Today’s message is a bit of a mish mash, but I am receiving so many questions, I feel the answers are useful for everyone.
If there is something you aren’t sure about, or want an answer to, let me have it – I always know the right person to ask ! Keep them coming.
STAY AT HOME AND SAVE LIVES
First: from Stuart, trying to do his bit:
Hi
We have a clear plastic box in our front garden on the corner of Knights Close and Gallys Road in Dedworth. It has a few books in it with a sign inviting people to look through it and swap books. Just a bit of community spirit from all the neighbours in Knights close.
I have just witnessed a man, wearing a faded red jumper and a dark cap, pull up on the opposite side of the road in a Silver VW Van. He got out and went straight to the back and opened up the rear doors. He then walked across to my garden and just picked the entire box up and walked off with it. I shouted out of the window at him and he apologised, saying he thought it was rubbish and he put it back.
I would of believed him, if he had actually looked at it before opening the rear doors of his van, for a speedy loading.
Just thought I would let you know as he’s obviously driving around the area seeing what he can get. There was a passenger in the van, but I couldn’t get a good look at them.
There is also a house in Burnham Close, who has a box outside with food in for people. Maybe he thought ours had food in, I don’t know.
Cheers
Stuart
Thanks Stuart,
You try and do a little good and there is always someone who does the wrong thing and takes advantage, so that next time, you think twice.
There is a lot of very relevant and useful advice on the
www.gov.uk and
https://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/police-forces/thames-valley-police/areas/coronavirus/ websites
The single most important action we can all take, in fighting coronavirus, is to stay at home in order to protect the NHS and save lives.
What is classed as a reasonable excuse to leave the home ?
Acceptable reasons include:
avoiding injury or escaping a risk of harm
obtaining basic necessities and supplies for the essential upkeep, maintenance and functioning of the household, or for the household of a vulnerable person
to take exercise alone or with other members of their household close to home
seeking medical assistance
providing emergency assistance
providing care or assistance to a vulnerable person
travelling for the purpose of work or to provide voluntary or charitable services, where it is not reasonably possible to work from,
or provide those services from home
attending a funeral of a close family member (or a friend, where there are no close family)
donating blood
meeting a legal obligation, incl. court or bail conditions (answering bail and complying with offender management)
accessing critical public services
continuing existing arrangements relating to shared parental access to children
going to a place of worship (minister of religion or worship leader only)
moving house where it is contractually unavoidable
When we reduce our day-to-day contact with other people, we will reduce the spread of the infection. That is why the government has introduced three new measures.
Requiring people to stay at home, except for very limited purposes set out above.
Closing certain businesses and venues.
Stopping all gatherings of more than two people in public.
Every person in the UK must comply with these new measures, which came into effect on Monday 23 March. The relevant authorities, including the police, have been given the powers to enforce them – including through fines and dispersing gatherings.
Delivering these new measures
These measures will reduce our day to day contact with other people. They are a vital part of our efforts to reduce the rate of transmission of coronavirus.
Every citizen is instructed to comply with these new measures.
The government is therefore ensuring the police and other relevant authorities have the powers to enforce them where people do not comply.
If you leave your home or gather in public for any reason other than those specified, the police may:
instruct you to go home, leave an area or disperse
instruct you to take steps to stop your children breaking these rules if they have already done so
take you home – or arrest you – if you do not follow their instructions or where they deem it necessary
The police will act with discretion and common sense in applying these measures and we expect the public to act responsibly, staying at home in order to save lives.
However, if the police believe that you have broken these rules – or if you refuse to follow their instructions – a police officer may issue you with a fixed penalty notice for £60 (reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days). If you have already received a fixed penalty notice, the amount will increase to £120 and double on each further repeat offence.
The government will keep this under review and will increase the penalties if it becomes clear that this is necessary to ensure compliance.
Similarly, a business or venue operating in contravention with these measures will be committing an offence. Local authorities (for example, Environmental Health and Trading Standards officers) will monitor compliance, with support from the police if appropriate. Businesses and venues that breach them will be subject to prohibition notices and fixed penalty notices. Businesses that continue to contravene the measures will be forced to close down.
For both individuals and companies, if you do not pay, you may also be taken to court, with magistrates able to impose potentially unlimited fines.
The measures set out in this guidance will initially last for the three weeks from 23 March, at which point the government will look at them again and relax them if the evidence shows this is possible.
The government will look again at these measures after three weeks, and relax them if the evidence shows this is possible.
NEXT: I am receiving a lot of questions, particularly relating to pets – dogs, cats and horses. This is the advice, put out by the government:
General FAQ’s
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do#can-i-walk-my-dog--look-after-my-horseand
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-people-with-animals#dogsAdvice for pet owners and livestock keepers, on maintaining the welfare of their animals during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Dogs
Advice if you have symptoms of coronavirus and must remain at home for 7 days, or 14 days as a household
If your dog cannot exercise at home, you should ask someone outside of your household to walk your dog for you.
All non-essential trips to vets should be avoided. If your pet needs urgent treatment, you must phone the vet to arrange the best approach. to meet your pets’ needs.
Advice if you do not have symptoms of coronavirus
You may leave your house to exercise once a day and you should combine this with walking your dog. In doing so, it is important that you minimise the time spent outside of the home and remain 2 metres away from anyone outside of your household.
All non-essential trips to vets should be avoided. If your pet needs urgent treatment, you may take them, but must remember to wash your hands and remain 2 metres away from anyone outside your household. You must call the vet before going to see them.
Advice for those walking dogs on behalf of someone not able to
You may also leave your house to provide care or help a vulnerable person. This includes walking a dog for someone who is unable to leave their house because they are self isolating or being shielded. You should remember to wash your hands before and after handling the dog and keep 2 metres away from other people and animals, including when handing over the dog to the owner.
General advice for all cat owners
You should wash your hands before and after, any contact with your cat.
Horses, livestock and other animals
Advice if you have symptoms of coronavirus and must remain at home for 7 days, or 14 as a household
If you have a horse in livery, you must not visit them whilst you are self-isolating. You should contact your yard manager or vet to make suitable welfare arrangements.
If you have livestock such as cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, poultry, or any other types of livestock you should arrange for someone else who is not self-isolating to care for your animals.
Where this is not possible you should ensure the basic needs of your animals are met. You must make sure you wash your hands before and after handling your animals and ensure you remain 2 metres away from other people.
If you are too unwell to care for your animals and there is no one to help, you should call your local authority.
Advice if you do not have symptoms of coronavirus
You may leave your house to exercise once a day and you should combine this with leaving your house to provide care for your horse or livestock.
It is essential that you minimise the time spent outside of the home and remain 2 metres away from others. You should remember to wash your hands before and after contact with any animals.
If your horse needs urgent attention from a farrier
If your horse requires urgent attention from a farrier, you should phone the farrier to arrange the best approach to meet your horses’ needs. You and the farrier must ensure that you keep 2 metres apart and wash your hands before and after contact with the horse.
I am presently researching whether dogs need to be on leads in public spaces – this is to protect owners from dog to dog, fur contact. We have been told dogs and cats cannot catch the virus, nor be vectors, but just as the advice above is to wash your hands before and after any contact with your cat – because cats do go out and roam – the same should apply to dogs, taken to public spaces, where there are other dogs and been off lead and there may have been contact.
NEXT: I received this message, which I put out yesterday:
Hi
I walk the dogs on a daily basis to either Kidwells Park, or Braywick.
On numerous occasions, there are groups of teenagers at the Skate Park in Kidwells Park, clearly flouting the stay at home message.
At Braywick, I have seen the same group of around 6 teenagers playing football. When I approached them, amongst the vile abuse I received, they tried to tell me they were from the same household. I clearly doubted that, as they were the all approximately the same age and of different ethnic origins.
I have had this response from PCSO Matt Wingrove, who is part of the police Neighbourhood team, covering that area:
Hi
Just to let you and your members know, we have moved people on from both of these areas on several occasions and we will continue to do so.
I cannot recall any repeat offenders, when I have personally been present there. So we have been giving ‘advice’ and feel that that, has been a sufficient tactic.
Unfortunately, both areas are open access and it would require RBWM to put more effective measures in place.
Regards
Matt
I have also raised this issue with RBWM and will let you know the outcome.
STAY AT HOME AND SAVE LIVES
NEXT: More complaints about cyclists passing too closely on narrow paths and pavements:
Hi
Why is that cyclists seem to think they have the divine right to cycle past you without keeping two meters away, most could practically touch you !!! This is particularly difficult to avoid, as where I live and walk, the pavements are so narrow walkers can’t move out of the way.
Another thing, is why do car drivers use the roads like a race track, I walk my dogs in Datchet every afternoon and the speed the cars go down ‘Pococks Lane’ is ridiculous, there is going to be a serious accident one of these days.
Thank you for still getting your news out in this difficult time its greatly appreciated.
Stay Safe & Stay Well
Mary
Thanks Mary, PCSO Les Bradfield has recovered from the virus and is now back at work. He is in the Datchet Beat Post today and I have asked him to keep an eye on Pocock’s Lane.
Cyclists out there – can you please be considerate and think about walkers and distances Huh
NEXT: More dog issues:
Hi
Thanks for all the advise – all very useful.
I live near to Maidenhead Thicket and on my daily walk around the field I am still seeing commercial dog walkers with 4-5 dogs all running lose, sometimes many yards from the handler. One guy just opens his van door in Newlands Drive and lets all his dogs just run down the lane to the Thicket. Anyone walking down the lane cannot avoid them. He is too lazy to put them on a lead.
Have also seen groups of teenagers sitting out here, smoking what looked like pot.
Could the wardens do a sweep around this area too?
Kind regards
Jane
Not to put dog walkers out of business, but do owners really want their dogs mixing with dogs from other households ?? We are not permitted to do this with our children Huh? I have asked for the area to be added to local patrol plans by your Neighbourhood and RBWM Community Warden teams.
COMMENTS:
A scam from Patrick
Hi
Great content to keep us informed, thank you.
Today we had this in the post, you may want to share.
Seems “they" will try anything even going to the expense of postage. It is shredded now.
Thanks
Patrick
Its one of those letters from China – someone with a name similar name to him has died, living millions – he could share it, if he sends them his bank details !! Patrick will not be the only one to receive one of these !
DON’T DO IT
