Castle Hedingham Parish Council

CRIME PREVENTION, FRAUD PREVENTION AND SAFETY ADVICE ETC.

A lot of stolen cars are hidden up in plain sight frequently with false number plates.

Did you know that you can make a few free checks regarding an apparently abandoned vehicle by going to the Gov.uk website Check the MOT status of a vehicle - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) When prompted enter the vehicle registration and the first thing you will get back is a question regarding its make and colour. If this does not match with the vehicle you have seen, the vehicle could be stolen. This site will also give you details of whether the vehicle is taxed and has a current MOT, however, it does not give details of the owner. If the vehicle appears genuine but is not taxed, then this should be reported to DVLA (not the Police), if it has no MOT this can be reported to the Police as information via the website. Unfortunately, insurance details for someone else’s vehicle cannot be checked in this way, and to do so you will need a valid reason. One such reason may be following an accident. These details can then be REQUESTED from the Motor Insures Database via the askMID.com website (askMID- Enquiry) where you will need to complete a form with your details and details of the accident. There is a fee to be paid.

Protect your bike

Bikes are often targeted by thieves, help protect yours.
Bike tags contain a chip with a unique code that can be read by a suitable scanner. The chip does not have a GPS function and can only be used for identification not tracking. It is not a GPS. You can also register your bikes for free with Bike Register. For more information on how property marking works, the different methods you can use, the recommended items to mark and how to register them for free visit our website.

For more crime prevention advice go to Crime prevention advice | Essex Police