Rushcliffe neighbourhood policing inspector Tim Cuthbert writes his latest update for May, covering the response to the major Sutton Bonington industrial fire, work to prevent bike thefts at West Bridgford School, speeding concerns in rural villages and the arrival of a new officer for the Edwalton beat.
Tim writes:
‘Firstly, a warm welcome to a new addition to the team at West Bridgford. PC Haddon Smith has transferred to our team from the Road Crime Team and brings with him some fantastic experience of proactive policing and road safety operations. Haddon will be primarily covering the Edwalton beat area but will, of course, be supporting patrols and operations throughout Rushcliffe, as the other members of our beat team do.’
‘April saw a major incident in the Sutton Bonington area following a fire at the Hathernware Industrial Unit.
‘The fire was so serious that the Midland Main Line was closed for a period, with fire and rescue crews from Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire all involved in tackling the blaze for several days. Our Neighbourhoods Team were present to support the preservation of the scene and support investigations, which are ongoing.
‘We also supported temporary evacuation processes in the immediate hours after the fire started; however, the evacuations were merely precautionary and only in place for a couple of hours. Community drop-in sessions were put on by our partners from fire, the Environment Agency, Rushcliffe Borough Council and the UK Health Security Agency to allow the local community to ask questions and obtain advice.
‘I absolutely appreciate the impact this fire will have had on local residents, and I’d like to thank the agencies involved for their hard work in tackling the fire and supporting the community in the aftermath.
‘One of our problem management plans has been in place for around four months after a number of bike thefts from West Bridgford School in December 2025.
‘Our officers have been working with the school, supporting them with crime prevention advice and CCTV, as well as advising the pupils on how to store their bikes safely. We’ll also be following up with a bike-marking event there soon.
‘The work completed so far has led to a massive reduction in the problems faced there, with no thefts reported since the plan commenced.
‘In April, I attended the Rushcliffe South Villages Community Safety Group meeting, where representatives of local parish councils for the more rural villages and towns in Rushcliffe meet to discuss local problems.
‘It is always good to discuss issues with the local representatives and advise on matters raised. The group is coordinated by Keyworth resident David Ovadia on a voluntary basis, so thanks to David for the hard work he puts into arranging the meetings and compiling minutes.
‘Amongst the issues raised was speeding, and I’m currently in the process of trying to obtain a new handheld speed camera device which will significantly cut down the administrative burden for officers when partaking in speeding operations. This equipment will hopefully streamline the process from evidential capture through to summons and mean that the team can spend more time out proactively tackling road safety issues.
Thank you for reading!’
Tim Cuthbert
Neighbourhood Policing Inspector for Rushcliffe
