Weekly update.

Dear Residents and Local Businesses, here is your weekly update from your local neighbourhood Policing Team, Stoke and Wyken.  

January has arrived and Christmas has come and gone, frosty nights are still here and there is snow due to fall in many parts of the UK, please ensure you give yourselves extra time to prepare your vehicle for travel in the mornings and do not leave it unattended at any time. 

There may also be congestion or various issues due to the bad weather, allow yourselves extra time to get to your destination. 

We have continued our patrols around the retail areas within Stoke & Wyken as retail crime can still be at its peak during January sales. These areas will always include the stretch of shops around the Ball Hill area on Walsgrave Road and the Warwickshire Retail Park near Kynner Way, both of which can have large crowds of shoppers. 

Although it has been frosty, we are still ensuring we continue our patrols in our green spaces, these areas always include Caludon Castle Park, Stoke Heath, The Lindfield, Barras Heath, parts of Gosford Park, Morris Park and St Margarets Park, please stop and say hello to us if you see us out and about, if you see anything suspicious wish to report it, it can also be anonymous and may prevent a crime from occurring. 

Although Christmas is over, dark nights are still present and so once again we ask our community have you locked your vehicle? 

Lock your vehicle 

Locking your vehicle, even when filling up or parked on your drive, greatly reduces the possibility of it being targeted by an opportunist thief. Even if you have locked your vehicle, check you haven’t left any windows or the sunroof open. 

It is actually illegal to leave your vehicle running unattended while you de-ice it or warm it up in cold weather. If someone takes it while it’s left like this, your insurer won’t pay out because you won’t be covered. 

If your vehicle has wing mirrors that fold in automatically when locked, make sure you lock it properly. Criminal gangs are looking for vehicles like these where the wing mirrors are still out because it is clear to them that the vehicle has been left unlocked. 

Keep the keys safe 

Vehicles today are by and large more difficult to steal than ever, unless the thief can access your key or fob to clone them. Keep your keys safe, out of view when at home, and away from your front door. It’s not uncommon for car keys to be stolen from inside your home by thieves fishing for them with a stick and hook through the letterbox. 

You can find out more about vehicle crime prevention here: 

Theft of motor vehicle | Your Options | West Midlands Police (west-midlands.police.uk)  

Theft from motor vehicle | Your Options | West Midlands Police (west-midlands.police.uk)   

Similarly, it is imperative to ensure you lock your doors within your house, and keep windows firmly closed and secured when unattended. 

You can find more information about how to keep your home safe here:  

Keeping your shed or garage safe and secure | Crime prevention | West Midlands Police 

 Keep burglars out of your property | West Midlands Police 

Checklist for securing your home when you leave it | Crime Prevention | West Midlands Police 

Naturewatch  

Residents have reported yet another unusual wildlife sighting at St Michael’s Church on Walsgrave Road, after a rare brown bat was seen roosting within the church grounds. 

The sighting was initially made by residents, who became concerned after noticing the bat during the early evening hours. Given the protected status of bats in the UK and uncertainty around the animal’s condition, the matter was reported to the Officers from the Stoke & Wyken neighbourhood team. 

Officers were present in the grounds of the church as part of routine patrols responding to ongoing concerns relating to anti-social behaviour and the presence of homeless individuals.  

Based on the descriptions provided by the residents, including the bats small size and distinctive brown colouring – the animal is believed to possibly a Bechstein’s bat (Myotis bechsteinii) One of the rarest bat species found in the UK. Bechstein’s bats are extremely uncommon, typically inhabiting ancient woodland and rarely appearing in urban environments. 

All bat species in the UK are legally protected, making it an offence to handle, disturb or interfere with them without the appropriate licence. Residents were advised to leave the bat undisturbed and to report any further activity to wildlife specialists rather than attempting to intervene themselves. 

The Stoke & Wyken team acknowledged the report and confirmed that whilst their patrol was focused on community safety and wellbeing, they were pleased to speak and assist to residents ensuring the protected animal was not harmed. 

This is not the first time unusual wildlife sightings have been highlighted locally; this is a new year and our community reporting such information to us indicates that there is a growing interest in the natural environment within Coventry’s historic spaces. 

The species is named after Johann Mattháus Bechstein, an 18th century German naturalist, while its classification follows the system established by Carl Linnaeus, the father of modern taxonomy. 

Above portrait of Carl Linnaeus est 1775     

For non-emergency enquiries or to raise community concerns in the Wyken area, residents are encouraged to contact Coventry Police through their usual channels. 

Live Chat | West Midlands Police (west-midlands.police.uk)  

Please be aware that this inbox is NOT monitored 24 hours a day and is purely for non-emergencies. In an emergency please call 999. To report a crime in a non-emergency situation please call 101 or visit Report a crime | West Midlands Police to do this online.     

📞 How to Contact Us or Report Information 📞  

Non-Emergency: 101  

Emergency: 999 / 112 (if crime in progress or immediate danger)  

Report Online: West Midlands Police  

Anonymous Reporting: Crimestoppers 

We had recently stopped sending messages in regard to keeping your vehicle secure, however it is a new year so please continue to enjoy these reminders as we have seen a reduction in crime.