The Blandford Blog

Following a wave of complaints from householders, about companies ringing up and offering free alarms, Dorset police have issued a warning.

The companies offer a free alarm but also ask about the home owners existing home security. While these may be legitimate companies, you should never give details about your home security to strangers who ring you up out of the blue.

Many of the phone calls also claim the company is endorsed by Dorset Police. A police spokesman said “Dorset Police do not endorse any particular companies and companies who make false or misleading claims can commit offences and should be generally avoided by the public”.

If you are interested in upgrading your home security you should get at least three quotes from fully credited, reputable security providers. You should also make sure any products you are interested in comply with current British ad European standards. Never entertain any business that cold calls, either by phone or at the door. If you do get a cold caller a polite “No thank you” is all you need then either put the phone down or close the door.

If you are interested in a product from a cold caller then take that persons name and contact details. Then shop around and compare the product with similar products available from other companies.

How’s this for the ideal job. A man has advertised a job, paying £7 per hour plus expenses, and the job is to go drinking in the local pub to keep his father company. I suppose the “plus expenses” means you get your beer and crisps paid for!

The advert was posted in a New Forest Post Office by the son of a man who has just moved to the area and is missing his drinking pals. Not surprisingly there were 10 applicants ranging from 16 years old to 78 years old.

A spokesman for Age Concern said that it is a very common problem for the elderly. As they get older their friends get less and if they have to move they can end up isolated and lonely. This man is to be commended for using his initiative in placing the advert.

I agree, and do hope one of the applicants is suitable and the old gentleman finds a new friend too.

Is the nation getting fatter?

Well South Western Ambulance Service NHS think so.  They have just announced that they will be replacing their fleet of ambulances with bigger one to accomodate the increasing number of “supersize” patients they have to carry.

These new ambulances will cost £20,000 more than the existing ones, but are needed to prevent injury to ambulance staff and to patients themselves.

Apparently, since April 22 ambulance staff have been injured while moving “supersize” patients.

The new ambulances will have the capability to carry an especially designed stretcher trolley for larger than normal patients.

The award for Plonker of the Week this week has to go to the prison service on The Isle of Wight.

Due to an “error” an arsonist, who had been sentenced to serve 30 months, was let out after serving only 30 days.

Someone got their days and months mixed up and let him go after 30 days instead of 30 months. Of course, the arsonist did not point out the error, instead he just legged it and hasn’t been see since.