THE Sandwell Safer Six campaign came to Oldbury and tackled speeding, grot spots as well as promoting safety and crime prevention.

Sandwell Council, the fire service and police, together with councillors, health and probation services and community and voluntary groups worked on Safer 6 campaign.

Deputy Mayor Councillor Susan Downing, Oldbury town lead member Councillor Suzanne Hartwell and cabinet member Councillor Steve Trow officially launched the activities at an information roadshow in Oldbury Civic Square.

Lots of services were there, including the fire service, police and the council’s Youth Bus. Trading standards officers brought along the tobacco education unit and a sniffer dog to raise awareness of illegal and counterfeit alcohol and cigarettes.

Volunteers from Sandwell Crime Prevention Panel gave out 110 home security packs, 26 cycle marking kits, 47 mobile phone security packs and 160 door cards.

Police, neighbourhood officers and local councillors held speed watches in all four wards – Bristnall, Langley, Oldbury and Old Warley.

These included an operation in Kingsway, Tame Road and Grafton Road where they checked 304 vehicles, of which 21 were speeding.

Police sent warning letters to these motorists.

Council property intervention officers visited 36 empty private homes in Oldbury, to check they were secure and continue looking at ways to get them back into use.

Fire crews carried out 60 ‘Safe and Well’ visits, offering fire and road safety advice, checking whether people had smoke detectors and promoting health and well-being. They also talked to customers at Asda about chimney safety.

Fire crews held a car safety event at Oldbury Fire Station, advising on oil and water, tyre safety and children’s car seats.

Police held an advice surgery at Londis, Langley, and a safer travel operation in Oldbury town centre; and, together with trading standards officers, carried out checks on traders in vans.

Offenders doing unpaid Community Payback worked with the council’s estates team to clear more than 2.5 tonnes of rubbish and debris from overgrown and rubbish-strewn sites in Blakeley Hall Road, Beeches Road and Birmingham Road.

Council officers gave advice and distributed leaflets about scams and rogue traders to tenants in Lancaster House and held a crime prevention surgery at the Queensridge Court extra care housing scheme.

Also during the week, volunteers from Sandwell Crime Prevention Panel and Neighbourhood Watch hosted a conference at Oldbury Salvation Army Hall attended by dozens of people. They promoted crime prevention, together with advice from the council’s trading standards team and police.

Councillor Preet Gill, Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for public health and protection, said: “It’s great to see lots of different organisations working together to respond to issues that matter to local communities.

“I congratulate the Oldbury team on their Safer 6 week activities, which build on the partnership working that happens day in, day out throughout the year across the town.”