Two firms in Somerset claim police failed to fully investigate repeat thefts at their firms.

We have been given access to Avon and Somerset Police force's daily crime data, as part of our week-long crime special #onthebeat.

The statistics for Wednesday 30th January reveal that there were:

• 39 recorded crime occurrences
• 68 custody records created
• 18 people were recorded as missing
• there were 11 reports of violent domestic incidents, and
• 1 burglary

There were 597 999 calls in the Avon and Somerset area yesterday (Wednesday 30th January) and 1,913 to 101.

98% of the 99 calls were answered within 10 seconds, according to data statistics from the force.

Image source, PA

Avon and Somerset Police success rate on resolving burglary crime is just 6%.

It means 94% of burglary victims will never know if the person who broke into their has been caught.

The force is hoping a rise in its council tax precept for 2019-20 will be approved and release funding for 100 extra officers, who would be ring-fenced to tackle knife crime, drug dealing and burglaries.

We follow police around who are looking after one of the busiest periods of the week - Friday and Saturday nights.

One of Gloucestershire's biggest employers says it's stockpiling products ahead of Brexit.

Engineering firm Renishaw employs almost 2,500 people at it's five sites in the county.

The firm's six month results - which shows revenue growth is up by 6% - said it was "well placed to respond to changes to future trading arrangements between the EU and the UK".

Renishaw is in the process of establishing a distribution warehouse in Ireland, to reduce the number of direct shipments from the UK to the EU post Brexit.

Press Association
Nick Lester, Press Association Political Staff

Major fire safety failings at troops' barracks are "a military Grenfell waiting to happen", ministers have been warned.

The report by the Defence Safety Authority (DSA), which found cash cuts had led to an "unacceptable degradation" of living accommodation, was an "appalling indictment" of the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the Government was told at Westminster.

Given service personnel risked "life and limb in action", there was a responsibility to "ensure that they are safe in their own barracks", peers argued.

The Government said the MoD had acted on the recommendations contained in the report and created a committee to oversee the improvements needed.

The review had been ordered after fires at Aliwal barracks in Tidworth, Wiltshire, and Thiepval Barracks in Lisburn.

Image source, PA

The findings in the report on single living accommodation, used by unmarried troops, highlighted "faulty equipment" and "broken or unserviceable infrastructure".

It said the likelihood of a fire resulting in "significant loss of life, loss of capability and damage to reputation will remain high" unless those "major weaknesses" are addressed.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Armed officers, dogs and police on horseback will be on Bath’s streets as part of an operation to prevent terrorism, drug dealing and other crimes.

Insp Sarah Dinnis of Avon and Somerset Police said the city had been selected for the roll-out of Project Servator, a series of unpredictable, highly visible police deployments.

It will help police crack down on county lines drug dealers – described as an “epidemic” elsewhere – who have a sophisticated new business model and target the most vulnerable to do their bidding.

After concerns from residents, officers also told the Bath City Forum they are making a concerted effort to be more visible, with investment in electric bikes and laptops.

Image source, PA

Police officers use a lot of jargon and acronyms. Here they decode the language of law enforcement:

• Code 1 – responding to an emergency at the highest priority – you may see blue lights and police sirens when attending a code 1.
• PNB – pocket note book. Every officer has this to record information and movements each shift. In recent months many have moved to an electronic version in line with digital technology improvements.
• Refs – the term used for refreshments breaks for the team – this could be breakfast, lunch or dinner due to the 24/7 shift working.
• Stat 5 – this is a radio term used for saying the police resource is on their way to an incident.
• BWV – body worn video. An invaluable tool to allow officers to obtain and secure evidence at the scenes of incidents and crimes.
• RTC – Road Traffic Collision.
• PPE – personal protection equipment. Every officer carries PPE and have to retrain in its use every year.
• FIM – Force Incident Manager. This is an Inspector level role based in the police control room. Part of the FIM role is to manage firearms incidents and high-risk missing people.
• NPAS – National Police Air Service. The control room can request the helicopter for incidents if they feel it necessary. Often the weather conditions play a part in whether the aircraft is able to lift. It is an expensive resource and is only used when really needed – such as searching for a high-risk missing person in a large open area.
• PTP – Point to Point. This is a radio transmission from one person to another rather than over the main radio. This is sometimes used when passing a quick update to the control room or vice versa.

A man has been jailed for robbery, fraud and theft following an incident on the Bristol to Bath railway path.

Thaberi Sadiki Francis, 25, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to four years and six months behind bars at Bristol Crown Court on 25 January.

The offence happened at about 7pm on Monday 14 May, 2018, on the cycle track in Whitehall. A man punched a woman and stole her bike and bank cards, leaving her with a black eye.

The cards were used soon afterwards at various shops in Bristol.

Image source, Avon and Somerset Constabulary

Image source, Getty Images

Avon and Somerset Police arrests around 70 people a day on average.

Each day call handlers at force HQ in Portishead take around 49 calls relating to mental health and deal with around 150 related incidents, including missing people, concern for welfare incidents, anti-social behaviour and assisting other agencies.

The force has a mental health triage service with fully trained nurses embedded in the control room to help advise operational staff.

The force is currently managing almost 3,000 high risk offenders and nearly 2,500 registered sex offenders.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Bath and North East Somerset Council leaders want the average household to pay it another £53.23 in 2019/20.

Authority leader Tim Warren and finance chief Charles Gerrish said that number is set to creep up in future years as the budget is squeezed further – it needs to save another £8.9million next year, after cutting £72.4million over the last six years.

If approved next month, the average band D property will pay B&NES Council £39.76, an increase of 2.95 per cent on 2018/19, to enable it to deliver a balanced budget, as well as helping to meet rising demands on adults and children’s services.

Households will also pay another one per cent – equivalent to £13.47 for band D properties – that will be ring-fenced for adult social care services. If approved, the increases will take council tax for the average property up to £1,401.12.

Around 10 per cent of all crime in the Avon and Somerset force area is committed within a few streets of central Bristol on Friday and Saturday nights.

Operation Brio is the name given to the teams tasked with keeping the peace when tensions run high.

Officers are using predictive computer systems to work out crime hotspots and ways to proactively target them.

The FA is investigating claims that Macclesfield boss Sol Campbell was subjected to homophobic abuse at Cheltenham Town.

Image source, Avon and Somerset Police

On Tuesday we told you how police are warning of an epidemic of knife crime in towns across Somerset - due to county lines drug dealing.

Last week, officers from Avon and Somerset Police visited more than 100 homes they feared were being targeted by county lines drug dealers.

Cuckooing, as it is known, is on the increase with urban dealers moving in and taking over the homes of vulnerable people in small, rural and coastal towns where there is little or no competition.

Today they revealed officers have arrested eight men for offences including drug possession and supply, weapons offences and violent crimes.

Three men and three women also attended a police station voluntarily for interview in connection with similar offences.

A 24-year-old man Weston-super-Mare has since been charged with GBH and possession of an offensive weapon.

The charge relates to an incident in the town in which a man sustained knife wounds to the face.

The man remains in custody pending an appearance at Bristol Crown Court on 20 February.

In total, 114 vulnerable adults were spoken to following welfare checks at 126 addresses in the Bath, Bridgwater, Mendip, Taunton, Weston-super-Mare, Yate and Yeovil areas. Two children were also safeguarded following the visits.

On Tuesday January 29 Avon and Somerset Police received 512,999 (emergency) calls and 1,887 (non-emergency) calls.

There were 52 recorded crimes across the force area.

The force were alerted to 15 missing people, six burglaries, eight domestic abuse incidents and two thefts from a car.

And 56 people were in custody.

Demolition work is starting at the former Royal Mail sorting office, near Temple Meads, once described as making part of Bristol "look like a war zone".

Serious emergencies will continue to be transferred to neighbouring hospitals if the plan is agreed.