness Blue Light Partnership Performers’ Choice Award, the TEGA Award for Lighting Design,the Northern Constabulary Award for Choreography, and overall FIRST Place

THURSO HIGH SCHOOL, Thurso, Caithness (New school): the Rock Challenge Award for Achievement in Drug Awareness , the CK Events Award for Performance Skill, the Inverness Blue Light Partnership Award for Soundtrack, the CK Events Award for Concept Interpretation, the Global Rock Challenge Award for Spirit of Rock Challenge, and the CK Events Award for Entertainment

WICK HIGH SCHOOL, Wick, Caithness (New school): the Rock Challenge Award for Student Leadership, the Be Your Best Foundation Award for School Community Support, the Rock Challenge Aweard for Healthy Lifestyle, the Northern Constabulary Award for Drama Skills, the CK Events Award for Make-Up Design, the Northern Constabulary Award for Hair Design, and overall SECOND Place

ALNESS ACADEMY, Ross and Cromarty “Alness West Side Story” Our entry is based on West Side Story. Instead of the Jets and the Sharks, our version sees the Polish immigrants fighting the locals of Alness. Fighting between the two sides has been an issue in Alness in the past. Happily, in our version nobody dies and the sides are brought together through a shared love of dance.

CHARLESTON ACADEMY, Kinmylies, Inverness “Two Different Worlds” The choices that we make in life can put us on many paths, some good and some that will lead us to a world of greed and self-destruction. For one young girl the magical numbers printed on her lottery ticket either spell a lifetime of glitz and glamour or a world of danger, but which will she choose?

THURSO HIGH SCHOOL, Caithness “Choose Your Own Path” Our theme of ‘Bullying and Peer Pressure’ highlights the idea that all young people should make their own decisions and choose their own path to follow. Our performance shows the danger of not only alcohol but of the desire to be accepted by those around us.

WICK HIGH SCHOOL, Wick, Caithness “Life isn’t a Game!” Princess – your average teenage girl growing up in 2011′s material world. She has all the latest technology and toys she could want. However Princess is in a society where she is growing up too soon, rejecting just being a child. Will Princess make the right decisions or will she simply go with the flow, treating life as one big game?

Be Your Best Foundation UK Manager Stuart McGregor said “This was a tremendous night encapsulated by the terrific performances by all of the young people that participated. We could not have been happier with how the event went. We are very lucky to have such fantastic support from the Northern Constabulary.”

Inspector Tom Ogilvie, Drug and Alcohol Coordinator for Northern Constabulary said: “We’ve worked hard to bring Rock Challenge to Highland and are delighted at the impact of the inaugural show. We hope to establish the event as an annual fixture and will now also invite participation from schools in the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland. We’d like to express our gratitude to the Be Your Best Foundation and also to CK Events, our main sponsor for last night’s show. Well done to all 4 schools for their obvious hard work and commitment and congratulations to Charleston Academy on their winning performance. We’re also indebted to the judging panel of Lynn Johnson, Louise Marshall and Catherine Deverell for their obvious expertise. Finally, special thanks to Fiona Sellar and her pupils from Nairn Academy, and Kerri Love / Active Cheer for their outstanding additional performances.”

Each school forms a team of 11 to 18 year olds to choreograph dance and drama performances which last between 5 and 8 minutes and tell a story of a theme of their choice set to commercially available music. The team will be made up of between 20 to 100 performers as well as a backstage crew including up to 24 stage crew members.

Whether you have been involved before or seen previous coverage, the 2011 tour will be something that has to be seen to be believed. We hope that media partners from across the country will join us in the build up over the coming months in their area and see how much work goes into putting on this spectacular event.

To keep track of the 2011 tour or for more information about the UK Rock Challenge® visit our website on www.rockchallenge.co.uk or contact us now on 02380 617753.

The Rock Challenge® is produced in the UK by the Be Your Best Foundation, a registered charity. The Foundation was set up to promote education, health and citizenship of young people.

Notes to Editor

Additional information about the Rock Challenge®:

The Rock Challenge® is a worldwide event that uses a range of performance art and back stage media to reinforce positive healthy lifestyle messages to young people. It aims to increase the resilience of young people to negative influences through developing their self-esteem, improving their team work skills and building on their talent and enthusiasm.

The Rock Challenge® is a professionally produced event which captures the imagination of young people by providing them with a top class opportunity to perform live onstage at major theatre venues across the country. The basic concept is that through performing in this environment in front of a packed audience of relatives and peers the young people involved realise they do not need artificial stimulants to achieve an adrenalin rush or ‘drug free high’.

The involvement of multi-media resources, radio, web and television coverage adds credibility to this fast growing event and the worldwide nature of the Rock Challenge® gives young people the chance to explore cultures other than their own through contact with thousands of performers in other countries.

Regularly conducted evaluations show proven and evidenced benefits above and beyond the original aims and objectives. In particular the Rock Challenge® delivers outcomes in line with current Government thinking and policy, specifically the “Every Child Matters” Children Act of 2004.

Every year the Be Your Best Foundation sees a dramatic increase in the numbers of young people taking part in the UK Rock Challenge, their commitment, talent and enthusiasm is testament to the success of this fast growing, dynamic and effective event.

Liz Gilchrist, Vice Chair of Inverness Crime Prevention Panel said the evening was the first event of this kind to be held in the Highlands and was  thoroughly enjoyable, a great success and clearly enjoyed by all the youngsters who took part.   The evening was full of glitz and enthusiasm, with some brilliant musical soundtracks. Liz added she was delighted to have been asked to present the Inverness Blue Light Partnership Award for Soundtrack to Thurso.

Some of the other Awards were presented by:
Chief Constable George Graham
Chief Superintendent Julian Innes
Superintendent Ian Bryce
Inspector Tom Ogilvie
Inspector David Ogilvie
Mr Alan Laing  – Area Procurator Fiscal
Hugh Fraser Director Education HC
Ian Murray – Head of Community Learning and Leisure
Suzy Calder, Highland Drug and Alcohol Action Team

2011 INVERNESS ROCK CHALLENGE
The awards were as follows:

Eden Court Thursday June 23rd (Northern Constabulary-area schools given priority)

ALNESS ACADEMY, Alness, Ross and Cromarty (New school): the CK Events Award for Staging, and the Northern Constabulary Award for Concept Originality

CHARLESTON ACADEMY, Inverness (New school): the Visions Unlimited Award for Video Performance, the Inverness Blue Light Partnership Award for Costume Design, the Be Your Best Foundation Award for Stage Crew, the Northern Constabulary Award for Set Design, the Inverness Blue Light Partnership Performers’ Choice Award, the TEGA Award for Lighting Design,the Northern Constabulary Award for Choreography, and overall FIRST Place

THURSO HIGH SCHOOL, Thurso, Caithness (New school): the Rock Challenge Award for Achievement in Drug Awareness , the CK Events Award for Performance Skill, the Inverness Blue Light Partnership Award for Soundtrack, the CK Events Award for Concept Interpretation, the Global Rock Challenge Award for Spirit of Rock Challenge, and the CK Events Award for Entertainment

WICK HIGH SCHOOL, Wick, Caithness (New school): the Rock Challenge Award for Student Leadership, the Be Your Best Foundation Award for School Community Support, the Rock Challenge Aweard for Healthy Lifestyle, the Northern Constabulary Award for Drama Skills, the CK Events Award for Make-Up Design, the Northern Constabulary Award for Hair Design, and overall SECOND Place

THEMES

ALNESS ACADEMY, Ross and Cromarty
“Alness West Side Story”

Our entry is based on West Side Story. Instead of the Jets and the Sharks, our version sees the Polish immigrants fighting the locals of Alness. Fighting between the two sides has been an issue in Alness in the past. Happily, in our version nobody dies and the sides are brought together through a shared love of dance.

CHARLESTON ACADEMY, Kinmylies, Inverness
“Two Different Worlds”

The choices that we make in life can put us on many paths, some good and some that will lead us to a world of greed and self-destruction. For one young girl the magical numbers printed on her lottery ticket either spell a lifetime of glitz and glamour or a world of danger, but which will she choose?

THURSO HIGH SCHOOL, Caithness
“Choose Your Own Path”

Our theme of ‘Bullying and Peer Pressure’ highlights the idea that all young people should make their own decisions and choose their own path to follow. Our performance shows the danger of not only alcohol but of the desire to be accepted by those around us.

WICK HIGH SCHOOL, Wick, Caithness
“Life isn’t a Game!”

Princess – your average teenage girl growing up in 2011′s material world. She has all the latest technology and toys she could want. However Princess is in a society where she is growing up too soon, rejecting just being a child. Will Princess make the right decisions or will she simply go with the flow, treating life as one big game?

Scotland Crimestoppers has achieved a five percent rise in calls and a twenty-five percent increase in arrests and charges over the last year of April 2010 – March 2011.

Jim Ferguson Chair of Highlands and Islands and Crimestoppers Scotland said: “A huge thank you must go to people across Scotland for using the charity to pass on information about crime. We’re extremely proud that Crimestoppers continues to play such a vital role in helping to make our local communities a safer place to live. I particularly want to thank those people and organisations in the Highlands and Islands for their continued support and involvement with Crimestoppers.

“I’d like to reassure the public that our service is completely anonymous and in the 23 years that the charity has been running no one has ever been identified. The service is run for you, the public, to help make your community a safer place to live. We’re not part of the Police or government, we’re an independent charity, so by contacting us you’ll never have to give a statement to the Police or go to court.”

A number of campaigns have been run both locally and nationally across all areas of Scotland over the last year including Countereit Goods campaign in the Highlands & Islands; public protection in Dumfries and Galloway; underage drinking in Fife; and serious organised crime campaigns in both Glasgow and Edinburgh. In addition, Crimestoppers has led a number of high-profile national campaigns to tackle crimes affecting the area including the cannabis cultivation campaign which led to increases in calls and detections after the campaign highlighted to the public the tell-tale signs to look for.

The recorded increases shows that the quality of information Crimestoppers has received during the past year has been of a very high quality, whilst there is only a five per cent increase in information, many more individuals have been arrested as shown by the twenty-five per cent increase this year.

Crimestoppers operates the 24/7 0800 555 111 telephone number for people to pass on information about crimes anonymously. Information can also be passed via the charity’s website www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

George Graham to be
Northern Constabulary’s
new Chief Constable

A selection panel of Northern Joint Police Board has appointed George Graham to be Northern Constabulary’s new Chief Constable, to succeed Ian Latimer on his retiral in the spring of 2011.

Mr Graham joined Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary in 1982 and is currently Deputy Chief Constable, a role he has held since January 2006, following his promotion from Chief Superintendent, Head of Operations.

Among his commitments, he currently represents Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary on the Association of Chief Police Officers Scotland (ACPOS) General Policing Business Area, Professional Standards Business Area and Information Management Business Area, where he has specific portfolio responsibility for Public Interface.

Councillor Norman Macleod, Convener of the Northern Joint Police Board, said:  “The appointment committee interviewed four strong candidates.  Mr Graham’s 27 years experience within the Scottish Police Service clearly demonstrated that he is very suitable Chief Constable for Northern Constabulary.  We look forward to welcoming him to the area and working with Mr Graham to continue to lead a high performing force, on the retiral of Mr Latimer in April 2011.”

http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourcouncil/news/newsreleases/2010/November/2010-11-22-02.htm

By Laura Paterson

Published: 04/12/2010

SAFETY PARAMOUNT: Operation Respect members, from left, Craig Robertson, Bid security task team member, Inspector Murdo MacLeod and Mark Paxton, of the security team, in Inverness city centre yesterday. David Whittaker-Smith

A campaign was launched yesterday aimed at keeping the Inverness streets safe over Christmas and New Year.

The initiative, Operation Respect, will see increased police officer patrols, marshals on the taxi ranks, a security task team and street pastors working together to reduce crime and disorder during the festive frolics.

As part of the operation Stagecoach are running a low-cost night bus service from 11.30pm until 4am every Friday and Saturday this month to Culloden, Balloch, Kinmylies and Hilton. The service will not run on Christmas Day or New Years Day.

The operation also aims to improve personal safety for shoppers, pub goers and business owners with the use of the Shopwatch scheme and Pubwatch schemes.

Inspector Murdo MacLeod, of Northern Constabulary, said: “We have increased and targeted officer patrols with the primary aim to deter crime, but if not, to detect.

“I would also like to stress the personal responsibility of the public during this time and by doing simple things such as planning your journeys, looking after your friends and drinking responsibly, you can ensure a safe, enjoyable time in the Highland’s capital.”

Inverness Business Improvement District chairman Craig Duncan said: “It is an excellent use of our members’ levy because it goes a long way to providing a safe environment for residents, shoppers, visitors and party-goers alike and undoubtedly adds value to the festive experience in Inverness city centre.”

Depute provost Councillor Peter Corbett said: “Operation Respect is an excellent example of how we can improve people’s experience of the city centre and therefore help its vibrancy.”

Read more: http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/2038429#ixzz17AbPWJgL

Partners have joined today (03 December 2010) to launch Operation Respect, the initiative aimed at keeping the streets of Inverness safer over the festive period.

The operation which officially starts today will see increased police officer patrols, taxi marshals, security task team and street pastors working together to see a reduction in crime and disorder in the city centre streets during December.

Not only that, in conjunction with Stagecoach, the operation will be providing a low-cost ‘Night Bus’ service starting tonight (03 December 2010) running from 23:30 hours until 04:00 hours every Friday and Saturday in December (apart from Christmas and New Year’s Day evenings) to Culloden and Balloch, Kinmylies and Hilton.

The operation, which in it’s third year, centres around keeping the city and those within safe over the festive period especially when there is an increase of people coming into the area for the Winter Festival events as well as to access the businesses in the vicinity.

A number of businesses and organisations are involved in the preparation for Operation Respect including, Highland Council, Crimestoppers, Inverness Crime Prevention Panel (ICPP), Inverness Business Improvement District (BID), Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA), Inverness Taxi Association, Pubwatch, Street Pastors and Northern Constabulary.

Leading on Operation Respect from Northern Constabulary, Inspector Murdo MacLeod talked of the police involvement: “We have increased and targeted officer patrols with the primary aim to deter crime but if not, to detect.

“The operation was very successful last year and the combined presence of all those involved gave a noticeably more pleasant atmosphere to the city centre.

“I would also like to stress the personal responsibility of the public during this time and by doing simple things such as planning your journeys, looking after your friends, and drinking responsibly, you can ensure a safe, enjoyable time in the Highland’s capital.”

Operation Respect is not just centred around safety in the evenings, and with the use of the Shopwatch scheme, the partnership aims to improve personal safety for shoppers and shop owners during the day and with Pubwatch, improve that in the evenings.

Chair of Inverness Business Improvement District, Craig Duncan commented: “Inverness BID are proud to take one of the lead roles in Operation Respect and see it as excellent use of our members levy because it goes a long way to providing a safe environment for residents, shoppers, visitors and party-goer’s alike and undoubtedly adds value to the festive experience in Inverness City Centre.”

Depute Provost, and Highland Licensing Chairman Councillor Peter Corbett said: “Operation Respect is an excellent example of how we can improve people’s experience of the city centre and therefore help its vibrancy. The impressive part about the project is the way in which it is getting agencies to work together to deliver improvements that people can see and experience for themselves.”

Jim Ferguson, Highland Chair of Crimestoppers and Chair of Inverness Crime Prevention Panel (ICPP) said: “It is great to see what can be achieved when we are all working together with the shared goal of crime reduction. I really hope this year will be as much of a success as last year and see people being able to enjoy the city centre safely.”

The operation has seen funding being provided from a number of different sources, one significant one being Safer Streets, a Scotland-wide, Government led funding project to help make city streets safer in the festive period.

Fergus Ewing, Minister for Community Safety, said: “During this very cold winter, I have nothing but the fullest admiration for the street pastors, taxi marshals and other personnel whose presence on our streets has been made possible with Safer Streets money. I welcome their efforts, along with all the other partners associated with Operation Respect, to make nights out during the festive period a safer experience for all.

“Operation Respect has delivered significant benefits in years gone by and I fully expect that to continue this year and beyond.”

Operation Respect is a partnership of the following organisations :

Highland Council
Crimestoppers
Inverness Crime Prevention Panel (ICPP)
Inverness Business Improvement District (BID)
Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA)
Inverness Taxi Association
NHS Highland
Pubwatch
Street Pastors
Northern Constabulary

These organisations are working together to engender respect for each other and for other’s property all year round, but especially during this festive period.

Operation Respect ‘s mission is to create a safe and clean environment for people, families and business within Inverness City Centre by preventing the occurrence of anti social behaviour with a focus on creating respect for the community.

Our aims are to:

• Reduce the fear of crime by ensuring that people feel safe from crime and disorder.

• Enforce the law in regard to low level offending for such offences as littering, dog fouling, street drinking, begging etc.

• Safer streets which experience reduced alcohol and drug related violent crime.

• Promote positive initiatives and diversionary schemes to reduce crime and the opportunity for crime.

• Evaluate the stated objectives and measures put in place to achieve them.

• Change in attitude and behaviour towards alcohol and drug consumption and that those in need are supported by prevention and treatment services.

• Target Inverness City Centre with a high visibility Police presence at peak times.

The Winter Festival was launched this year with Malice in Wonderland and many other exciting events are planned throughout for your enjoyment.
Please check out Winter Festival agenda on this link http://www.invernessfestivals.com/winter08/all_december_events.php:

With the Christmas holiday season almost upon us, now is a good time to
remind people to take steps to make sure your Christmas isn’t spoiled by criminals. This year we want you to have fun whilst out shopping or on your night out.

So what can we do to make sure we have fun and remain safe?
The Inverness Crime Prevention Panel have applied normal crime prevention advice to Christmas and this is often common sense, but you might overlook it in your haste to get everything ready

Out on the town

With office parties and general Christmas celebrations, pubs, restaurants and other venues are often crowded. Don’t leave bags over the back of your chair and keep wallets and purses close to your body to make it more difficult for the pickpocket. Busy places make it easier for the sneak thief, so be alert at all times. Make prior arrangements as to how you will get home. Avoid any potential disturbances on the street. Stay with friends if you can. Make sure someone knows where you are going and what time you will be back. Don’t drink too much – you could become a target for thieves.
Take precautions against Drink spiking – Keep your glass with you, never leaving it unattended and keep it covered.

Please do not drink and drive – to do so risks your own life and others and incurs heavy penalties, possibly prison and financially.

Late Night Bus Service
For the second year Operation Respect will be providing a bus service home after midnight enabling you to come into the city for an evening out without taking a car.

These late night buses will be running during the festive season on a Friday and Saturday.
The service will run between 11.30pm until 4am with a £2.00 fare.

Liz Gilchrist -Vice Chair of Inverness Crime Prevention Panel said  “I hope people will avail themselves of this service, it  will get you home safely after having a good night ‘out on the town’”  Click on this link for the time table:Night bus poster

Shopping Tips

Criminals take the opportunities afforded them by the extra shopping we do, the hustle and bustle of town centres as we rush around, and the value of the goods we buy as presents and store in our homes until the big day. We might also be more trusting and generous at Christmas when requests for charity are made, giving the unscrupulous a chance to collect for their own causes.
When the shops are crowded, the pickpocket has more chance to steal from you. If you can’t arrange to shop during less busy times, make sure you stay alert and be extra careful with your wallet or purse.
If you have too many bags you will be too busy trying to hold on to these to be aware of anyone stealing from you. You could try to make smaller shopping trips rather than do it all at once and carry too much.
Have your purse/wallet close to your body and don’t carry too much cash. The same applies to traveling on crowded buses or trains.
If you travel by car, make sure you park in a well-lit area.
Lock all doors and windows and do not leave presents in view. Try not to return to your car to leave purchases in the boot before continuing with your shopping trip as thieves may well watch car parks for just such a chance. Arrange to collect heavy items from stores when you have finished all your shopping.
Take care of your personal belongings.
Keep your chequebook and cheque card separately.
Protect your card Pin Number when making payments and cash withdrawals.
Do check the cash machine has not been tampered with ie an unusual insert at the card entry point or overhead camera strip.

**********************************************
Jim Ferguson, as Chair of Crimestoppers, in co-operation with Inverness Crime Prevention Panel, Police, Highland Council wishes everyone a very happy and safe festive period.

Finally, people should contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 if they have information about any criminal activity. (Crimestoppers is a Registered Charity.)

Have Fun – Be Safe!

Jim Ferguson – Chair Crimestoppers H&I, Supt Ian Arnott and Gordon Robb – Manager of Trading Standards

With Christmas approaching and the effects of the last recession still hitting hard, there is often a greater temptation to buy fake goods, however few understand the consequences and serious implications behind counterfeiting.

In a recent survey conducted by Scotland Crimestoppers thirty per cent of people questioned said they didn’t know that buying fake goods might fund serious organised crime. Ninety one per cent said they wouldn’t buy a fake good if they knew it would fund criminals or criminal activity. Eighteen per cent of those questioned admitted that they had bought fake goods in the past.

Jim Ferguson, Scotland Crimestoppers Highlands and Island Chairman said: “Christmas is a time when many are trying to find ways to reduce costs. I would urge the public not to be tempted to buy often cheaper fake goods. The consequences are far wider than the simple transaction. It can fund serious crimes such as human trafficking and drug crime which can harm our community.

Anyone with information about counterfeiting should call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or use the online anonymous form on www.crimestoppers-uk.org. With the publics help we can make big steps in cracking down on this type of crime across Scotland.”

The campaign is being run with the support of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA), Home Office, Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), the Bank of England, Film Distributors Association (FDA) and Pentland.

A dedicated mircrosite – www.fakesfundcrime.org.uk has been produced which has information on each strand of the campaign and information about the serious organised crime links, harmful affects, fraudulent activity and videos.

Kate Johnston, Scotland Crimestoppers National Manager added:
“We are also being supported by the SCDEA on this campaign. I hope that it will be as successful as the Cannabis Cultivations campaign earlier this year which was also with the support of SCDEA. The success of this resulted in 141 people calling the charity in a four week period with information about cannabis cultivations which led to numerous arrest and seizures.”

Supt Ian Arnott, Northern Constabulary’s East Divisional Commander based in Inverness said:
“We are grateful for the support of Crimestoppers in highlighting this issue. Just because the Highlands and Islands have a low rate of crime it does not mean we can be complacent to the possibility of counterfeit goods coming into this area.

The people who sell fake goods are often linked to other types of crime such as the supply of illegal drugs which blight our communities. I would urge anyone with information about people selling fake goods to pass this on to Crimestoppers so we can take action.”

Detective Chief Inspector Ronnie Megaughin, head of Interventions, SCDEA said:
“The significant profits that are generated by counterfeiting benefit no-one other than the criminals behind it. Those who are involved in producing and selling fake goods are very often also responsible for pushing drugs in our communities, forcing people into the sex trade and cultivating cannabis in our neighbourhoods, not to mention the fear intimidation and violence associated with this criminality.

The public have a vital role to play in assisting the authorities in clamping down on these rogue traders. They can refuse to buy these illegal and often unsafe products, and they can anonymously share what they know about the people involved in this crime by contacting Crimestoppers. Even the smallest piece of information can be
the key to unlocking a much larger criminal network.”

Liz Gilchrist Vice Chair of Inverness Crime Prevention Panel added “We as a panel, are very happy to support this initiative.  It is good to see all of the prime agencies working together in an effort to stamp out this growing problem”

Dougie McClounie of SCDEA displaying  an example of some Counterfeit Goods

Fakes fund crime

Counterfeiters make many different types of fakes. One thing these producers have in common is that they are all criminals.

Organised gangs are increasingly pursuing several different criminal activities at the same time and using the proceeds from each form of crime to invest in the others.

Producing fakes is a crime in itself, but counterfeiting is also sometimes linked to other types of crime including:

• Human trafficking
• Gun and weapon possession
• Drugs
• Money laundering
• Benefit fraud

It was estimated in 2007 that around 70% of the £1.3  billion made from intellectual property crime flowed back to organised crime.

If you buy fakes, the money you spend on them is likely to benefit criminal gangs and could damage the neighbourhood you live in.

More about the crimes linked to fake DVDs, fashion and tobacco.

Help fight fakes

You can help fight fakes by calling charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Tell us who is dealing in fakes. We won’t take your name or ask who you are. We only want to know what you know, not who you are. You can also pass on information anonymously online using our secure online form.

Fake goods harm you

Counterfeiters don’t limit themselves to fake designer handbags and clothing. Electrical products, power tools, food, toys and sports equipment are also faked with potentially dangerous consequences for you as a consumer.

Fake goods are both imported and made here in the UK. Domestic production often takes place in rented office buildings that have been converted into makeshift ‘factories’. The conditions in these factories are often unsafe and unhygienic – this makes the production of fakes dangerous for not only workers but also the end user.

Fake alcohol

Fake alcohol can contain methanol, a chemical that can cause blindness, coma and death. Counterfeit bottles of alcohol often imitate well known brands in an attempt to reassure people that the product is safe.

In May 2009 2,700 bottles of counterfeit vodka were seized from a business park in Haringey, London. There was evidence that large quantities of antifreeze had been used in its manufacture.

Fake beauty products

Fake beauty products often contain sub-standard ingredients that could give you a rash or an allergic reaction. Some bottles of fake perfume have even been found to use ingredients like urine as a stabiliser.

Look out for products sold in packaging featuring spelling or grammatical mistakes. Always buy your beauty products from a trusted source to help keep you safe from fakes.

Fake electronics

Electrical goods sold in the UK are subject to stringent safety testing. Counterfeit electrical goods often sidestep these testing requirements. This means fake electrical goods, including hair straighteners, mobile phones and camera chargers, may contain unsafe wiring that can lead to over-heating, creating risks of fire, electrocution and personal injury. Fake electrical goods may even be labelled with fake certification marks, so you think that they are safe.

Fake toys

Children’s toys are subject to strict safety testing. Counterfeit toys often will not have been tested. As a result fakes could contain small parts that are a choking hazard.

Buying fake goods online puts you at risk of fraud and identity theft.

Crimestoppers Counterfitting

Fake goods – you’re at risk

Fashion merchandise, DVDs and electrical goods are just some of the types of fakes often purchased online. The people who buy these goods are often unsuspecting and think they are getting a genuine product.

Identity theft and credit card fraud

Entering your debit or credit card details into a website that deals in fakes means that you are essentially giving your card details, your address and your name to criminals.

To ensure your card details remain safe, make sure that you only buy goods online from authorised retailers. Getting a pair of shoes for half price may seem like a quick bargain but now that you know that you’re putting your bank card at risk you’ve got to ask – “Is it really worth it?”

Know your rights

If you buy online from businesses registered in the UK you are legally entitled to return any goods bought within seven days (even if you just change your mind). You are also entitled to return the goods if they are faulty.

If you buy an item and realise it’s a fake, getting a refund can be difficult. Often fakes are sold through websites based outside UK; these websites aren’t subject to the same laws as sites based here.

Shopping online

If you are going to shop online:

• 
  Buying from companies registered in the UK can help keep you safe as you’ll have more legal rights.
• Try and buy from a brand’s official website or from an authorised seller of the product.
• ‘https’ on the web site address means the site is secure – the ‘s’ in https  stands for secure. The padlock on the payment screen is also a mark of security.
• Just because a URL ends in .co.uk doesn’t mean the business is registered in the UK.
• Search web addresses using Who Is – a database of who owns what domain names and where they are based or go to the UK’s register of domain names at www.nominet.org.uk.  You can also click on ‘Howard’ the Online Shopping Assistant at www.ukecc.net.
• Always take a copy of the web pages and keep any correspondence as evidence, either electronically or on paper.
• Using a credit card for payments over £100 will also provide extra security.

Fake goods – you’re at risk

Fashion merchandise, DVDs and electrical goods are just some of the types of fakes often purchased online. The people who buy these goods are often unsuspecting and think they are getting a genuine product.

Identity theft and credit card fraud

Entering your debit or credit card details into a website that deals in fakes means that you are essentially giving your card details, your address and your name to criminals.

To ensure your card details remain safe, make sure that you only buy goods online from authorised retailers. Getting a pair of shoes for half price may seem like a quick bargain but now that you know that you’re putting your bank card at risk you’ve got to ask – “Is it really worth it?”

Know your rights

If you buy online from businesses registered in the UK you are legally entitled to return any goods bought within seven days (even if you just change your mind). You are also entitled to return the goods if they are faulty.

If you buy an item and realise it’s a fake, getting a refund can be difficult. Often fakes are sold through websites based outside UK; these websites aren’t subject to the same laws as sites based here.

Shopping online

If you are going to shop online:

• Buying from companies registered in the UK can help keep you safe as you’ll have more legal rights.
• Try and buy from a brand’s official website or from an authorised seller of the product.
• ‘https’ on the web site address means the site is secure – the ‘s’ in https  stands for secure. The padlock on the payment screen is also a mark of security.
• Just because a URL ends in .co.uk doesn’t mean the business is registered in the UK.
• Search web addresses using Who Is – a database of who owns what domain names and where they are based or go to the UK’s register of domain names at www.nominet.org.uk.  You can also click on ‘Howard’ the Online Shopping Assistant at www.ukecc.net.
• Always take a copy of the web pages and keep any correspondence as evidence, either electronically or on paper.
• Using a credit card for payments over £100 will also provide extra security.

We are all volunteers who give a little time to educate and inform the public on how to keep themselves and their property safe.

Have you skills which may help or ideas for input?  eg., Fund raising or Project Organising?

We are always interested in anyone who would like to help at various events we are involved with – from leaflet distribution to security marking of mobile phones and computers through to talking to young people and the elderly about personal security.

Can you support us in our efforts on projects?

If you feel you can assist us please contact us on 01463 772692 or email info@icpp.co.uk

Crimestoppers is urging the public of the Highlands and Islands to call them with information which could help Police in their efforts to reduce the supply of illegal drugs in the region.

Northern Constabulary has enjoyed a successful year and has taken hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of drugs off the streets.

Both Crimestoppers and Police say they must not be complacent and have vowed to continue to target those involved in the drugs trade and any other form of serious and organised crime.

Crimestoppers’ National Training and Development Manager, Iain Froggett visited Northern Constabulary HQ last week to speak to Police and partner agencies about the work of the crime fighting charity and underline the independent charity’s commitment to helping Police tackle the drugs menace.

Mr Froggett was invited by Crimestoppers Highland chairman Jim Ferguson, who organised event.

Jim Ferguson Highlands and Islands regional chairman said: “I was delighted to have Ian Froggett attend today’s meeting which clearly shows the high level of support from Crimestoppers nationally for the Highlands and Islands region.

“The region has shown a 6% increase in the number of calls received over last year and a 40% rise in the number of arrests all due to information received from Crimestoppers which is highly encouraging.

“Crimestoppers is effective in the fight against crime and we are all striving hard to tackle the problems that affect our communities. Our board has been very active, regularly attending community council meetings and giving presentations to interested groups.”

He added: “We appreciate the dedication of Northern Constabulary and their support of Crimestoppers in our combined efforts to make our communities safer.

“Crimestoppers offer a completely anonymous way of passing information to law enforcement and clearly the Highlands is increasingly using the service which we provide to good effect.”

Mr Froggett said: “It is great to visit the low crime areas encompassed by the Highlands of Scotland, but to keep it that way, we need people to be vigilant. If they feel they cannot report information about criminal activity to the police for fear of being identified or because they are too close to an offender, then Crimestoppers offers the ideal means.

“We promise total anonymity to all callers whether they use:
Telephone: 0800 555 111 or choose to report online from our website www.crimestoppersscotland-uk.org/

Even the smallest piece of information we receive will be passed to the police and it may be the key to supporting a successful investigation.”

He added: “Offenders are the people who should fear the consequences of crime and by working closely with communities at large, with Crimestoppers volunteers and the police, we can help reduce the availability of controlled drugs and help in the prosecution of those who supply them.”

Deputy Chief Constable Garry Sutherland said: “We are grateful for the continued support we receive from Crimestoppers.

“Some members of the public may feel they cannot contact Police with information, for whatever reason, and in those circumstances Crimestoppers can provide an alternative solution.

“The Crimestoppers service offers people crucial reassurance that the information they are providing is being treated completely anonymously.

“Historically, information provided through Crimestoppers has played a part in the solving of a number of crimes in the Northern Constabulary area and we look forward to further developing that partnership, to ensure the Highlands and Islands remain among the safest places in the UK to live, work and invest.”

Ends

Det. Sgt. Joe McLaughlin of Strathclyde Police has said: “Thanks to a tip off made to Crimestoppers, we have been able to disrupt and dismantle another large scale cannabis cultivation. The discovery of this cultivation proves that by working together we can be successful in tackling this issue and making a major impact on the criminal fraternities setting up these sites.

He added: “It’s encouraging that local people know what to look out for and are proactive in reporting their suspicions. It may be that there are other cultivations in the surrounding area and I would urge people to be aware of the signs and report any suspicious activity.”

Since 2006, police have seized around 80,000 cannabis plants with an approximate street value of £24.7 million.

Despite these significant seizures, the problem of cannabis cultivations is increasing and the harms associated with it continue to present a major risk to Scotland’s communities.

Cannabis is the most widely used illegal drug in Scotland and the health impact on users is significant. The methods used to maintain cannabis farms are a fire hazard to the premises they are contained within and surrounding properties. In addition, profit from the supply of cannabis is used to fund other forms of serious organised crime, including human trafficking and counterfeit goods.

Led by Strathclyde Police, Scotland’s eight police forces, with the support of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA), the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and the UK Borders Agency, have formed a national taskforce to detect and dismantle cannabis cultivations, arrest the criminal networks involved and seize their illegal profits.

Local people have a crucial role to play in helping to beat this criminal activity. If you notice anything suspicious,

contact Crimestoppers anonymously
with information on 0800 555 111.

The signs to look out for are:

• Windows of the property are permanently covered from the inside
• Visits to the premises occur at unusual times of the day or night
• People do not live in the premises and only make shorts visits, daily or weekly, to maintain them
• The cannabis or by-products, such as used fertiliser, will be removed in black bin bags or laundry bags
• Compost bags or gardening equipment may be left outside, usually in the rear of the premises
• There may be a vent protruding through the roof of a rear window
• There may be a pungent smell emanating from the premises
• There may be noise coming from equipment (e.g. cooling fans) in the premises

Crime is down 12% for the period April to December 2009 against the same period in 2008. This equates to 1522 fewer victims. Crime rates have actually fallen by 20% over the past 2 years. At the same time overall detection rates remain high at over 61% for classes 1 to 5 and over 84% across all classes of crime.

Northern Constabulary continues to demonstrate its commitment to reducing crime and contributing to safer communities across the Highlands and islands.

Numerous examples of successes include the following:

A number of significant drug seizures and convictions in Shetland including a 4-year sentence of a man with 120,000 of drugs including heroin.

The arrests and prosecution of 5 cases of domestic abuse in Orkney.

Two officers are to be commended for resolving a firearms incident in Barra, Western Isles.

A new initiative involving a Community Response Team has been active in Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross to tackle vandalisms. The scheme has been favourably received by the public and 76 crimes of vandalism have been detected in Caithness.

There have been notable drug seizures in Ross & Cromarty, Lochaber, Skye and Lochalsh, including the recovery of 160,000 class A drugs on the A82 in November. A number of drink drivers were arrested throughout this area during a targetted campaign.

Considerable work continues across the region to address Domestic Abuse and Child Protection. A dedicated Domestic Abuse Liaison Officer has been appointed for the East Division area.

There have been notable seizures of drugs and successful prosecutions across the region including 2 men receiving 12 years each imprisonment at the High Court in Glasgow in December 2009 for supply of drugs.

A number of secondary schools across the region have taken part in “Driving Ambitions” which promotes safer driving.

The campaign, which is led by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) and runs throughout Scotland saw a total of 29 drink drivers detected in the Northern Constabulary area during the four week campaign period, which is 19 fewer than last year.

In addition, this year saw the introduction of the Vehicle Forfeiture initiative, where those caught drink driving after a previous conviction of the same offence faced having their vehicle seized with the potential of being sold or destroyed. This initiative is set to continue out with the campaign. Northern Constabulary have seized two vehicles and their owners will find out their fate following court forfeiture hearings.

Northern Constabulary continued with the policy of detaining certain drink drivers until the next available court date, which saw sixteen people spend at least one night in custody.

Head of Road Policing, Inspector John Smith commented: “I am encouraged to see a reduction in those committing such offences on our roads and listening to our road safety messages that we heavily promote at this time of year.

“I would like to thank members of the public for their contribution to making our roads safer as we saw a number of people caught drink driving after being reported by concerned citizens, which included friends and family members.

“The Vehicle Forfeiture initiative, I feel, has played an important role by introducing an additional serious financial loss to individuals as well as facing the outcome of court proceedings, which could include loss of licence or imprisonment.

“Despite the numerous warnings a number of people chose to ignore the messages issued and put themselves and other members of the public at risk by drinking and driving.

“We will continue to target those committing these serious offences and encourage members of the public to continue to support us and report those they suspect may be drink or drug driving.”

ends

With the advent of the Winter Festival and the anticipated increase in the number of visitors to the city centre, key strategic partners formed the Inverness City Partnership in March and include the Highland Council, Northern Constabulary, Inverness BID (Business Development District) and Safeinverness.

It was agreed they would formulate a plan to draw together support from a wide cross section of the community. This collaborative approach includes vital support from other organisations such as Crimestoppers, Scottish Licensed Trade Association, Inverness Bed and Breakfast Association, Highland Youth Forum, The Street Pastors and Inverness Crime Prevention Panel.

Representatives from Northern Constabulary, Inverness City Partnership and Safeinverness joined Inverness Provost Jimmy Gray for the launch of Operation Respect at the Victorian Market in the city centre this morning.

Inverness Area Commander, Chief Inspector Andrew MacLean, Chair of Safeinverness and Crimestoppers Highland chairman Jim Ferguson, Inverness City Manager, David Haas, Provost Jimmy Gray, Chairman of The Highland Council’s Inverness City Committee

Northern Constabulary, the lead agency in the Inverness Partnership, will be increasing patrols in the city centre over the coming weeks, ensuring a high visibility presence, particularly during peak shopping and socialising times.

Operation Respect has been hugely popular and indeed successful in other areas of the city already this year, having been run in the Hilton and Merkinch areas of the city in response to community concerns regarding anti-social behaviour.

Part of the scheme will include Inverness City Centre Partnership’s funding of the Nightrider bus service during peak times. The buses, which will service three main routes (Culloden, Smithton & Balloch; Hilton & Milton of Leys; Kinmylies & Dalneigh) and will ferry revellers home safely and out of the city centre.

The bus service will be available from 4 December and will run every weekend until the end of the year, including the busiest nights, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. The service will run between 11.30pm until 4am. Bus time tables will be on display in pubs, clubs and on the buses themselves.

The popular Taxi Marshall scheme will also be in operation to ensure safety at taxi ranks at closing time, supported by the Street Pastors, Safeinverness and the Police.

The Retail Task Team will be working in the city centre throughout the festive period to deal with all retail related issues with support, where required, from Northern Constabulary officers.

Inverness Area Commander, Chief Inspector Andrew MacLean said: “Operation Respect has been very successful in other areas of the city in recent months and we aims to carry on that success in the city centre over the busy festive period.

“We want to ensure that shoppers and those who are out and about over the coming weeks can enjoy themselves without fear of crime and feel safe. We must make it clear that anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated by Police and we will take a robust stance in relation to this type of crime.

“People want to enjoy the festivities and not be worried about becoming a victim of crime. We would also like to remind people that if they are out socialising to drink responsibly and take care of friends and family, ensuring they all get home safely. The Nightbus service is very welcome and will ensure people get out of the city centre and home safely.”

He added: “We will be providing a high visibility presence in the city centre over the coming weeks and we are grateful for the support from the agencies involved in Operation Respect.”

Chief Inspector MacLean also has a message for Christmas shoppers, reminding them to be vigilant when it comes to vehicle security.

He said: “Although we will have increased numbers of officers out there I would urge shoppers to take the necessary precautions, such as ensuring they don’t leave valuables in their vehicles in plain sight. This encourages opportunist thieves. Christmas is a very expensive time for everyone, especially in the current climate, and we would urge people to be vigilant.”

Provost Jimmy Gray, Chairman of The Highland Council’s Inverness City Committee said: “Operation Respect” aims to complement our efforts in organising the Inverness Winter Festival by working with our partners in the police, ambulance service, business and the community to ensure that our streets are safe for people to enjoy the activities we are providing and that they are kept clean and tidy.

“We are seeking a buy in from the public to at all times demonstrate good citizenship by not dropping litter and reporting any inappropriate behaviour to the authorities.”

Inverness City Manager, David Haas said: “At the heart of the activities of the Inverness Partnership is the need to focus on the need to combine efforts to produce outcomes which improve the daily lives of residents and visitors to the city.

“Operation Respect is about enhancing the already high standards and more than meeting the expectations of those experiencing our city centre.”

He added: “This partnership approach also acts to provide support to the city’s businesses at a time when they are feeling the full force of the economic downturn.”

Chair of Safeinverness and Crimestoppers Highland chairman Jim Ferguson, said: “Safe Inverness fully supports Operation Respect and we are delighted to be a partner in this worthwhile crime reducing and safety endeavour.

ends

Operation Respect initiative was created to engender respect for each other and for other’s property all year round, but especially during this festive period.

With the advent of the Winter Festival and the anticipated increase in numbers of visitors to the City Centre the Council, Northern Constabulary and Inverness BID agreed to formulate a plan which would draw in support from a wide cross section of the Community. Partner organisations include:

Crimestoppers

Scottish Licensed Trade Association

Inverness Bed and Breakfast Association

Highland Youth Forum

The Street Pastors

Inverness Crime Prevention Panel

Operation Respect allows the Partners to link resources to enhance the amenity of the City Centre and provide (via the Nightrider Bus scheme – run with the help of Stagecoach) another option for a safe passage home for visitors to the City’s night time economy.

Street Pastors play a large part in the town centre providing an invaluable service every weekend and are on the streets until the wee hours, assisting those who may have problems.

Jim Ferguson Chairman of Crimestoppers Highlands and Islands, spent an evening with the Street Pastors just recently observing how the volunteers work and said:
“I was very impressed to see the Street Pastors in action as they went out to help those on the streets in many different ways. They were well received and their gentle approach seemed to calm certain situations down that may otherwise have ended in violence. Their outreach and care was inspiring and it was a pleasure to have been invited out to see how they operated.”

So what can we do to make sure we have fun and remain safe?

The Inverness Crime Prevention Panel have applied normal crime prevention advice to Christmas and this is common sense, but you might overlook it in your haste to get everything ready.

Out on the town

With office parties and general Christmas celebrations, pubs, restaurants and other venues are often crowded. Don’t leave bags over the back of your chair and keep wallets and purses close to your body to make it more difficult for the pickpocket. Busy places make it easier for the sneak thief, so be alert at all times.
Make prior arrangements as to how you will get home. Avoid any potential disturbances on the street. Stay with friends if you can. Make sure someone knows where you are going and what time you will be back.
Don’t drink too much – you could become a target for thieves.
Take precautions against Drink spiking – Keep your glass with you, never leaving it unattended and keep it covered.

Nightrider Bus Service

For the second year Operation Respect will be providing a FREE Nightrider bus service for home travel after midnight, enabling you to come into the city for an evening out without taking a car.
Please do not drink and drive – to do so risks your own life and others and incurs heavy penalties, possibly prison and financially.

The late night buses will be running during the festive season free of charge. The service will run between 11.30pm until 4am.
Bus time tables will be on display in Pubs, Clubs and on the Buses themselves.
Please make good use of this service.

Shopping

Criminals take the opportunities afforded them by the extra shopping we do. They prey on the opportunity created by the hustle and bustle of town centres as we rush around and try to take advantage of the value of the goods we buy as presents and store in our homes until the big day.
We might also be more trusting and generous at Christmas when requests for charity are made, giving the unscrupulous a chance to collect for their own causes.
When the shops are crowded, the pickpocket has more chance to steal from you. If you can’t arrange to shop during less busy times, make sure you stay alert and be extra careful with your wallet or purse. If you have too many bags you will be too busy trying to hold on to these to be aware of anyone stealing from you.
You could try to make smaller shopping trips rather than do it all at once and carry too much. Have your purse/wallet close to your body and don’t carry too much cash. The same applies to travelling on crowded buses or trains. If you travel by car, make sure you park in a well-lit area, lock all doors and windows and do not leave presents in view.
Try not to return to your car to leave purchases in the boot before continuing with your shopping trip as thieves may well watch car parks for just such a chance. Arrange to collect heavy items from stores when you have finished all your shopping. Keep your chequebook and cheque card separately.

Blue Light Discos are Proving to be Major Attraction

These popular events have been a great success with the next being on 20^th December. This next disco will be a special night called a Silent Disco and held at the Ironworks when the party revellers will have the unique experience of have music transmitted wirelessly to headphones.

The evenings have been generously supported by Next, Tesco and Mcdonalds with generous Raffle Prizes.

Liz Gilchrist, Vice Chair of Inverness Crime Prevention added:
“I was really pleased at the support received from the four national companies who have businesses based in Inverness, particularly Tesco who have been proactive supporting this type of partnership initiative throughout the country and encouraging safer neighbourhoods”.

Jim Ferguson Chair of Crimestoppers Highlands and Islands also thanked the companies for their generous support and said:
“I hope the Disco’s go from strength to strength as it is the type of event which is to be encouraged, proving that a fun evening could be had without alcohol”.

Steven Kerr of Inverness Business Improvement District and newly appointed Chairman of the Blue Light Steering Group said:
“I was delighted with the success of our events and we are working to encourage even more young people to attend future Blue Light Discos. Steven went on to say that visits would be made to all the Senior Schools in the area to promote future events to the 13 -16 year age groups.

Next event, Silent Disco: 20^th December, Ironworks at 7.00pm

Ticket Price: £4.00 or £3 (with a voucher from bebo/facebook)
Includes FREE Face Art and FREE Raffle Ticket.
If you purchase your entrance ticket in advance it will allow you free bus transport – Just show your ticket to the Driver.
BUY ONLINE:http://www.ironworksvenue.com or Contact 0871  789 4173

Left to right:
Steven Kerr – Chair of Blue Light. Pam Kennedy – Inverness BID.
Rhona Brindle – Community Champion – Tesco. Jim Ferguson – Chair of Inverness Crime Prevention Panel.

Crimestoppers in co-operation with Inverness Crime Prevention Panel, Police and Highland Council, wish everyone a very happy festive period.

Finally, anyone should contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111
if they have information about any criminal activity and wish to remain anonymous.
(Crimestoppers is a Registered Charity.)

Inverness Crime Prevention Panel website for further information: http://www.icpp.co.uk

Have Fun – Be Safe!

Steven Kerr - Chair of Blue Light. Pam Kennedy – Business Improvement District. Rhona Brindle – Community Champion – Tesco. Jim Ferguson – Chair of Inverness Crime Prevention Panel

Unicorn Kid had been requested by fans who had been entertained at Belladrum earlier this year and was besieged by autograph seeking attendees at the end of the evening!
Most youngsters attending, left with either an autograph or a photo taken with him.

The evening had been supported by Next, Tesco and Mcdonald’s with generous Raffle Prizes.

Liz Gilchrist, Vice Chair of Inverness Crime Prevention added:
“I was really pleased at the support received from the four national companies who have businesses based in Inverness, particularly Tesco who have been proactive supporting this type of partnership initiative throughout the country and encouraging safer neighbourhoods”.

Jim Ferguson Chair of Crimestoppers Highlands and Islands also thanked the companies for their generous support and said:
“I hope the Disco’s go from strength to strength as it is the type of event which is to be encouraged, proving that a fun evening could be had without alcohol”.

Steven Kerr of Inverness Business Improvement District and newly appointed Chairman of the Blue Light Steering Group said:
“I was delighted with the success of the evening and we are working to encourage even more young people to attend future Blue Light Discos. Steven went on to say that visits would be made to all the Senior Schools in the area to promote future events to the 13 -16 year age groups, the next being on 27th November and a Silent Disco on 20th December.”
Both events are to be held in the Ironworks.

Blue Light is a partnership of several organisations working together including, BID(Business Improvement District in Inverness), Northern Constabulary, Safe Inverness,  Inverness Crime Prevention Panel, Highland Council,  Youth Inclusive, Street Pastors and Brook Advisory..

After the success of the multi-agency Operation Respect in the town centre over the 2008 Christmas period, it was decided that the Operation Respect ‘model’ should be run in other areas that were experiencing problems with antisocial behaviour and violence.

The partners included elected councillors, Northern Constabulary, MP33, youth workers, street pastors and Merkinch Partnership.

Operation Respect began in the Merkinch beat on the 15^th May and ran until the 15^th August 2009. The intentions of this Operation were fivefold:

1 To maximise public safety looking for a sustainable solution to the needs of the community.

1 To meet the needs of the community in an intelligence led manner.

1 To heighten awareness to youths and their parents of the dangers of underage and binge drinking.

1 To reduce the quantities of alcohol available for consumption by youths and provide alternatives to youths congregating and behaving in an anti-social manner.

1 To increase the confidence of the local communities in the Police and their partner agencies in their ability to address these issues.

Key initiatives which helped make Operation Respect a success in the Merkinch was the Bike Shed drop in facility.

This venue which was opened and modernised was provided for youngsters to drop in and engage in various activities including art and craft and music. This helped develop these youngsters cultural and social awareness. Educational sessions on health and social welfare were also given to these youngsters.

Other activites took place such as street football which is a well developed diversionary activity for youths taking them away from an inclination to anti social behaviour.

The MP33 facility was also available for young people to participate in computer skills and other such like skills.

Another key part of the Operation was the provision of dedicated police foot patrols in the area.

The rest of this report looks at the effect the whole Operation has had in the area, comparing the period of the Operation in 2009 (15/05/09 – 15/08/09) in comparison with the same period in 2008, specifically during the period of increased and specifically targeted foot patrols by uniformed police officers.

Patrols

High visibility foot patrols were carried out by the Merkinch beat officers for the area between 1900 – 2300 hours on Friday and Saturday nights. In addition, plain clothes patrols were carried out by other officers.

The following table looks at the volume of incidents reported during the patrol period in comparison with the previous year.

The above tables highlight that Operation Respect has positively contributed to the decline of incidents reported between 15/05/09 – 15/08/09, compared to the same period in 2008.

Incident Types

The following table looks at the most prevalent incident types reported during the period of the patrols in comparison with the same time period in 2008, in order to assess whether the Operation has had an effect on the type of incidents reported.

It is evident that incidents involving Advisory Calls and Breach of the Peace have increased since the same period in 2008, although this increase is minor. Disturbance/Noise is continually one of the most commonly reported incidents in the Merkinch, and also throughout Inverness. However, Disturbance/Noise incidents reported appear to have taken a significant drop during the period, compared to the same time last year (a decrease of some 26 incidents).

The number of total crimes reported during this period (15/05/09 – 15/08/09) has also decreased as the following table highlights:

The top 5 reported crimes are illustrated in the table below and show a comparison with the figures for 2008.

The top 5 crimes have seen a large drop in the number reported during the period in 2009. Minor Assaults did not experience a major decrease in incidents reported, but a decrease nonetheless.

Hotspot Streets

The above table shows ‘hotspot’ streets during the period of the Operation, in comparison with the same period last year. Incidents reported have dropped in all of the above ‘hotspot’ streets during the period of the Operation. A reason for the decline in incidents reported on Anderson Street has also happened as a result of the street football initiative. Street football occurs on Anderson Street and is well attended by local children aged 6-13 years. Street Pastors have also had a good reception in the Merkinch area in general.

Displacement

While the number of incidents reported within the Merkinch area have declined over the period of the Operation there has been no displacement of crime or incidents to other parts of the city, in particular adjacent neighbourhoods.

The neighbouring beats saw the following changes in their incident numbers:

Dalneigh – 78 fewer incidents

Scorguie – 10 more incidents

City Centre – 46 fewer incidents

Longman – 11 fewer incidents

The only neighbouring beat which saw an increase in incidents was Scorguie. There is no single incident type that caused this increase, but rather an increase in a variety of incidents, none of which appear to be as a result of Operation Respect. There is no evidence to suggest that individuals from Merkinch are committing acts of antisocial behaviour in other areas.

Alcohol Seized

While there were a significant amount of calls relating to youths congregating and drinking within the Merkinch area, there were few seizures of alcohol from under age drinkers during the period 15/05/2009 – 15/08/2009. A review of incidents during the period under review highlighted that 9.4% of reported incidents concerned youths causing a disturbance. There are likely to be more incidents, as in some cases the culprits were unknown. Three seizures were recorded in both 2008 and 2009. One of the seizures in 2008 came as a result of a shop selling alcohol to an under age male. This shop has since lost its licence as a result of further incidents and is now closed. The action taken by the police and council regarding this shop has helped the issue.

One of the shops in Merkinch has agreed to stop selling Buckfast, and it is anticipated that this will have a positive effect in the area, as it is often consumed by under age drinkers. Furthermore, a test purchase operation was carried out at a shop in the Merkinch area during the operational period and the sale of alcohol was refused.

The number of incidents reported during the time of the patrols decreased on every day and time in 2009 in comparison with 2008, aside from Friday between 2200 and 2300 hours. There is no single explanation for this, with incidents reported during this period taking place at different locations within Merkinch.

Conclusion

1 The figures highlight that Operation Respect – Merkinch has had a positive effect on the number of incidents reported within the area

FOOTNOTE FOR EDITORS – Any of the elected councillors for the area are available for comment – Peter Corbett; Beth MacAllister; Janet MacRae, Donnie Kerr

Police issued an appeal for information this week after the cat’s owner reported that someone had removed the hair and skin from her animal’s tail, which looks likely to result in amputation.

The incident took place in the early hours of Wednesday morning in the area of Millerton Avenue, Kinmylies. Police and Crimestoppers Highland are hoping that this new appeal, with the incentive of a reward, will encourage someone with information about this horrific act to come forward.

Crimestoppers Highland chairman, Jim Ferguson, said: “Such a dreadful act of cruelty is often indicative of someone who will go onto commit such appalling acts on people.

“I can assure members of the public that if anyone has information regarding who is responsible for this, we have facilities in place to ensure the money can be paid completely anonymously.

“We are not interested in the name of the person who may have information, we simply want the culprit caught.”

Chief-Inspector-Andrew-Maclean

Inverness Area Commander, Chief Inspector Andrew MacLean said: “We are pleased that Crimestoppers Highland has come forward and made this gesture in an attempt to garner new information in relation to this horrendous attack.

“Crimestoppers have clearly reacted to the level of public concern and anger in relation to this incident and hopefully the reward will encourage someone who knows something to come forward if they haven’t already done so.”

Police are continuing inquiries into this incident and anyone with information is urged to contact Police in Inverness on 01463 715555 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

ends

NORTHERN Constabulary’s North Division, which includes Caithness, Sutherland, East Ross, Orkney and Shetland, has a new Divisional Commander. Newly promoted Superintendent Julian Innes takes over from Superintendent Ian Arnott who is now heading up the East Division.

Supt Innes, previously Chief Inspector and Area Commander for Northern Constabulary’s busiest beat, Inverness, joined Northern Constabulary in 1986 and was first stationed in Inverness. After four years he moved to the small one officer station of Boat of Garten, working and living in the community for two years, where he played an active role in running the youth club and primary school football team.

Julian then moved back to Headquarters, Inverness in the the role of HOLMES (Home Office Large Major Enquiry System) manager, working on many notable incidents, including the Orkney murder.

After a short spell in Portree as CID officer for the Syke and Lochalsh area, Julian was promoted in1998 to Detective Sergeant to the Scottish Crime Squad in Glasgow, where for the next four years he took part in proactive operations targeting the top ten percent of criminals in Scotland. He also became a surveillance instructor and taught at the Scottish Police College in Tuilliallan.

Julian returned from Glasgow in 2002, taking up the post of Detective Sergeant for the Caithness and Sutherland Command Area, before moving to Headquarters, Inverness in the role of Director of Intelligence, with responsibility for the Force Intelligence Bureau and Special Branch. During this period he led on the introduction of the Scottish Intelligence Database (SID). During his time at Headquarters, Julian also had roles with responsibility for Child Protection, Offender Management, HOLMES and the Scientific Support Unit and then staff office supporting the Chief Constable and other executive officers and performing the role of ACPOS Diversity Secretariat.

Julian was promoted to Chief Inspector Area Commander for Inverness in 2008 with responsibility for community and response policing across the city as well as the Divisional Traffic Wardens.

Promoted to Superintendent in June this year, Julian has moved to Wick on taking up the role of Divisional Commander for the North Division. He said:

“I am looking forward very much to working with my new team, getting to know the communities in the North of the Highlands and the North Isles and building on excellent policing work in this region. Having worked as a Detective Sergeant in Caithness and Sutherland during my career, I know the area and am aware of the local issues. The Highlands and Islands enjoy the reputation of being one of the safest places to live in the UK and this is a reputation I am keen to uphold. The area, however, is not without crime and I will be taking a proactive stance in targeting criminal activity which blights our communities.”

He went on to say: “Police cannot work in isolation and I aim to build on the good relationship that we have with members of the public and other agencies in our communities.”

Ends

Supt Arnott takes over from Supt Andy Cowie, who was recently promoted to Chief Superintendent in charge of Support Services following the recent retiral of his predecessor Laurie Stewart.

Supt Arnott will be based at Burnett Road Police Station in Inverness and his new team will include Chief Inspector Andrew MacLean, who formerly headed up the Professional Standards and Conduct department.

Chief Inspector MacLean will replace Chief Inspector Julian Innes, the previous Inverness Area Commander, following his promotion to Superintendent and new position as North Division Commander based in Wick.

Originally from Nairn, Ian joined Northern Constabulary through the cadet scheme in 1975 before joining the regular ranks in 1978. After serving an initial post in Dingwall. He served at various other posts in Ross-shire before transferring to the Western Isles in 1985. He returned to Dingwall in 1989 where he remained until 1991 when he was promoted to Sergeant and posted to Lerwick, Shetland.

After eight years in his Sergeant’s post he was promoted to Inspector in 1999. In 2000 he transferred back to Inverness to maintain his Inspector rank with the Performance Service Unit. After a year in that unit he moved to Inverness Area Command at Burnett Road where he continued his Inspector role.

He moved to Headquarters as Inspector in January 2003 within the Operational Support Service Unit before being promoted to Chief Inspector with the unit in April that year. The Chief Inspector’s role within Operational Support, gave Ian responsibility for areas such as firearms, dog section, emergency planning, road safety, media and road policing.

He was promoted to Superintendent in September 2007 and moved to Wick to take up the position of North Division Commander, with responsibility for Shetland, Orkney, Caithness, Sutherland and East Ross.

Superintendent Arnott said: “I am very much looking forward to returning to Inverness and the challenge of working in Northern Constabulary’s East Division.

“It is an area I was brought up in and lived in for a number of years. It is one of the safest areas to live in the UK, although I am aware of the policing challenges which exist. I look forward, with my team, to addressing these issues.”

His team at East Division includes Badenoch, Strathspey and Nairn Area Commander, Chief Inspector Donald Henderson, Chief Inspector Jim Neill and newly appointed Inverness Area Commander, Chief Inspector Andrew MacLean.

Chief Inspector MacLean is also an experienced officer with 30 years police service, over 20 of these in the Highlands. He joined Strathclyde Police in 1979 and transferred to Northern Constabulary in 1986.

He has served in various roles in different parts of the Northern Constabulary area which include Skye, Inverness, Mallaig and the Western Isles. He leaves his post as Head of the Professional Standards and Conduct Unit where he served for almost 5 years.

Prior to that he served as Area Commander in the Western Isles. His other posts have included Force Operations Centre Inspector, Crime Prevention Officer for Inverness and Nairn and Staff Officer to the Chief Constable. He also has previous experience working as a constable in Inverness and served as an Inspector instructor at the Scottish Police College.

Chief Inspector MacLean said: “I am delighted to have been appointed to this challenging post and I am looking forward to working with my new colleagues in delivering a quality police service to the people of Inverness. I am encouraged by the professional standards of the police officers and staff serving Northern Constabulary in the Inverness Area Command. The previous divisional management team have initiated and taken forward a lot of good police work. I would hope to bring my own particular skills and experience to the role, which will help me enhance the problem solving policing approach that Northern Constabulary applies to its work in the community.”

Ends

The HISCG agencies are working together to plan and prepare for any impact of Influenza A, (H1N1), and are continually monitoring and assessing the local, regional and national situation.

Dr Ken Oates, Consultant in Public Health, NHS Highland, says:

“Within the Highland council area there have only been 2 confirmed cases identified so far. Both of these are travel related, one in an American tourist and the other in someone recently returned from a holiday in New York. A number of possible cases continue to be investigated by general practitioners each day, but there is currently no evidence of community spread of H1N1 (swine flu) in the local Highland population.”

Chair of HISCG, Chief Constable Ian Latimer says:

“I would like to thank members of staff from all the agencies for the huge amount of work that has been done in recent weeks and months to ensure we are as prepared as we can be to deal with any implications of a pandemic spread of the flu virus. It is anticipated that there will be a greater impact across Scotland as the virus continues to spread. However, the agencies in the Highlands and Islands have a long history of working together and this mutual support and planning stands us in good stead to respond effectively at a local level.”

Dr Oates went on to say: “The vast majority of confirmed cases have a mild illness, but I would like to emphasise the importance of good hygiene in helping to prevent the spread of infection. Practical actions include:

• using a tissue to cover your mouth when coughing and/or sneezing,
• disposing of the tissue promptly and then washing your hands
• washing hands frequently with soap and water, especially after coughing, sneezing and using tissues
• avoiding touching your mouth, eyes and nose unless you have recently cleaned your hands
• using normal household detergent and water to clean surfaces frequently touched by hands”

Ends

This year saw fewer thefts, incidents of public disorder and assault.

Chief Superintendent Andy Cowie commented:

“Obviously from a policing perspective the event is ongoing until everyone leaves the campsite, but at present we are happy with how Rockness 2009 has gone.

We have had fewer incidents of public disorder and assaults and I think this is reflective of the carnival atmosphere and general good humour of the crowd over the weekend.

We have had a significant number of positive drugs searches and a total of 15 people reported to the Procurator Fiscal in connection with alleged drug possession with intent to supply, which are both up on last year.

We are welcoming any feedback that festival goers have on the policing of the event and comments can be sent to feedback@northern.pnn.police.uk.

A lot of work gone into the planning for the event which included the “Safeness” aspect which I think festival goers have taken on board which has meant that the majority have stayed safe to enjoy the festival.”

Nigel Stafford from the British Red Cross gave a roundup of the field hospital activity over the weekend: “Generally this year we found that the people who required medical assistance were happy to be treated. There was a good atmosphere. Whilst Friday and Saturday night were a bit quieter than last year’s event last night (Sunday) was busy.

“We found that most people who came to us in need of assistance were suffering from the effects of a previous medical condition or simply hadn’t remembered to bring their prescribed medication with them (asthmatics, diabetics etc).

“We had one case where a young man suffered superficial burns to his hands after using a gas canister at the campsite. Last night we had a few people who suffered bumps and grazes from falls but overall our figures look like we had less people presenting with problems relating to illegal drug use.

“By the end of the weekend the number of people requiring medical assistance was marginally up on last year (around 800 this year) but there certainly appears to be have been fewer drug related cases.”

Suzy Calder, Co-ordinator for the Highland Drug and Alcohol Action Team said:

“We are very pleased to hear that less people have felt unwell through drug related issues at this year’s event. We hope that the drug and alcohol safety messages are giving food for thought. As expected at any large musical festival there were a lot of people drinking alcohol but we would hope that new initiatives, such as free water at the Safeness tent, would help to reduce the ill effects of that as much as possible. It was certainly a very popular tent.”

Area Manager Scott Hay, Head of Community Risk Management for Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service said:
“Overall, we are delighted that the event passed with only minor fire issues and most people did seem to make use of the dedicated food outlets and barbeque areas. We are glad to have been involved in such a successful event with our key emergency service partners”.

Karen Carson, NHS Highland Health Promotion Specialist (Young People and Sexual Health) said:

“This year we were delighted to work in partnership to be able to provide a supply of free condoms and chat about sexual health with the young people attending the festival. As part of the Safeness initiative Brook (sexual health advice and info for under 25s) and volunteers from the Terrence Higgins Trust gave out around 30,000 condoms.

“Feedback from our volunteers is that people were really happy to come over to chat and pick up some information. The fact that they also gave out the Safeness supplies of bottled water, wet wipes, torches and rucksacks meant that there was absolutely no embarrassment in approaching the tent.”

Ends

NOTES TO EDITORS

Police Figures

175 positive drug searches

15 people reported to Procurator Fiscal in relation to possession of illegal drugs with intent to supply

6 incidents of breach of the peace

5 reports of thefts

5 reports of minor assaults

Macmillan Cancer Support are holding a UK wide event throughout the summer of 2009 to raise money for the charity.

The challenge is for teams of four to play 72 holes of golf in one day (24hours). It will involve walking approximately 20 miles and playing about 300+ shots each and losing a proportionate number of golf balls.

Most participant teams will play four rounds on their home course, however, officers James Winter, David Housby, Graeme Erskine and Nick Hough, based in the Western Isles, are planning to make the event even more challenging – four rounds, four courses on four different islands in one day!

PC Hough said: “The walking and the golf fair quite well in comparison with the logistical challenges involved.”

Starting in the Isle of Barra at 0300hrs and culminating in Stornoway, Lewis about 2300hrs it will involve three ferry crossings, 300 miles of driving passing through nine islands and little time to take in the wonderful scenery of the Western Isles. Barra, Askernish (South Uist), Harris and Stornoway courses are to be played.

A significant amount of support and assistance has already been given by Western Isles organisations to assist with green fees, ferries, minibus hire. 11500 has already been raised for the cause and they hope to raise this to at least 12000.

The Western Isles Longest Day Challenge will take place on Thursday 18 June 2009, utilising the long hours of daylight the Hebrides gets at this time of year.

Donations and information can be found at our specific Macmillan Cancer Support webpage:

www.justgiving.com/westernislesgolf

Please contact PC Nick Hough, Benbecula for any information about the route, photo opportunities or further details. Benbecula Police Station 01870 602374.

ends

Last year the event attracted a crowd of around 30,000 people per day.

NHS Highlands Substance Misuse Co-ordinator and Lead Nurse Dougie Montgomery said:

“Last year we saw some people overindulge so much that they ended up in the field hospital and missed the event completely. We want to encourage people to enjoy themselves in a safe way.

“The atmosphere at the event created by the crowds, the music, the open air and the excitement means that it can be easy to get a little reckless. The consequences of drinking too much are well known and the longer term effects on your own health and wellbeing, as well as those around you, can lead to regret.

“It’s important to bear in mind that the weather can also affect how you feel if you’re drinking alcohol. You will have a higher risk of sun stroke and dehydration if it’s hot and of becoming unwell if it’s chilly; your senses will be impaired and you may not realise how cold you’re becoming.

“We know that alcohol is likely to play a part in some people’s enjoyment of the festival and we would urge them to pace their drinking and know when to stop.

“Looking after yourself includes drinking water and non alcoholic fluids, eating, not mixing your drinks to excess, and remembering that you are in charge of your own personal safety.

“It’s also really important that people stick together and look out for their friends. The festival ground is enormous when it’s packed and it’s very easy to get separated, add alcohol into that equation and you quickly find that some people get panicky and disorientated because they’ve drunk too much”.

Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service Risk Management Co-ordinator Cathie Way also urged festival goers to make good use of the dedicated food preparation areas and eating outlets. She added:
“Cooking and drinking alcohol really don’t mix and we want everyone to have a memorable festival for all the right reasons.

“We’ve adopted a multi-agency approach this year (partnership with NHS Highland, Northern Constabulary, Scottish Ambulance Service, HDAAT, Red Cross, Highland Council, Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service) to help keep people as safe as possible. Scottish Water have kindly donated 100 water bottles so as festival goers can refill as required and we’ve combined resources to offer free bottled water, contraception, torches and wet wipes throughout the three day period.”

Scottish Water’s Communities Manager for the Highlands, Joanna Peebles, said: “Drinking water helps you stay fit, alert and energetic – just the tonic for a lively outdoor event such as Rockness. It’s important for festival-goers to keep hydrated so we hope the sports bottles we’ve donated will be well used. We’re proud of the drinking water we make in the Highlands and we’ll be delivering a regular supply of it to the Rockness site. The event is good for the Highland economy and we’re very
happy to support it.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

For further information please call NHS Highland Communications Officer Jo Young on 01463 704774.

Dehydration – the facts
When you are dehydrated, it means that the amount of fluids (water) your body is losing is more than the amount of water your body is taking in.
Your body is made up of about two-thirds water.

You’re not drinking enough water if…
- Your urine is dark, concentrated and has a strong smell. If it’s clear and odourless then you are drinking enough fluid.

- Headaches are often a sign of dehydration, so before reaching for a headache pill, try a glass of water.

These are the health benefits associated with drinking 6-8 glasses of water every day…
- Water does not contain sugar so choosing to drink water over sugary or carbonated drinks helps you have healthier teeth, and drinking 6-8 glasses of water each day helps to keep your bones, hair and nails healthy.
- Drinking water before, during and after physical activity helps you stay alert and have extra energy. Healthy and hydrated muscle tissue is around 75% water and drinking 6-8 glasses every day can help you prevent
tiredness and cramps.

- Your brain tissue is around 85% water. Drinking 6-8 glasses of water every day helps you have better memory and concentration. Results have shown that your performance, both academically and creatively, is
increased when you drink water throughout your day.
- Healthy skin is around 70% water – but it is the last organ in your body to benefit from your body’s supply of water. Drinking 6-8 glasses of water every day helps you have soft, firm skin and it help prevent the appearance of fine lines and spots.

The River Watch initiative will see Grampian Police working in partnership with Northern Constabulary, the Spey Fishery Board (SFB) and Marine Scotland.

The main focus of River Watch will be the River Spey, which flows through both Grampian Police and Northern Constabulary force areas.

The aim of the scheme will be to reduce wildlife crime, such as poaching and the illegal removal of fresh water pearl mussels, but at the same time allow Police and their partners to share information and intelligence gathered in relation to other types of rural crime.

It is being led by Grampian Police’s PC Doug Darling of Moray Division, who is also the area’s Wildlife Crime Unit officer.

He said: “There have been increased reports of poaching on the River Spey and in a direct response to this we have put together this initiative with our partner agencies.

“It combines action from Marine Scotland, who tackle illegal fishing at sea with increased co-operation between the Police and water bailiffs from the SFB.”

Grampian Police has committed to providing a single point of contact (PC Darling) for all water bailiffs and estates that wish to join the initiative.

In addition PC Darling will provide all agencies and partners with monthly updates from Police regarding any illegal activity on the river. Agencies and partners will also have the opportunity to share information they obtain with officers, which is similar to the way in which urban schemes such as Pubwatch and Early Warning Schemes operate.

Inspector Craig Donald, Divisional Inspector for Speyside, said:

“This ultimately reflects the importance of this issue in our eyes and how it affects the community along the River Spey.

“Fishing has a major impact on the economy in the area and as such we intend to work with our partners to ensure such criminal activity does not have a negative effect on our communities.

“We would hope to see spin off benefits from this initiative including greater intelligence being gathered regarding criminal activity in general, along the coast and river, which would allow us to take appropriate action.”

Chief Inspector Paul Eddington, Wildlife Crime Co-ordinator at Northern Constabulary, said:
“This initiative is an excellent example of agencies working together at a practical level to tackle this type of crime, which adversely affects rural communities.

“I am very confident that this initiative will make a positive impact on criminal activity in these rural areas.”

Anyone with information regarding illegal fishing, poaching or any other form of suspected crime in these rural areas is urged to contact Grampian Police on 0845 600 5 700,
email PC Darling at Douglas.Darling@grampian.pnn.police.uk
or call Northern Constabulary on 01463 715555.

Health experts are reminding partygoers to drink plenty of water, to eat well and to avoid taking unnecessary risks when it comes to alcohol and illegal drugs.

Suzy Calderfrom the Highland Drug and Alcohol Action Team said:

“It was very sad that there was a drugs death at the event last year.