I WOULD like to alert your readers to a valuable and free crime prevention tool on offer from Gwent Police.

Almost 35,000 households are signed up to the Online Watch Link (Owl) system in Gwent, and are receiving messages from their Neighbourhood Policing Teams and Neighbourhood Watches.

Local officers use the system to alert residents to information that may be of interest to them. This can include appeals for information, crime prevention advice following local crimes, as well as updates about what they are doing locally. Residents can also use the system to speak to officers about local issues.

When residents sign up to OWL they automatically become members of their local Neighbourhood Watch.

The vast majority choose to receive messages via e-mail. But for residents who aren’t online, they can choose to receive theirs via text messages, fax or their landline telephone number.

I would like to encourage your readers to join the system. Either visit www.owl.co.uk/gwent or contact your local Neighbourhood Policing Team.

Lorraine Bottomley Deputy Chief Constable (Interim) Gwent Police