Yeovil Neighbourhood Watch scheme wins award (From Yeovil Express)

Yeovil Neighbourhood Watch scheme wins award

9:00am Monday 6th July 2009

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A NEIGHBOURHOOD watch scheme in Yeovil has been praised for the positive impact it has had on the local area.

Peter Flowers runs the College Green Neighbourhood Watch - a scheme covering 21 households in the south-west of Yeovil's College Green development.

He has been awarded the Neighbourhood Watch Partnership Award 2009 in recognition of the results he has achieved through close working with the police and the council.

He has worked to remove trees which used to provide cover for activities including drug use and burglary and which even hid someone who failed to stop at the scene of an accident.

Since the trees have been cleared both drug use and burglaries have reduced in the area.

Mr Flowers has also used good relations with local residents to stop children climbing through hedges into gardens by improving facilities in the park, and has reduced dog-fouling by getting the council to provide more bins and cut grass more frequently.

Last month an awards ceremony was held to recognise the valuable work done by both police volunteers and neighbourhood watches.

Mr Flowers was unable to attend the ceremony and was presented with this award on behalf of College Green Neighbourhood Watch this week by Inspector Andrew Pritchard.

Inspector Pritchard said: "Neighbourhood Watch schemes can make a real difference to the communities they look after.

"Mr Flowers has successfully tackled a variety of problems and which has allowed the community to take more of a pride in their neighbourhood.

"He has even made the area more inhospitable for people who abuse drugs, sending a clear message that the community will not allow this behaviour to continue.

"I applaud the College Green Neighbourhood Watch and am sure we will continue to enjoy a close working relationship in the years to come."

Mr Flowers added: "Joining a Neighbourhood Watch and having good neighbours and a good community is very reassuring.

"It is nice to have this award as it shows the community is working well together. Although I run the scheme this is an award for everyone who works to improve our community."

For more information about Neighbourhood Watch please contact Avon and Somerset Police on 0845 456 7000 and ask to speak to your local Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator.

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