Borough Commander Simon Ovens on Harrow's biggest illegal drink seizure, and how to keep your home secure

Four shops trading in the high street had their stock examined by Customs and Excise officers, resulting in a lorry having to attend to clear away tens of thousands of pounds worth of illegal alcohol.

This was due to unpaid taxes on the items, which had been brought into the county illegally.

This was an excellent result and shows that we will not tolerate shops operating illegally in our borough. Secure Streets officers also made four arrests and 48 stops on the High Street throughout the day. Operation Secure Streets is a successful partnership operation lead by Police Sergeant Fretwell that will continue on 12 June in Stanmore.

Help us keep your home and property secure, by following my 10 top tips

1. Mark or etch your property with your postcode, house or flat number or the first three letters of your house name
2. Register items with a serial number at www.immobilise.com
3. Do not leave your car keys or ID documents near doors, letterbox or windows
4. Always check who’s at the door and don’t open it if you feel anxious
5. Close and lock all your doors and windows, even if you are only going out for a few minutes
6. Keep your valuables out of sight
7. Leave some lights on if it will be dark before you get home
8. Install a visible burglar alarm
9. Always keep sheds and outbuildings locked
10. Cancel milk or other deliveries if you will be away for days or weeks at a time

Bogus callers

Bogus callers succeed because they sound believable, so don't be fooled. Make sure in your own mind that they are whom they claim to be by following these simple steps

• Think before you open the door - use your chain and spy hole or look out of the window to see if you recognise them.
• Ask callers for proof of identity. Genuine tradesmen should carry an identification card with their photograph on. Check this carefully. If you are unsure, telephone the company the caller claims to represent.
• Utility companies now offer a password identification system. Any caller from one of these companies should be able to give a pre-arranged password as additional proof of identity.
• Beware of callers who attempt to distract you by claiming that they have seen something untoward in your rear garden or somewhere which may encourage you to leave your house - they may have an accomplice awaiting this distraction.
• If you are not convinced of the identity of the caller, don't let them in. Ask the caller to come back later and arrange for a friend, relative or neighbour to be present on their return or ask the caller to contact this person.
• Treat every stranger with caution. If you are worried, dial 999 immediately and ask for the police.

Good work by my officers

A 43-year-old man was picked up by Hampshire Police after his vehicle triggered their Automatic Number Plate Reader cameras, showing he was wanted by police in Harrow for an offence of fraud back in March. This man had been on the run since this offence and officers from my Offender Management Unit were trying to track him down. After placing a marker on his vehicle, he was traced by our Hampshire colleagues, driving on their patch. He was transported back to Harrow where he will face justice.

This goes to show that even if offenders leave our borough after committing an offence, we will track them down and deal with them robustly.

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