CAR BALERS FOR SALE

EMERGENCY PLANNING SHOWS ITS WORTH

An accidental spark recently caused a devastating fire in a Worcester scrap yard.

But fire bosses said it could have been much worse if not for the forward-thinking of the owner of Blackpole Metals, who kept a well ordered yard and CCTV, which prevent the fire spreading to surrounding buildings & allowed fire investigators to quickly identify the cause of the blaze.

The devastating fire began by accident after a smouldering spark from metal cutting smouldered for hours & then later ignited a huge blaze which destroyed 60 vehicles and other machinery. 

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWFRS) were called to the fire at the metal recycling centre on Blackpole Trading Estate West.  6 fire appliances from Worcester, Droitwich, Bromsgrove and Upton were deployed to the incident, supported by a specialist foam unit, water carrier, environmental protection unit, aerial appliance and a hazardous materials officer.

On arrival firefighters were faced with a substantial fire involving approximately 60 scrap vehicles and large on site plant & machinery which were contained within a small yard and surrounded on all sides by buildings and the main Worcester railway line. 

 

Police quickly created a cordon and evacuated nearby premises. 

Fire crews immediately stopped the trains and acted quickly to prevent the fire from spreading to adjacent buildings.  However their task was made more difficult due to limited access to the site and the risk of cylinders involved in the fire exploding. In spite of this crews managed to stop the fire spreading and utilised foam to bring the fire under control. No-one was injured during the fire. 

The Environment Agency provided specialist support to the fire service’s environmental protection unit preventing foam and water runoff from entering the nearby Barbourne Brook and Ambulance personnel were quickly on scene to deal with any potential injuries.

GC Marshall from HWFRS praised the owner of the site, saying “The yard was very well organised, with good fire separation. This greatly assisted firefighting operations and helped to avoid significant damage to surrounding businesses. In addition, on site CCTV cameras were able to capture the outbreak of the fire which clearly showed it to have started accidentally.”

NEED BUSINESS INSURANCE? IHNSURE!

Ingram Hawkins & Nock Ltd (IHN) is an independent firm of Chartered Insurance Brokers with an enviable reputation for delivering high quality insurance advice and services - finding clients the most suitable and competitive insurance protection for their needs.

 

IHN provide specialist knowledge in & have been a leading Insurance Broker to the vehicle & metal recycling Industry for almost 20 years.

IHN have a unique facility with one of the UK’s largest motor trade insurers so are able to offer policies tailored to the professional operator.

IHN is proud to have been awarded the prestigious ‘Chartered Insurance Brokers’ title by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). 

Through their membership of the Willis Commercial Network, IHN have access to the global and niche products of one of the world's largest and most respected insurance and risk management brokers, as well as the opportunity to utilise their wide range of highly specialist advice teams.

If you’d like more information, visit their website www.ihnsure.co.uk or call Steve Walker on 01384 375555 or email Steve at walkers@ihnsure.co.uk

THIEVES TARGET LATE VAUXHALLS FOR SPARE PARTS

BBC news is reporting that thieves in Bedfordshire are targetting late Vauxhalls for spares parts & that so far more than 500 Vauxhalls have been stripped for parts.

----------------------------------------------------

 

A bizarre crime wave is sweeping one part of England - thieves are stripping down Vauxhall cars as their owners sleep. Hundreds of owners have fallen victim - but why?

One morning Lisa Frankland woke to discover the front of her Vauxhall Corsa had vanished. A neighbour knocked on her door and told her she should take a look. The bonnet, the bumper, the front lights and radiator had all been stolen. "I just wasn't expecting it," says Frankland, 43, a midwife. "I didn't expect to go out and find the front of the car missing." The day she discovered the theft, she had to cancel her shift at work 40 minutes drive away and the damage cost £5,000 to repair

But though this crime was odd, it was far from rare. In and around Bedfordshire, where Frankland lives, owners of Vauxhalls have been waking to find their cars taken to pieces overnight. Bedfordshire Police say there have been more 500 offences in which components have been stolen from Vauxhall Astras and Corsas since August 2013.

The investigation into "Vauxhall cannibals" was carried out for broadcast on Crimewatch Roadshow, presented by Rav Wilding, which is broadcast at 09:15 BST every weekday morning on BBC One until 3 July.

Watch the programme on BBC iPlayer

The thieves take body parts in varying quantities. Sometimes only the bumper and the number plate might be stolen. In other cases, the cars are stripped right down to the chassis.  In 150 cases the damage was too extensive for repairs to be economically viable.

At first, the thefts were sporadic, but recently they have picked up in pace. Since April 2015, five to 10 of these crimes have been recorded every week.  "I work out of Luton, Dunstable, area of Bedfordshire and we're seeing maybe one a day," says Katy Stewart, a scenes of crime officer with the force. Police say they are also aware of incidents in the neighbouring county of Northamptonshire.

The culprits generally choose cars in residential locations or at garage forecourts. The Vauxhalls are typically targeted between 02:00 and 04:00.  CCTV footage taken in April shows two men on a residential street casually and methodically stripping the front of a Corsa. When a neighbour's cat sets off a security light, the pair carry on, apparently unperturbed. 

"The limiting factor in this is how much they can physically carry away from the location," says Ch Insp Ian Middleton, who is leading the investigation.

The distinctiveness of the thefts raises the question of why exactly so many cars of one particular manufacturer have been targeted in this area.  It may be relevant that General Motors' Vauxhall plant is in Luton, where vehicles have been made since 1905.

"As a consequence of that it's got a huge brand loyalty locally," says Middleton. "There is a disproportionately high number of Vauxhalls owned within the Bedfordshire area." 

Officers suspect the components are being sold on to the body repair market. Typically, they are the kind of parts would need to be replaced in the event of an accident.  The value of those stolen so far runs to tens of thousands of pounds, and detectives believe the thieves are making big profits. The sheer number of thefts suggests that a large and organised criminal network is responsible.

Anyone who thinks they will be getting a bargain by buying non-verified motor components is warned it could backfire.

"You might think you're getting a good deal and a cheap offer but bear in mind these people are unscrupulous and they won't hesitate to come back and revisit the places they've been sold to and you may well find yourself the next victim," says Middleton. He urged anyone who knows who is responsible for the thefts to come forward.

While the thefts appear odd, Middleton says it can be distressing for victims to find their cars stripped down and later written off. 

Anyone with information is urged to call police on 101, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

The investigation into Vauxhall cannibals was shown on BBC One's Crimewatch Roadshow, on 1 July - you can catch up on BBC iPlayer