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A teenager from Ravensthorpe, Northamptonshire, has been charged in connection to multiple burglaries and car thefts.

Bailey Winkle, 18, had been detained by Cambridgeshire detectives on October 24 but was released on bail, pending further enquiries. However, on Monday, November 6, he was arrested again and now faces charges linked to 21 offences related to various incidents in Lincolnshire and Peterborough regions.

Appearing at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, Winkle received court bail with stipulations. This includes wearing an electronic tag and adhering to a curfew from 7 PM to 7 AM. His next court appearance is scheduled for December 5 at Cambridge Crown Court.

Winkle is also restricted from entering Westwood in Peterborough, North Hykeham, and Heckington in Lincolnshire and contacting specific individuals.

List of offences

Winkle’s offences include burglary, theft, fraud attempts, vehicle registration plate theft and drug possession.

His burglary offences include thefts of car keys, wallets, and cigarettes from Odecroft, Westwood, Peterborough, on October 11. The next day, he committed another burglary involving car keys from Potesgrave Way, Heckington, Sleaford. 

On October 15, he committed a burglary in Runswick Close, North Hykeham, Lincoln, then Bozeat Way, Westwood, Peterborough, on October 16. 

In addition, there were burglaries on Raleigh Way, Westwood, Peterborough, on October 18, where he took car keys, a purse, and cash.

Numerous theft offences are also part of the charges, such as the theft of a Volkswagen Polo on October 11, a Jaguar XF on October 12, and a BMW 218i on October 16. Other thefts involve vehicles, registration plates, and making off without payment.

Fraud attempts were noted on October 11, where Winkle allegedly tried to use a stolen bank card at BP garages in St John’s Street, Boongate, Peterborough, and A15, Langtoft.

He committed several instances of vehicle registration plate theft on various dates and locations, including Broadfield Lane, Boston, Skellingthorpe Road, Lincoln, Holly Street, Bracebridge, Lincoln, Tower Avenue, Bracebridge, Lincoln, and Willonholt, Ravensthorpe, Peterborough.

Winkle is also charged with possession of cannabis on October 19 and October 29.

Burglaries, thefts in Peterborough

Based on data from CrimeRate, Peterborough is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Cambridgeshire’s 262 towns, villages, and cities.

This finding is supported by the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) that revealed crime in Peterborough had increased by 10 percent in the 12 months up to March 2023. In total, 24,678 offences were recorded. 

This was twice the rate of increase for England and Wales and higher than the six percent increase seen in Cambridgeshire.

Dishonesty offences increased significantly, with overall burglaries rising by 37 percent. This figure includes a 27 percent increase in home burglaries and a 60 percent increase in non-dwelling burglaries.

To address the issue, the Peterborough Telegraph reported that a new police officer was explicitly appointed to tackle offences in the city centre, following concerns raised by businesses.

“Crime levels in Peterborough are now more reflective of where they were at pre-covid levels, not in excess of them and when you couple that with the cost of living issues and a rapidly increasing population, we would expect to see a rise in many of these areas,” said Superintendent Neil Billany, Area Commander for Peterborough.

“We are also focusing on offenders, using every opportunity to charge and remand those who are hurting us the most and actively considering solutions like Criminal Behaviour Orders for anyone charged with an acquisitive crime.”

The force also recommended that residents follow tips to prevent burglary at their homes. This includes fortifying windows and doors, installing security systems (CCTV, alarms, and lighting) and setting up proper fences.

Residents who live in high-value homes or own high-value items can also rely on security companies like Marengo for additional protection.