An Avian Influenza Prevention Zone: An AIPZ has been declared across Great Britain. The AIPZ means all bird keepers in Great Britain (whether they have pet birds, commercial flocks or just a few birds in a backyard flock) are required by law to take a range of biosecurity precautions. The AIPZ now in force across Great Britain, does not include a requirement to house birds. However, this is being kept under constant review. With the increased risk of avian influenza during the winter, the need to include a mandatory housing requirement in the AIPZ may happen. The AIPZ means bird keepers across Great Britain must:
* Keep domestic ducks and geese separate from other poultry.
* Ensure the areas where birds are kept are unattractive to wild birds, for example by netting ponds, and by removing wild bird food sources;
* Feed and water your birds in enclosed areas to discourage wild birds;
* Minimise movement in and out of bird enclosures;
* Clean and disinfect footwear and keep areas where birds live clean and tidy;
* Reduce any existing contamination by cleansing and disinfecting concrete areas, and fencing off wet or boggy areas.
* Keep free ranging birds within fenced areas, and that ponds, watercourses and permanent standing water must be fenced off (except in specific circumstances e.g. zoo birds).
Nottingham Knockers: We’ve had reports of the last week that Nottingham Knockers have been calling at properties in villages close to Haverhill, as well as in and around Ipswich. These individuals are claiming to be on a youth offending scheme, attempting to mend their ways, before trying to sell the householder everyday household products at very high prices. In one instance, the caller advised that they were working for a charity called Helping Hands. Trading Standards always advise residents to refrain from buying at the doorstep and not to buckle to pressure from salespeople offering supposedly one-off ‘buy it now’ low prices. These Nottingham Knockers work in groups across the country but they are not involved in any officially recognised offender rehabilitation programme and many do not possess Pedlar’s Certificates, which are issued by police. If you are approached at the door, please refuse to buy. Please report any doorstep caller to us via 0808 223 1133.
Scam calls: Beware of the scam calls from criminals pretending to be from the National Crime Agency or Inland Revenue. There have been reports received of automated calls claiming to be from the National Crime Agency and Inland Revenue, with the caller stating that your National Insurance number has been involved in criminal activity. You are encouraged to call a number to "resolve" the issue, or press 1 to speak to an adviser. They state that failure to speak to them will result in the suspension of your National Insurance Number. THIS IS A SCAM! Do not telephone the number provided, or provide anyone with your personal details, including your bank or credit card information. HMRC is aware of these automated phone call scams. To help their investigations you should report full details of the scam by email to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk, including the:
- date of the call
- phone number used
- content of the call
Purchase scams take place online when criminals trick people into paying for goods and services that don’t exist.
Purchase scams: They often advertise on auction sites or social media, with images taken from genuine sellers’ to convince you they’re the real deal. Remember to always be wary of “too good to be true” deals. How to spot a purchase scam:
- You’re offered a heavily discounted or considerably cheaper than usual service or product. The deal sounds too good to be true.
- You’re asked to pay by bank transfer instead of using the online platform’s secure payment options.
- You receive a fake email receipt/invoice that appears to be from the website you’ve purchased from or the payment service used to make your purchase – the email address domain doesn’t match that of the genuine sender’s.
- The website that you’re purchasing from was only launched days/weeks ago.
Aldi recall: Aldi have issued a recall for a baby carrier sold recently in their middle aisle over safety fears. Aldi's supplier has identified that a component may fail on a small number of carriers. Customers are asked to stop using this product immediately and return it to the nearest store where a full refund will be given.
Product Name: Hiking Baby Carrier
Brand: Adventuridge
Product code: 804707
Barcode: 4088500636642 Blue
If you need advice, or want to report a scam or rogue trader, call us via 0808 223 1133.