Message from Police Scotland East Lothian

Over the course of the last few weeks there has been an increase in incidences of housebreakings in East Lothian. Police Scotland is committed to tackling thefts from the home. We are determined to reduce this type of crime by targeting and arresting offenders; to this end we need the help of the community.

Homes may be targeted due to regular work patterns or identifiable periods where the home is unoccupied, such as holidays, or where the premises have been left insecure. To help us fight this type of crime and protect your property and those of your neighbours you can:

• Report anything unusual, occupants of unfamiliar vehicles or people acting suspiciously
• Note any descriptions of suspicious persons or vehicles, including vehicle registration numbers
• Check the identity of any callers at your home

Upgrading the physical security of your home is the best way to reduce your chances of being broken into. For more information see the Police Scotland alert, which was issued through the Neighbourhood Watch scheme.

Information sent from the Garvald Neighbourhood Watch Scheme:

The National Crime Agency are urging computer users to take action against recent malware threats (software sent via email attachments that can infect your Windows computer and used for criminal activities or lock you out of your computer). The NCA has taken temporary control of the communications used to connect with infected computers, but expects only a very limited window of opportunity to ensure you are protected. To protect yourself, check that both your Windows Operating System and your virus protection software are up-to-date and make sure your computer has done a security scan recently, to check for viruses and malware. Read the full story on the National Crime Agency Website.

This information was forwarded from the Garvald Neighbourhood Watch Scheme. If you would like more information about the scheme, please contact Phillip White using the form on the Neighbourhood Watch page.