Northants Police crack down on under-age drinking

NORTHANTS Police are working with schools and licensed premises around the county to prevent under-age drinking.

PASS proof of age cards are being given to all students in year 13, free of charge, in order to stop under-age drinking in pubs and clubs.

Licensing Sergeant Martin O'Connell who is leading the project, said: "The launch of the new PASS cards took place in June this year. 

“Officers from the licensing team have been promoting the cards across the county, working with licensed premises, schools and colleges with classes of 17 and 18-year-olds. 

“Some of the schools in the county are now rolling out PASS cards free of charge through collaboration with Citizencard, a national provider of PASS. 

“Using a PASS card means it is not necessary to take valuable documentation on a night out in order to legitimately purchase alcohol. 

“Passports and drivers licences are valuable documents which, if lost or stolen, are expensive to replace and in the wrong hands can be used fraudulently. 

“The new card design is protected to a much greater degree from forgery and is far more recognisable for licensees and their staff to identify. It cannot be used for any other purpose other than age verification so is not of value to criminals.”

If anyone wants more details of how to obtain a PASS card then they can contact the Northamptonshire Police licensing team.

By Stephen Matthews

Northants Police open new Cyber Crime Unit

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Police have opened up a new cyber crime team which is solely dedicated to cracking down on online criminals.

The specialist Cyber Crime Unit will focus on protecting communities, through strengthening online defences and cracking down on criminals.

According to Northants Police, the estimated number of victims of cyber crime in the UK  last year was 12.5 million people.

Northamptonshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Adam Simmonds said: "Cyber crime is ever expanding and Northamptonshire want to take the fight to people who attack Families and communities without ever having to go through the door."

Assistant Chief Constable, Ivan Balhatchet said: “The investment in the new Cyber Crime Unit will enable Northamptonshire Police to effectively tackle cyber crime and provide the public more protection from those who exploit digital media to commit offences.” 

Follow @cybercrimeunit on Twitter for the latest updates on cyber security issues and for tips and advice about staying safe online.

By Jordan Lyons

Gang threaten hotel receptionist with screwdriver

Image: Travelodge website. Here.

A receptionist in a Kettering hotel was threatened with a screwdriver by four masked men.

The men, wearing Halloween masks, entered the Travelodge on the westbound A14 in the early hours of Monday, October 13th, and climbed over the hotel counter.

The receptionist was then dragged into a back room, punched and threatened, before being forced to lie on the floor whilst the raiders searched the office.

The thieves stole a small amount of cash from a safe before fleeing.

All four of the men spoke with Asian accents and were around 5ft 5in.

As well as the Halloween masks, they all wore long sleeved t-shirts, jeans and gloves.

Police working on the case are now asking for any witnesses to come forward if anyone saw anything unusual in the vicinity of the Travelodge on that night.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Northamptonshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

By Tom Hornbuckle