Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Division police are urging residents to be on their guard against bogus callers following an incident in Winchcombe on the 15th August. The reminder follows a large amount of cash being stolen from an elderly woman after a man claiming he was there to check the drains talked his way into her home. The man knocked on the woman's door at 3.30pm on Tuesday August 15. Having said he needed to look at the drain at the back of the property, he asked the resident, who is in her seventies, to hold a stick in the drain while he went away for a few minutes. When the man had
not returned about 10 minutes later, she went back into her house and discovered her handbag containing £540 was missing. The offender is described as white, about 40 years old, 5ft 3 tall and of medium build, He is clean shaven and at the time of the incident was wearing a peaked cap - not a baseball cap - and a short jacket. Inspector Clark Atkinson issued the following advice to help residents, particularly the elderly, avoid becoming victims of such bogus callers. "Most people who knock at your door will be genuine but some could be conmen trying to trick their way into your home so you should always be on your guard," he said. "They can be very convincing and will pretend to have any one of a number of important jobs to do to get in." "Whether they appear to be wearing an official uniform or not, never let them into your home unless you're sure they're genuine." "When someone calls, have a good look at them through the window or door viewer before speaking to
them and keep the chain on while opening the door and talking to them. " "Genuine callers will carry identification with their photograph and details of their company or business and you should always ask to see it. Don't be embarrassed about keeping them waiting as genuine callers will expect you to take such precautions." "If you're in any doubt, ask them to come back later. In the meantime you can check their story by phoning the organisation or company they claim to represent. Look up the number in your own telephone book rather than relying on the one on their card when you do this." "Watch out if the caller is in a hurry and don't let them pressure you into letting them in." Anyone with information regarding the Winchcombe incident is asked to call Gloucestershire Police on 0845 090 1234 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, quoting incident number 377 of August 15.

Police have issued a picture of a man they are trying to trace in connection with the theft of a valuable diamond ring. The £9,000 ring was stolen from an antiques fair in Stanway on the afternoon of Saturday June 24 by a man looking like the one in the image. The thief, who is described as 'Italian looking' with black hair and a 'cultured voice' was wearing black trousers and a blue and white striped top at the time of the incident. He was with a woman who is described as very tanned and had
shoulder length, blonde hair. She was dressed in very high heeled shoes, white shorts and a Basque top with a black chiffon blouse on top of it. The couple had expressed an interest in the ring but then left the stall. Later, the man returned and the jeweller got it out of its cabinet to show him and answer questions but the thief said he wasn't sure about it and went away again. Returning a third time, the man questioned how yellow the diamond was and was allowed to look at it in daylight outside. Having done so, he appeared to be walking back into the marquee when he ran off still holding the expensive item
of jewellery. The jeweller chased after him but he leapt into the passenger seat of a gold sports Volvo which sped off, almost running over a passer-by, in the Winchcombe direction. If you know who this man is or have any information which could help police to find him, please call Gloucestershire Police on 0845 090 1234 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, quoting incident number 407 of June 24.

Cheltenham Cleeve Vale Rotary Club are delighted to see their work bear fruit as far away as Uganda.The Hope Clinic has been established in Lukuli, as a Mother and Baby Clinic; and also one that specialises in the prevention and treatment of the mass killers of Aids and Malaria. It takes a leading role in the Malaria Vaccine Initiative in Uganda and has a blood testing laboratory which facilitates early diagnosis and treatment. It is equipped to store and distribute Insecticide Treated Nets to enable families to sleep safely through the mosquito active hours of darkness.The Club project was led by Past President Stephen Lloyd in the U.K;. working with Rotarian Philip and Clare McMinn Mitchell and their Rotary Club of Makindye in Kampala, to make this happen. Malaria, Aids and TB are mass killers on the African continent. In Uganda alone, 100,000 people a year, mostly children, die from Malaria - this is equivalent to a jumbo jet crashing every single day with all lives lost! The good news hot from the press is that the clinic has just been awarded the status of HIV Centre, which means that they will now receive a budget from the Ugandan Government for drugs and to provide further support for people living with HIV. This is just one of the beneficiaries from walkers participating the Cheltenham Cleeve Vale Rotary Club's Circular Challenge in June every year. In this case, it was Barbara, Stephen's wife, who single handedly raised £1,200 for this clinic, by completing the walk. To provide services to patients free or at nominal cost, regular income is required and a charity has been established in the U. K. to raise regular income to cover the ongoing running costs of the clinic including 12 staff. Stephen LLoyd and the other trustees can be contacted on 01242 580014 or trustees@hcluganda.org

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