Following the incident reported to us Paxton last week, we have received reports today of the same group of males operating in the Eyemouth Area. They are using a green Ford Transit Van and a White Renault Master van, cold calling on properties offering garden work.
Please call police on 101 (or 999 in an emergency) to report if these males are in in your area.
Bogus callers and rogue traders may offer to carry out unnecessary or overpriced property repairs or garden maintenance or are selling goods door to door. They tend to target the more vulnerable in our communities. Please look out for any vulnerable neighbours potentially being targeted by doorstep callers and always report any suspicious vehicles or callers to us immediately by phoning 101 or 999 in an emergency. Note as much detail as possible including descriptions of callers, vehicle type, colour, registration number and direction of travel.
For further information on how to protect yourself, family and neighbours visit our Doorstep Crime and Bogus Callers page on the Police Scotland website http://ow.ly/WE8250AMeVc and Trading Standards Scotland Website http://ow.ly/ofQ350AMeVb
For any community interested in introducing a No Cold Calling Zone in their area please contact your local community beat officer via 101.
Message from Assistant Chief Constable Gary Ritchie – 27 July
2020
Police Scotland is committed to keeping people safe and
protecting all our communities. We understand that daily life adhering to
coronavirus (COVID-19) guidelines continues to be challenging for everyone.
Although Scottish Government guidance has provided
flexibility for the individual needs of disabled people, we recognise this has
not prevented some people becoming fearful of going out into their communities.
We are aware some disabled people have reported being unfairly challenged and,
on occasion, abused about issues linked to social distancing and face
coverings.
Our partners have shared concerns that some disabled people
can find physical distancing difficult - this could be linked to sight loss,
autism, a physical disability or other issues. People have reported being
shouted at, made to feel uncomfortable or fearful.
We have also received reports of people who are exempt from
wearing face coverings being inappropriately challenged in shops or on public
transport. This includes people who have invisible or hidden disabilities, like
asthma or autism.
There are several exemptions in the guidance for people who
cannot wear face coverings. A full list can be found on the Scottish Government
website. Exemptions included are:
• you have a health condition or you are disabled and a face covering would be inappropriate
because it would cause difficulty, pain or severe distress or anxiety, or
because you cannot apply a covering and wear it safely and consistently in the
proper manner. Individual discretion should be applied in considering the use
of face coverings for children and young people, for example, children with
breathing difficulties and disabled children who would struggle to wear a face
covering
• you need to eat or drink
• you are taking medication
• you are communicating with someone who relies on lip reading.
Police Scotland wants to reassure disabled communities that
we take reports of people being targeted seriously. We would encourage the
public to consider the implications of coronavirus (COVID-19) guidelines on
disabled communities before challenging people.
We want to prevent these incidents occurring and to ensure disabled
people feel safe in their communities.
We will continue to work with the Scottish Government and
other partners to ensure the public is aware of issues which directly affect
disabled communities.
Police Scotland has circulated guidance to frontline police
officers and staff to ensure they consider disabilities when engaging with
people, particularly given the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) measures.
We understand some disabled people may choose to carry a
card or wear a lanyard stating they have exemptions from wearing face coverings
or to identify a disability. Individuals are under absolutely no obligation to
carry information or to show it to anyone. Police Scotland officers will not
ask you to provide any evidence of an exemption or disability. We will support
your right to do this if it makes you feel more confident going about your
daily life and will ensure we consider this if you choose to disclose this information.
Police Scotland’s policing style response to coronavirus
(COVID-19) continues to be based on a desire to work together and ensure
everyone’s safety with enforcement of legislation a last resort. Our approach
will continue to be:
• Engage to establish the individual’s circumstances and if they are aware of guidelines
in place.
• Explain the risks to public health and to the NHS in line with government guidelines.
• Encourage voluntary compliance.
• Enforce only if officers are faced with non-compliance and as a last resort.
In the coming weeks and months, we urge everyone to
continue to work together, ensuring no person or group in Scotland feels
marginalised or isolated.
Police Scotland does not tolerate the targeting of
individuals or communities, or any form of hate crime. Should anyone experience
or witness such an incident please report it.
You can contact Police Scotland by:
• dialling 101, or 999 in an emergency
• via SMS 999 – you must register for this service before using it
• using Text Relay using the BT Relay UK app or textphone
• you can also use our online hate crime reporting form on the Police Scotland
website.
• Hate Crime can also be reported via one of our third party reporting centres. More
information on third party reporting can be
found on our Police Scotland website.
The following information is being circulated on behalf of RoSPA
Now that lockdown measures are slowly being released, children and young people are eager to explore, exercise, cool off and generally have fun in and around water. This could range from water sports in rivers and canals to collecting shells and exploring rock pools around beaches.
RoSPA’s next event, in the series of safety webinars, is aimed at families looking to find more information on keeping safe in and around water. Taking place on August 12 at 10am, the webinar will feature presentations from the RNLI on beach safety and Jane Campbell Morrison on recreational safety.
This publication provides an update to Scotland’s Route Map, setting out further phase 3 changes, including the full and safe re-opening of schools.
The re-opening of schools will represent a further significant change and will bring with it further increases in social and economic interactions – including increased use of public transport. It is important that we allow the impact of the re-opening of schools to be assessed before we proceed with further significant changes to restrictions. For this reason, we are only planning at this point to give indicative dates to further Phase 3 changes, which we envisage happening at two main stages: Monday, 24th August and Monday, 14th September. These indicative dates will need to be confirmed at the respective review dates: 20th August and 10th September. If progress on keeping the epidemic suppressed is not as positive as we expect, for example as a result of increased importation of the virus, then these dates are liable to be pushed further into the future. The planned dates are set out in the table later in this publication.
Members of the East Lothian Partnership Against Rural Crime (ELPARC) have issued the attached poster detailing the rules surrounding sea bass fishing. In recent months there have been numerous person/s illegally fishing sea bass at Torness, East Lothian, and ELPARC would like to highlight that between 1st March and 30th November, only 2 fish may be caught and retained by fishermen for recreational purposes.
Update from Community Councillor Julia Harrison, “The road pictured (road leading to The Brunt then Woodhall Farm) will be closed at weekends only, starting this weekend, for 10-12 weeks. Diversion signs will be in place for vehicles; cyclists and pedestrians will still be able to use the road.
NnG apologised for the short notice with this; the work has been brought forward but was mentioned in the newsletter previously distributed.
Minutes from the Local Liaison Group will be posted on the East Lammermuir Community Council website in the next few days so that you can see the information about upcoming works, and these will also be communicated soon on NnG’s own website.”
Thursday afternoon shout, boat away…… The lifeboat was launched to a report of overdue kayakers in the Pease Bay vicinity. The kayakers were quickly located safe and okay, north of Fast Castle where they had made their way to shore due to encountering strong winds and tide.They were met ashore by members of the Coastguard. Meanwhile our boat crew recovered their kayaks, and brought the boats back to St Abbs, for collection by the owners a short while later.
With thanks to all of our singers for submitting their videos.
The choir learned this song during lockdown via weekly online Zoom rehearsals and then did a wonderful job of recording themselves at home so that we could create this video.
We hope we can sing this song together as a choir some time soon.
Times Like These by Foo Fighters
Arranged And Directed by Moira Morrison
Performed Virtually by Dunbar Voices (Little Voices, Junior Choir & Senior Choir)
Audio mixed and produced by Moira Morrison
Video edited by Brian O’Connell and Moira Morrison
Jacquie Bell, on behalf of Dunbar Community Council, attended the Viridor Liaison Group on 22nd July. There was discussion about the proposal for a Plastics recycling facility at Oxwellmains. It was noted that, following the public consultation, there had been further thinking on the proposal. Amendments will be made to the planning ideas that are put forward by Viridor As a result there will be a further 12 week public consultation process (PAN) and a further public exhibition(including virtual images) and opportunity for on line questions in due course. Watch out for further information.
Thanks to East Lothian Council for fitting a new piece of equipment to the play park today. What is it you ask? It’s a Supernova spinner of course (click on the name to see it in action). Thanks again to Alison Mells for utilising Crystal Rig community funding to enhance the park.
The applications for planning permission to extend an existing building and erect water tanks and the demolition of another building at Purely Scottish Bottling Plant (application numbers 20/00183/P and 20/00261/CAC) have been granted by East Lothian Council. The new extension will provide a training facility to teach staff how to operate the innovative bottling machinery employed by the plant. The alterations will allow the plant to resume full capacity which it has not been able to achieve for some time.
Dunbar’s all weather lifeboat (ALB) volunteers were tasked by HM Coastguard at 12.40 this afternoon, Monday 13th July, to a report of a dinghy with two people on board suspected to be drifting off of Pease Bay.
The ALB arrived on scene at 13.17 and, with weather and visibility worsening, commenced a search for the casualty, quickly locating the dinghy at 13.21.
Upon speaking with the casualty it was established that they were not in difficulty but considering the worsening conditions were happy to return to shore.
Visiting is now being carefully re-introduced in our sites. The move to Phase 2 means that patients in hospital wards with no COVID-19 outbreaks will be able to spend time with one designated visitor.
Separation for some families and friends has been difficult during the challenging times and we would like to thank patients and relatives for their understanding and patience.
One visitor can be assigned to each patient, and this will be in addition to the essential visitors already permitted in certain circumstances.
This includes patients receiving end-of-life care, for inpatients in our children’s services, for those accompanying partners during childbirth and for patients with mental health issues including dementia, learning disabilities and autism.
Visitors will be asked to adhere to the following guidance:
Arrange visits in advance
Wear face coverings as well as any PPE that the area requires
Maintain physical distancing where possible
Adhere to hand hygiene guidance
Restrict movement to other parts of the hospital unless in certain circumstances, such as a birth partner accompanying the patient to attend a scan.
Areas where there is a COVID-19 outbreak or areas with COVID-19 positive patients will remain at Stage 1 restrictions, with essential visitors only.
We are so excited to start our open water swimming sessions! We run open water swimming sessions weekly, on Tuesday evenings 6:00pm - 7:30pm, Thursday evenings 6:00pm - 7:30pm and Saturday mornings 7:30-8:30am. Unfortunately we cannot accept walk in swimmers, all swimmers MUST pre-book with us. Each session is limited to 70 swimmers maximum.
Before arriving, swimmers must register with a Nowca safety wristband, these allow us to know who is in the water at any one time. These log-in details are then used in an called ACTiO, where swimmers can book swims with us. Each swim is £5.00, bundle deals are also available.
When arriving on site we ask, that as much as possible, swimmers come ready to swim due to our limited changing capacity at the moment. We post all swimming related information across on our dedicated Facebook page, Foxlake Open Water Swimming.
Dunbar’s volunteer lifeboat crew launched (July 7) after receiving a report of divers in difficulties close to the old pool by The Rocks hotel.
Tasked by UK Coastguard at 5.25pm they were on scene at 5.32pm and spotted the two divers who had managed to get themselves ashore. The two had travelled from Edinburgh and had earlier attempted a dive at St Abbs before beginning their Dunbar exploration at 5.05pm, just as the tide was at its highest. Quickly, they experienced difficulties, with one fearing they were being carried further out than they intended. While a friend on shore called the Coastguard for help, they removed their equipment and managed to get back to shore.
The crew checked the divers were unhurt and did not require medical treatment and then retrieved their equipment for them. Members of Dunbar Coastguard team also assisted the women from the shore.
Dunbar Coastguard, North Berwick Coastguard, Senior Coastal Operations Officer S04B, Coastguard Rescue Helicopter 199 and RNLI Dunbar Inshore Lifeboat (ILB) were tasked to a report of persons in the water shouting for help at Belhaven Bay.
Three children and an adult were recovered from the water by members of the public as the emergency services were arriving on scene and Rescue 199 was stood down en route. All services worked together to check over the casualties and they were conveyed to hospital by ambulance as a precaution.
Always swim within your abilities, staying close to shore and make sure you have someone keeping watch. Various flotation devices, bouyancy aids and lifejackets are always advisable to supplement your chosen activities. If you see someone in difficulty or something you are concerned about on the shoreline, beaches, cliffs, mud or water, call 999 immediately and ask for the Coastguard.
Your views about the Community Shop in Co’path are very valuable. Please respond to the questions to the Community Development Facilitator, Jennie Sutton e: jenniesuttoncc@gmail.com
SEVERAL pubs across East Lothian have confirmed they are re-opening their beer gardens (Monday 6th July) for the first time since March as the coronavirus lockdown is eased.
Last Thursday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed that pubs would be allowed to open their beer gardens again on Monday.
Two-metre social distancing will still have to be followed and different pubs will have different safety measures in place when they open.
Pubs are not allowed to open their indoors until July 15.
The following pubs in East Lothian have confirmed that they will be re-opening their beer gardens/outdoor areas on Monday:
The Castle Inn, Dirleton
Ducks Inn, Aberlady
Linton Hotel, East Linton
Nether Abbey Hotel, North Berwick
No. 12 Hotel & Bistro, North Berwick
The Old Clubhouse, Gullane
Tweeddale Arms, Gifford
The Volunteer Arms, Dunbar
Watersido Bistro, Haddington
The following pubs have also confirmed that they will be re-opening their beer gardens/outdoor areas later on next week:
Station Yard Micropub, Dunbar - Tuesday
The Brig & Barrel, Dunbar - Wednesday
Tyneside Tavern (and Mazzoli Italian Kitchen), Haddington - Wednesday
