Little Grimton

1. Little Grimton Little Grimton is a small village of 2,500 residents on the outskirts of a city in the south west of England. It's a pretty place with a small square, and a village green. Around the square are a few shops including a min-mart, a delicatessen, a fish and chip shop, the Rise and Shine Bed and Breakfast and the Jolly Scarecrow pub. The heart of the village is made up of large houses, many of which date back to the 18th century. To the south of the main road is the Newby Estate that was built in the late 1960s as an overspill to the overcrowded city 10 miles away. There is a primary school just off the village square. The nearest secondary school is six miles away. Unless you work in the retail or hotel trade, jobs are a bit hard to come by. Most people who live in the village commute to the city for work. As there is only one bus a day most people with cars drive.

2. All is not well in Little Grimton.Crime is rising. It started about 12 months ago with thefts from the eight farms on the rural fringes of the village, by what looks like organised gangs. Fuel oil and diesel used to run tractors and other machinery is being stolen, along with agricultural tools from barns and lock ups. Three Landrovers have also been stolen and not recovered. No-one has been caught despite a Farm Watch scheme being set up locally. Local shops have also reported an increase in shop lifting. A local woman was caught and fined last month for stealing from the mini-mart but shop keepers are continuing to losestock. There has also been a spate of vandalism in the village square. The bus stop and public toilets have been daubed with graffiti and the litter bins in the middle of the village square were set alight last weekend. The same evening one of the clear panels of the bus stop was shattered, damaging a car parked nearby. Little Grimton cont…

3. Little Grimton cont… Local residents have been complaining for some time about cars speeding excessively on the main road. Last week a car narrowly missed a woman and her two children as they were crossing the road using the zebra crossing. The driver didn’t make any attempt to slow down, let alone stop. More recently drivers have also been speeding on the smaller roads around the centre of the village, disturbing residents late at night. Yesterday Amir Thapen, the owner of the fish and chip shop, left the Jolly Scarecrow at about 10.30pm after an evening playing darts. A drunken man approached him and started hurling abuse. Amir walked the other way, but the man then ran at him with a broken bottle. It was a brutal and bloody attack. Amir is currently recovering in hospital after having 20 stitches in his face and hands. The attacker has not been apprehended.

4. Little Grimton cont… The local MP, Apollo Barksdale, wants to take action and has called a meeting with local residents to discuss how the crime can be tackled. A 'Big Society Bank' has just been set up using unclaimed money in dormant bank accounts. The funds will be used to support neighbourhood groups, charities, social enterprises and mutual societies. He is proposing that the residents of Little Grimton apply for the maximum grant available (£150,000), to cover the costs of the crime fighting measures they think will be most effective. All the residents have to do is come to an agreement.