Scams and also e-scooters

Some of our local residents have been in receipt of scam e-mails following the coronavirus outbreak. Many of these have “official type” details and all are designed to get you to reveal bank details or asking to “update” your bank details because a payment “cannot be made at present”. Do be careful! A useful reference to a guide produced by the police has been advertised on “OWL” which will alert you to many of these types of scams and ways to avoid being caught by the scammers. Some of the common ones at the moment are e-mails purporting to be from “TV Licensing” and “O2” claiming that there is a problem with your regular payments. Do not be fooled by these – always check and a genuine organisation will never ask for such updates to your account!

On another topic – there has been an increase in the use of e-scooters on roads/pavements in our area lately. Despite what you may have read or believed about them becoming legal for road/pavement use they are not! There is a trial taking place in the Middlesborough area but definitely not here! They are classed as motor vehicles (called PLEVs) and may be only be lawfully used on private land with the landowners permission. It is illegal to use one (or a segway or similar device) on our roads (including pavements) and you can be prosecuted for an offence of using the e-scooter without insurance – leading to a possible substantial fine and points on your driving licence! There are other possible motoring offences too – including careless or dangerous driving and even drink-driving ! So please be aware and don’t use them on our roads or pavements!

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