Models stolen in Bolton

[TheSignalEngineer]

..............................Could you please evidence your statement that GMP have a blemished record for failing to protect vulnerable victims?.......................................

Jonte is probably referring to a well publicised case in Hattersley in 2010. Plenty of press reports about it e.g. on BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-16067795 and here is the press release on the IPCC investigation into GMP actions http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/news/Pages/pr_210311_gmpaskew.aspx?auto=True&l1link=pages%2Fnews.aspx&l1title=News%20and%20press&l2link=news%2FPages%2Fdefault.aspx&l2title=Press%20Releases .

[Guest jonte]

Thanks TheSignalEngineer.

 

Actually, I'd forgotten about that one!!!!

 

No connection, I'm afraid PC BigAndy   . Just  repeating the content of a couple of recent articles broadcast on local television news (BBC NW), that highlighted a number of incidents where victims deemed 'vulnerable' had been 'let down' for wont of a better phrase, and following the outcome of an inquiry, the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police gave reassurance that new measures were being implemented to protect future vulnerable victims. This apparently included broadening the definition of a vulnerable victim.

 

Personally, and thankfully, I have had no dealings, favourable or otherwise, with Greater Manchester Police so cannot speak from personal experience, however, I'm quite certain that Jenny and her fellow victims will receive a premier service from now on. The Chief Constable himself has given us his personal assurance, remember?

 

Best wishes,

 

Jonte

[Sasquatch]

Good on you Jenny for not waisting any time listing everything on here, It has brought your valuables back to you. 

Lets hold out that these loosers get dealt with and are taught a  proper lesson.

My offer still stands by the way (have you any parts, I had no idea there were so many!)

 

Best, Sasquatch.

[TheSignalEngineer]

As a case is now hopefully underway is it time for lockdown unless Jenny has anything to add?

[Jenny Emily]

Just an update for people:

 

The Police brought around the recovered stuff today. There are definitely a number of locomotives missing. I have to catalogue the items returned to see what else is gone. There is also a lot of damage, especially amongst the locomotives. Luckily the insurance company will pay out in full for all missing items. Any damaged I have the choice of either a full replacement, or 50% of the replacement value if I deem the item hard to get or sentimental and wish to keep it despite any damage. 

 

The Police appear to have drawn a blank. As predicted the items changed hands many times, even within the week they were AWOL. 

[RedgateModels]

Have you got the Duchess and other sentimental items?

[trisonic]

I'm still betting that the perps are very local and watching your place, Jennifer.

Be alert but careful, cultivate the neighbours if you have not done so, already.

 

Best, Pete.

[Jenny Emily]

Missing items are mostly locomotives through a lot of rolling stock is damaged (mainly broken couplings and buffers) as well as filthy from the fingerprint dustings. I got a few locomotives back, but not all. The Hornby Dublo Duchess was one, but it has acquired a lot of chips in the paint and the tender has some scratches into the plastic.

 

Another item I'm upset at is that the whole front buffer beam is missing off my Hornby terrier 'Waddon'. It looks ridiculous without it, and I have no idea where to start getting it repaired. It will most likely have to become an insurance replacement. 

[PhilJ W]

Could you give a list of the items that are still missing? Perhaps they will turn up a bit further afield.

[Dr Al]

The Duchess should be able to be symapthetically restored. I've seen this before, might be of assistance to you:

 

http://www.smartrestorations.co.uk/

 

As for others, if you have the opportunity to replace with new then may be worth taking. Unfortunately with current batch production spares aren't always easy to come by.

 

Best,

Alan

[Ozexpatriate]

I missed the excitement in the middle of last week but I'm delighted to hear that you have at lease some degree of closure.

 

The damage and fingerprint powder is an unfortunate reminder that a crime was perpetrated against you but I'll echo the comments made that the proactive steps you took, saw at least some of your stock returned.

 

I am very impressed with your result so far - even if it feels a bit mixed.

 

Hopefully with the fingerprints in official possession, when the perpetrators are finally caught (likely on some other job) your case won't be overlooked and you'll see some justice done.

[Coldgunner]

I'm glad you got them back Jenny. If I were you I'd claim insurance on anything damaged to cover a professional repair, especially your HD bits. Take the insurance money to rebuild and improve the layout. Make the best of a bad situation, if you were thinking of going dcc or implementing improved signalling it'll be a good opportunity to do it.

[uax6]

Missing items are mostly locomotives through a lot of rolling stock is damaged (mainly broken couplings and buffers) as well as filthy from the fingerprint dustings. I got a few locomotives back, but not all. The Hornby Dublo Duchess was one, but it has acquired a lot of chips in the paint and the tender has some scratches into the plastic.

 

Another item I'm upset at is that the whole front buffer beam is missing off my Hornby terrier 'Waddon'. It looks ridiculous without it, and I have no idea where to start getting it repaired. It will most likely have to become an insurance replacement. 

 

Jenny,

 

I'm cutting a Terrier about at the minute to make something else, and it happens that I have both buffer beams removed which are no use to me. If it is just the red beams that are missing/broken, and not the footplate behind, you can just remove the beams and glue these ones back.

 

Pm me your address and I'll put them in the post.

 

Andy G

[br2975]

 I fear that custodial sentences are limited by the judiciary (Lord Chancellors sentencing guidelines etc) on three counts:

 

1 The persuasiveness of the defence lawyer (probably will be appointed by the legal aid scheme that the judiciary want to preserve in its present most expensive form as it gives them a wonderful income and may therefore sway the mind of the judge towards leniency) - Don't think so

 

2 The number of available places in places of detention (not may as we have >10% taken up by foreign nationals I believe) and the fact that very few first-time successful prosecutions for non-bodily harm cases seem to go to such places. No account is taken for the probability of previous detected or undetected crime, only of the one before the court. Previous convictions are not raised during a trial for fear of prejudicing the mind of the bench, or in Crown Court the jurors. They can be heard in certain circumstances e.g. when the character of a prosecution witness is brought into question by the defence. Previous convictions can be read out after conviction and before sentence is passed.

 

3 The willingness of the CPS to adopt a robust stance against crimes and criminals - in this case the element of "hate crime" may be beneficial. The CPS do hopwever have a record of not pursuing anything that has the slightest doubt that could lead to them losing a case. Since the advent of 'stautory charging' - i.e. the CPS decide whether a suspect is charged, NOT the police it has become apparent that in matters where the police would previously decided to charge the suspect and 'give it a run in court' the CPS will now refuse a charging decision - as the possibility of an acquital will effect their % conviction rate. So by killing a case at the start, there is no chance of an acquittal later.

 

It is therefore sadly true that many do not expect fair justice these days - as opposed to retribution. In those circumstances, it would be sensible for Jenny & Zoe to not expose themselves to greater risk!  Agreed, only police officers come lower down the juidicail food chain than victims - the most important person in the courtroom is the defendant (apparently)

 

I still advocate defensive measure on the property - nails in the threshold, glass set in concrete, CCTV being some of the obvious but there are some more 'juicy' measures involving doorsteps, window frames and nice big capacitors which, if not accidentally accessible from any public right-of-way, should be OK to install.                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Fine until someone lawfully on your property is injured by your booby-traps e.g. an employee of a statutory undertaker with a lawful right to enter your property or a police officer in immediate pursuit of a suspect leaps over your wall and cuts themselves on the glass or lands on the 6" nails coated in dog faecaes embedded in planks the other side of the wall. A former colleague was once given a substantial electric shock from a bobby-tra door knob, the suspect got a lengthy sentence.

[trisonic]

The Metropolitan Police used to encourage nails along the top of gates (at least 6 feet tall) for Firearms Certificate Holders residing in London.

Best, Pete.

[Jenny Emily]

Whilst looking through the stuff in the returned stock boxes I have come across the cast metal coal load which was originally in the tender of my Bachmann City of London, which is one of the locomotives still missing. Worth looking out for a swag-bag tired looking model on Ebay minus both box and coal load. 

[Ceptic]

It's a she

It's.?.......it's....??... I'm sure you mean Jenny Emily ?.... Who represents one of many lady railway modellers on this forum....... and deserves to be treated as such.

[shortliner]

Jenny - it might be a case of locking stable doors, but I had an email this morning that may be of use to you - 5 metres to a pack at a reduced price http://www.gizoo.co.uk/Products/FenceSpikes.htm?spmc=TGSGZOw100 - ast least it may be worth a look. Glad you have got some of your stuff back

Best

Jack

[01001]

Ive seen your videos on youtube and your layout was comming along nicely . Iam saddend to hear what those idoits have done after all the time and effort you have put into the layout . it is bad enougth to steal  but to smash stuff up ... these people want to get a life!

[bluebottle]

Ive seen your videos on youtube and your layout was comming along nicely . Iam saddend to hear what those idoits have done after all the time and effort you have put into the layout . it is bad enougth to steal  but to smash stuff up ... these people want to get a life!

 

And so say all of us!

Hmm ... "These people want to get a life..." where have I heard that before?  Oh yes, occasionally on the goggle box from people to whom railway modelling is utterly pointless. That and "But model trains is a dangerous obsession, Isn't it?" said in the tone of voice usually reserved for when one offers a deep and carefully considered observation (I heard one interviewer say the latter to Jules Holland a while back). The story of Jenny versus the persons unknown (so far...) whose life and obsession consists of stealing and/or destroying the treasured possessions of upright law-abiding citizens would give useful material for next time I want to point out the dangers of labelling the wrong people.

[DDolfelin]

I don't quite understand why the trail has gone cold.

The honest chap who declared he had some of the stock must know where he got it.

All those in business should be able to prove from where they got the stock.

"A bloke down the pub" wouldn't satisfy the Tax people these days.

[Happy Hippo]

"A bloke down the pub" wouldn't satisfy the Tax people these days.

 

Knowing the barmy way our tax (and justice system) works, the little scrotes are making so much money out of their pilfering, they probably have one of these 'cosy arrangements' that big business seems to have with HMRC!  

 

I'm glad to see that JE is getting stuck straight back into her modelling, lesser mortals would have just given up and taken up stamp collecting.

 

In a fantasy world, my workshop would be protected with a Claymore. Anyone who had the audacity to break in would certainly have balls(all 400 of them).

 

In reality, it is stout locks and improved framing, and in the 20 years we have lived in the property no one has tried to break in, although they did try to break into the house (and failed).  But complacency is the route to disaster and I, and I suspect along with many others on this forum, have treated this as a wake up call and heeded the advice  about prevention and additional security given on this thread.

 

I've certainly reviewed mine and made small but necessary improvements. especially with regard to identifying my stock and equipment.

 

Regards

 

Richard

[Jamiel]

My sympathies.

Having just read this thread, I am sorry that your place of retreat was violated. I hope you get the other locos back, good to hear you have got some of them back.

I suspect if they have gone through a few people, they have been bartered for other goods, or drugs, among people who have a disregard for anything other than their own selfish and immediate wants.
 

I hope your future modelling is safe, and you can enjoy it again without worry, and celebrate your own creativity.

Jamie

[Rob Pulham]

I had the good fortune to recognise and chat to Jenny and Zoe earlier this week at the NRM in Shildon. It was good to see that Jenny had replaced/added to her stock from the NRM shop and that this episode hasn't discouraged her.

 

If you read this Jenny it was good to talk to you.

[Jenny Emily]

Many thnaks. Nice to meet you too. Butler Henderson and the Midland compound were duly acquired, but I fear that I have actually ended up replacing every stolen item with three replacements!