ON THE BEAT TOP TIPS TO LOOK AFTER YOURSELF WHEN OUT

With Constable Andrewporteous

We at Police Scotland hope that 2024 has been favourable to you all and wish you all well as we enter spring time.

Our officers continue to liaise with our partners Hamilton Out Town and are encouraged by the work they are doing in the town centre.

We look forward to assisting in the events that they have planned throughout the year and will continue to support the work they do with local businesses and partners.

In particular, we congratulate them on their recent spring events which were a huge success and look forward to Hamilton Market on May 4 in the Regent Centre.

This week, I would like to talk about personal safety and taking care of your possessions.

You hear about people having their bag snatched or mobile phone stolen, but in reality the chance of it happening to you or your family are low and there are plenty of things you can do to make it even less likely. Here is what you can do:

■ Carry your bags close to you with the clasp facing inwards. Keep them zipped up, and make sure your wallet or purse can’t be seen. Don’t carry large amounts of cash.

■ Have your bags where you can see them when in public places such as a bar or restaurant, and try to make sure the bag strap is under a chair leg so it can’t be easily taken.

■ If you are wearing expensive jewellery or carrying other valuables, be discreet.

■ Think about your route, especially if you are going to be on your own carrying lots of shopping bags late at night. Avoid dark alleyways or unlit passages.

■ Think about keeping your valuables separate so if you lose your bag you haven’t lost everything. Keep your valuables in deep pockets or ones that fasten or close fully.

Meanwhile, the amount of youth disorder reported to the police in Hamilton Town Centre has increased during recent weekends.

Police have attended Hamilton Bus Station, The Palace Grounds, Cadzow Glen and Blantyre Railway Station to deal with numerous reports of disorder.

Youths from the ages of 12 to 16 have been arrested on occasions and Police Scotland will continue to carry out patrols and work with partners to quell this disorder.

Do you know someone who drives illegally? It could be they have no MOT, no insurance, no licence, or they could be drink drivers or disqualified drivers.

And using your phone while driving is not worth the risk. Not only could you hurt or kill someone, but you could see yourself get a £200 pound fine, six points on your licence and lose your licence if you’re a newly-qualified driver.

If you have any relevant information or matters you feel should be reported to the police, call the non-emergency number 101.