THE HOLIDAY YOU SAVE MAY BE YOUR OWN?

We are keeping a beady eye on houses and flats known to be briefly empty during the holiday period. You can help as well, discreetly let us or a PFNW street co-ordinator know when you are to be on holiday and we'll add you to the list for unannounced outside DAYTIME visits to your property whilst you are away. We take the view that your neighbours will keep an eye on things during the evening and early morning, it's during normal working hours, properties are most at risk when neighbours are usually at work.

 A nominal £5 donation per address per week, is requested for the visit service to swell the PFNW coffers, as Chris emptied the jamjar and local youth groups are now feeling the financial benefit! Essentially we willmake you members of the Neighbourhood Watch scheme, we'll need your holiday contact telephone number, your written permission and the name and contact numbers of a keyholder. We arrange to walk by your property at various times during the week. No access to the property is required as the inspection is visual covering doors and windows etc.  

Speaking of holidays, the recent collapse of Goldtrail Travel Group means that it is a very good idea to ensure that at least £101 of your holiday invoice is paid for using a credit card (not a debit card) issued to an individual.

If your holiday company goes belly up, the holiday company ATOL registration will get you back on a flight if you booked a complete package ie flight AND hotel together. However the ABTA guarantee is limited and not all that it's cracked up to be, so if you've paid by credit card; a legal claim AGAINST THE CREDIT CARD COMPANY can be made under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974  for the whole invoice.

It is also a good idea to have access to a cash reserve, just in case you need to cover the balance of your hotel stay at the resort (although you may be able to reclaim it later). Local hoteliers have to go through a lengthy claim process with the CAA just to recover hotel discounted contract costs from the date of the holiday company failure and if the holiday company hasn't already paid the hotel some small family concerns just won't go through the UK based claim process and will demand cash from the holidaymaker!

(C) Park Farm Neighbourhood Watch Peterborough UK Tel: 01733 345581 Broadcasters call ISDN 01733 555319 Codecs G722 & APT Press Enquiries 01733 345581