Home Watch
Ringmaster Messages are on a separate page : Ringmaster
Home Watch Information
Wimborne & Colehill Home Watch was formed in 2002 with the merger of all the watch groups in the area, which had developed since the first group 'Ashmeads' started in 1987. Today we have a membership of 1500 households in Wimborne (except Merley), Colehill, Furzehill, part of Broomhill, and part of Stapehill.
Police contact details are given at the bottom of this page. Also see the
Police page for Colehill Police news. Also the Association of Dorset Watcheswebsite.
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Our Annual General Meeting will be held on 27th OCTOBER 2010.
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Minutes of the 2009 AGM: MinutesAGM09.doc
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Debt collection agencies chasing non-existent debts - a local resident has recently received a letter from Ruthbridge: download (887kB)
Information about previous cases involving Ruthbridge:
Ruthbridge on BBC Watchdog Website (Feb 2009)
Link is: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2009/02/ruthbridge_chasing_debts_1.html
Watchdog has already revealed how hundreds of you received threatening letters from a company called Lowell Group. The letters demanded money relating to debts that weren't explained and, sometimes, didn't exist. Since then, even more of you have been in touch with similar complaints, and not just about the Lowell group.
You've also been telling us about other debt recovery companies who are chasing completely the wrong people. And these ones are flouting the guidelines on Debt Collection. One is Middlesex-based Ruthbridge Ltd. They boast they're the UK's leading specialists in what the industry calls 'tracing'. This means finding the people who owe a debt.
But they got it wrong in the case of Mr and Mrs Petrie.
Danusia and Noel Petire found a mysterious note on their doormat. It said, 'Express Delivery', 'Urgent' and there was a phone number to call. Noel was expecting a delivery so he excitedly called the number. The company asked Noel to confirm some personal details and told him that a package would be on its way.
But it wasn't a nice delivery that arrived a few days later. It was a letter from the debt recovery agency, Ruthbridge, with a nasty shock.
The letter claimed that Noel owed £1,792.37, for a loan taken out with the Royal Bank of Scotland in 1999. It threatened County Court Action unless Danusia and Noel paid up within seven days. Noel had been overseas with the army at the time the loan was supposedly taken out. He knew it had nothing to do with him but even so, he checked with the Royal Bank of Scotland and did a credit check online just to make sure. Neither revealed anything connecting him to the loan.
Worried about the threat of bailiffs and County Court Action, Danusia and Noel sought legal advice and sent a letter asking Ruthbridge to provide proof of the debt. They never received a response back.
The Office of Fair Trading has rules on how people should be contacted and pursued for debts.
Beccy Boden-Wilks, from National Debtline, says that Ruthbridge broke these guidelines by not being clear who they were and what they are writing to the Petries about. As Ruthbridge's 'Express Delivery' letter didn't have anything on it to say which organisation sent it, she says that it was a clear breach of the OFT guidelines.
Phantom car loan
Another person who has discovered Ruthbridge's ruthless streak is Paul Johnson. He is terminally ill with cancer, and while dealing with that, is now being pursued for an unpaid debt of £1779.80. It's supposedly for a car loan he took out ten years ago. However his sister, Julie Grimes says it's a debt he couldn't possibly owe as Paul has never held a driving licence.
When she tried to tell Ruthbridge this they didn't seem to believe her. In a recorded call Julie made to the company, she asked them to prove the debt. They were far from sympathetic and suggested it was up to Paul to prove he didn't owe it.
Beccy from National Debtline, informed us that the burden of proof is on the lender to prove that the debtor is the person that owes the debt so this is also breaching the OFT guidelines.
Julie and Paul disputed the debt and so, according to the guidelines, Ruthbridge should cease activity whilst investigating.
Instead, they sent him another letter a week later - this one threatening him with a petition for bankruptcy. Under the OFT guidelines, that amounts to harassment by Ruthbridge. It's proving very stressful for Paul; as well as battling with cancer he is having to battle with Ruthbridge.
Beccy Boden-Wilks listened to Julie's telephone call to Ruthbridge and studied letters the company send out. She identified at least four breaches of the OFT Debt Collection Guidelines.
We've heard from more people being threatened by Ruthbridge like this, and you're telling us about plenty of other companies chasing debts in exactly the same way. They need to start getting their facts right before sending their threats.
Ruthbridge's response
Ruthbridge thanked Watchdog for bringing the complaints to their attention.
In the case of Noel Petrie, they say that they were passed information from a client which was passed through an automated trace service that provided a link to Noel's address. They said that the 'Express Delivery' letter was used to provide further verification, leaving them satisfied that they had found the correct person. They also claim that they have a recorded call that Mr Petrie made to the client and where he also passed Data Protection questions. Despite this though, the case was closed and Ruthbridge also note that the 'Express Delivery' letter has been amended and is now in line with industry guidelines.
Ruthbridge say that in the case of Paul Johnson, they were acting in good faith upon information supplied to them at the time from their client. They admit that once it became clear that Mr Johnson did not reside at the address provided, all collection activity should have ceased. However, due to a systems error further letters were generated. They say that this has been raised with the relevant teams and the necessary remedial action has been taken in order to avoid a recurrence. They have now closed this case.
Finally they state that, "Ruthbridge are in the business of collecting money validly owed and do it within strict guidelines.
If more problems arise call Consumer Direct on 0845 04 05 06 to complain and get advice in the first instance.
Trading Standards picks up relevant complaints for investigation from there via a shared complaint system.
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Latest newsletters:
'Update' Summer Issue 31:download (2.1MB).
'Dorset KeepSAFE' - Association of Dorset Watches Newsletters here
'UpBeat' Freesheet: This is an occasional free newsletter produced jointly by the Police and Home Watch, which can be picked up at various points in town, P&G Stores in Gordon Road, and Colehill Library. 'Upbeat' Issue 2 (July 08) download (333KB)
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Contact Details:
Phone Number for Messages to the Home Watch: 222827 (checked weekly)
(Messages for the Police - see below)
Mailbox
Membership forms, letters, etc can be left at Brian Dryden's Shop, No.1, The Square, Wimborne
Please note this mailbox is only checked twice a month
Email:- g@gpm.cs.co.uk
(paste this address into your mail program then remove the full stop after gpm - i.e. gpmcs - I'm having to disguise it due to the large amount of spam sent to this email address!)
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Alarms for sale and equipment for loan - see Update 22 p6 or download (430KB)
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List of Traders recommended by Members - June 2010 - download: TradersList.pdf
Please note we do NOT approve traders. This is simply a list of recommendations by members.
If you wish to recommend a trader please email to address above, giving as many details as possible :
Name of Business - Address/Postcode/Tel/Email/web - Justification: service quality / responsiveness / value for money - Your name, address or phone or email
(We will contact the trader to obtain his agreement, but the trader will not be listed until 2 recommendations have been received).
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Calling New Members!
Do you know of a neighbour who might be interested in joining Wimborne & Colehill Home Watch?
Ask your Contact for a yellow Help Us information card to pass on, or you can download an A4 version: join.pdf
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Polish Door Step Sellers
Members of the public have reported Polish Door Step Sellers selling their pictures. If the householder does not purchase a picture, which is often only a photocopy anyway, they turn their English written card over and beg for money. Here is a notice in English and Polish to keep by the door in case of any callers: polish-sellers.pdf (also printed in Update 22)
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POLICE Contact Details
22 22 22 FOR ALL NON-EMERGENCY CALLS
999 - for emergencies, crime in progress, etc.
Dorset Police website: www.dorset.police.uk
Safer Neighbourhood Teams :
WIMBORNE TOWN SNT
Wimborne PC (vacancy)
Wimborne PCSO Natalie Shaw
Wimborne PCSO Matt Brennan
wimbornetowncentresnt@dorset.pnn.police.uk
mobile: 07825 521773
COLEHILL SNT
Colehill PC Steve Brett
Colehill PCSO Matt Johnson
colehillsnt@dorset.pnn.police.uk
mobile: 07825 521793
FERNDOWN SNT (covering Stapehill Ward)
PC - Ian Curtis
PCSO Cheryl Kingham
ferndowncentralsnt@dorset.pnn.police.uk
mobile: 07825 521752
Wimborne POLICE STATION
Hanham Road
Wimborne BH21 1AS
wimborne@dorset.pnn.police.uk
01202 882345 or 222222 (Fax - 840597)
229203 - Messages for your Community Beat Officers at Wimborne Station
Opening hours Mon-Fri: 0900 - 1700 hrs; closed 1300-1400; Saturday: 0900 - 1300 hrs
Lifeline
The Lifeline two-way communications system is designed to give support to vulnerable people by enabling them to get in touch with a relative, friend, or neighbour, even when they cannot reach a telephone. The cost of Lifeline is £15.42 + VAT per calendar month (VAT is exempt in most cases); contact Kim Armstrong or Alma Goddard at East Dorset Housing Association Lifeline on 01202 864224/5 for more information, and mention Home Watch.