I WOULD like to express my thanks to Harrow’s Deputy Borough Commander, Detective Superintendent Neil Wilson for writing last week’s blog whilst I was on holiday with my family in North Wales.

Neil told me how honoured he was to be so warmly welcomed at the consecration of the new Greek Orthodox Church on Kenton Road.

We look forward to working closely with Harrow’s Greek Orthodox community in the months and years ahead.

Five new PCSOs, fresh out of training school from Hendon, joined the borough this week.

I am pleased to welcome PCSOs Lewis Austin, Dani Dod, Grace Fassenfield, Thomas Golden and Iain Mann who have been posted to Queensbury, Headstone South, Harrow on the Hill, Harrow Weald and Roxeth Safer Neighbourhoods Team, respectively.

They come from a variety of backgrounds and bring a wealth of life experiences to the police service.

PCSO Dani Dod, who is joining Headstone South SNT, was a groom prior to joining the MPS and aspires to become a police constable and eventually work with the Met Police’s Mounted Branch.

Officers from Harrow Weald Safer Neighbourhoods Teams recovered a large assortment of power tools and gardening equipment, believed to be stolen, from an address in Harrow Weald recently.

We would very much like to hear from you if you live in the Harrow area, and have recently had tools stolen which you can supply serial numbers for. Please contact PC Craig Debenham by email at Craig.K.Debenham@met.police.uk.

I cannot stress the importance of property marking all expensive items such as power tools and garden equipment, so that if we do come across a large assortment of stolen items, we can identify the rightful owners as soon as possible.

I would also like to remind you to secure all sheds, garages and out-buildings with good quality locks to act as a deterrent to any would-be burglars.

If you know of anyone in your area who is involved in criminal activity, please call us on 101 or if you wish to remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Last week, in the early hours of Wednesday, officers from Harrow’s Crime Squad executed a warrant at an address in West Harrow and recovered a quantity of cannabis and drugs paraphernalia.

A dog was also seized under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

A 23-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply cannabis. He has been bailed to a date later this year whilst enquiries are ongoing.

A timely reminder to anyone thinking about buying online in the run up to Christmas.

A 27-year-old man from Rayners Lane had his feather severely ruffled after agreeing to buy an exotic bird from a free classified advertising site.

He paid for the bird by making an electronic transfer and awaited delivery.

Unfortunately for the victim, the bird never landed through his letter box and the suspect now cannot be traced. Online fraud is rife, please take every precaution to avoid being scammed or duped. For more detailed advice go to www.met.police.uk/fraudalert/

To mark Diwali, the Hindu festival of light, PCSO Suzanne Keys has been encouraging people to invest in timer switches to reduce the chances of their homes being burgled.

With the dark evenings upon us, having lights timed to come on as darkness falls makes your home look occupied, therefore reducing the chance of being burgled.

A house with lights on is a welcoming sight, not for a burglar though. For a more comprehensive guide to securing your home, visit the crime prevention pages on our website.

I met with PC Kay Phillips last week who is leaving Harrow borough to join colleagues in the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) Bureau at New Scotland Yard.

The ANPR Bureau is a pan-London resource and supports colleagues across the MPS.

During her time at Harrow, Kay has worked in a number of roles, her last being a member of the Stanmore Park Safer Neighbourhoods team.

Kay is an extremely professional and dedicated officer who will be a great loss to the borough. I am very sorry to see her go, but wish her all the very best for the future.