RESIDENTS in Hook and surrounding areas have been warned to remain vigilant after a spike in suspicious activity and will be given the chance to meet with officers this month.

The hike in crimes culminated with a burglary on Thursday, January 26, with the theft of a quad bike which took place at the end of Morris Street. 

The victim told police: “Our quad bike was stolen last night from our locked garage. It is a Yamaha Bruin 350. Green. Also a Nail Gun which is a Paslode. If anyone saw or heard anything we would be very grateful to know.  

“The items were in the back garage facing onto the common and Morris Street.”

The burglary came just a day after a dog was almost snatched from an Odiham school.

On Wednesday January 25, someone tried to steal a dog that was tied up near to Mayhill Junior School.

The canine was left tied up during the afternoon school run at the top car park near Odiham Cottage Hospital.

An eye witness said that someone saw the thief trying to untie the dog and the perpetrator ran off unsuccessfully in his attempts to snatch the animal.

The witness added: “Please be vigilant! The owner was very lucky this time and would hate for it to happen to anyone else.”

In the days prior to the two incidents, officers’ beat reports flagged up three suspicious incidents on the same day, all within just a matter of miles of each other.

On January 24 a suspicious vehicle and trailer were reported at 4.30am in rural Winchfield, before the vehicle made off at speed.

On the same day between 9pm and 10pm a suspicious vehicle was seen in rural Odiham on farm land which the police said the occupants were suspected of poaching offences.

And at some point between January 24 and 25 criminal damage was caused to a set of padlocks in Ewshot following an attempt to enter a rural out building. 

The hike in suspicious crimes such as these has led for calls for more vigilance from residents and follows calls from the police to report anything believed to be suspicious.

Following strange activity in Sherfield and Bramley earlier this month, police believed more incidents were not reported because residents do not understand what happens with the reports.

They have now said if residents act on a report of a suspicious incident this could lead to an arrest or good intelligence that they would not have had if no one had called them to report it.

PCSO Nathan Johnson said: “Just because something gets reported as suspicious it doesn’t mean anything bad is actually happening or likely to happen.

“It’s just something that seems odd for the area, we would rather receive the call and it turn out to be nothing to worry about than not receive a call and it turn out to be something serious.

“If you see anything you consider being suspicious please call us on 101 to report it. If there are any units free at the time of the call, they will attend.

“I am impressed of the detail people giving to us. The majority of the suspicious vehicles that have been called in to us have been with a full registration. 

“It helps us out a lot when we have this line of enquiry as we can normally locate the owner and ask them what they were doing.”

If residents are still unsure, this month will see the start of greater police and resident interaction with the help of two workshops.

The Hart District Neighbourhood Policing Team is setting up a number of beat engagement surgeries in Hook and Odiham.

These two surgeries will allow residents to come and have a chat with local officers who work in the area every day.

The policing team hope that it will give residents with any questions, fears or problems the opportunity to report crime, get advice or reassurance, or even just to get to know the police officers and police staff.

The neighbourhood policing team said: “We are currently in a trial period with these engagements and will assess the effectiveness of them after a few months to find out if they are what the community wants.”

The first of the two surgeries will be held this month and the latter at the start of March.

First up will be a surgery at Bartlett’s Cafe in Hook on February 13 and the second workshop to be held will take place at The Fountains Cafe in Odiham on March 13 at 10am to noon.