The Bridport town hall clock strikes thirteen times to ring in the New Year?! The towns chief horologist Roger Snook explains "Due to the ozone layer above the northern hemisphere being thinner during the winter months causing barometric anomalies which pass over Bridport on the 31st of December, which in turn cause the delicate mechanism within the clock to jump a cog and therefore strike a thirteenth time". So if you're taking part in the New Years festivities or you are a busy sniper in the bell tower, remember you are not hearing things, it's just science.

Boxing day 2007 brought some brave lunatics out of the woodwork for a brisk dip in the briney, who, why, what? I cannot say, it's traditional innit? watch the fun here...

• During the evening of Sunday December 16th 5 incidents of criminal damage occurred in the area of Salway Ash and Beaminster. Windows of vehicles and buildings in the area were attacked and smashed.

• Again overnight Sunday December 16th diesel fuel was stolen from locations in the area of West Bay and St Michael’s Trading Estate.

• During the weekend of 7th December 2007 an unoccupied caravan at Larksfield Caravan Park Burton Bradstock was burgled. Personal items such as photographs and pictures were taken, and substantial damage was made gaining entry.
If you have any information relating to this incident, please contact PC Caroline Orchard at Bridport Police station, all callers will be treated as confidential.

Crime prevention

Information relating to crime prevention particularly over the festive period is available. A limited number of leaflets provided by Dorset Police will be available and can be collected at the front desk of Bridport Police station.

Consumer Rights

For those with Internet access Dorset Trading standards have a very useful website that relates to consumer rights and other useful facts that can help you over the festive period with 12 handy tips.

http://www.dorsetforyou.com/tradingstandards

P.A.C.T Meeting

On Thursday 13th September the Partners and Community Together [P.A.C.T] meeting took place at the town hall Bridport.
This was again the opportunity for the Bridport community to raise issues of concern within the town and vote for the priorities to be tackled by the relevant lead agency.

The public who attended and braved the cold temperatures voted on the following top 3 priorities:

• Underage drinking / responsible drinking
• Parking / traffic management in Victoria Grove
• Feasibility of CCTV in the area of St Michael’s Lane

If you have issues that the P.A.C.T panel consisting of the WDDC, Town Council, Police and Youth services. Other agencies are key members of the process and will be involved should a priority be deemed a responsibility for their organisation.

Police station opening times

The Police station front desk enquiries opening times during festive period:

Christmas eve -open normal hours
Christmas day – closed
Boxing day – closed
New Years Eve -open normal hours
New Years’ Day - Closed
Open normal hours from January 2nd. 

If you need assistance or advice from the Police whilst the station is closed, please call 01305 222 222, or in the case of a genuine emergency dial 999.

Finally on behalf of Bridport Police I’d like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year.

If you have any information regarding the above offences or any other crimes, then please come forward and help us with our enquiries:  it may be your evidence, which successfully secures a conviction.  Instead of accepting that crime is part of the Bridport society, let’s give the courts the facts and allow them to decide.

Contact the police station direct, or speak to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 – all calls will be treated in confidence.

PC 2232 Scott McGregor
Community Beat Officer