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Community Safety Group sponsors hill safety signs

Hill safety sign group
Ed Bushnel Chair of the South Marr CSG, local officer PC Ali MacKenzie and Simon Blackett, Factor of Invercauld Estate, with the new sign.

The hill safety sign
The new sign.

Grampian Police and the South Marr Community Safety Group recently unveiled the latest of their joint initiatives.

On Monday 30th June the first of a dozen high-visibility and extremely durable signs carrying both a safety message for hill walkers and a security message regarding unattended vehicles was erected at the new car park at The Keiloch.

Local Officer, PC Ali MacKenzie, said,

"The signs are a great asset to Grampian Police and the Deeside community. Fortunately, the area is predominantly free from vehicle crime but we can never be complacent, as a couple of recent incidents have highlighted. The signs are a terrific way to re-enforce to those drawn to the hills of the importance of telling someone where they are going and when they intend returning, and of not leaving property on open view within a vehicle whilst they are away."
"Many people visit the Deeside area to enjoy the hills and mountains, and so the hill safety message is very important to the Police and Mountain Rescue teams. By following the simple advice, the public can be safe on the hills and then return to their vehicles to find them free from crime."

Ed Bushnell, Chair of the South Marr Community Safety Group that met the cost of the signs, said:

"Community Safety Groups exist to support initiatives that have a bearing on safety and security in their community. We are therefore delighted to have been able to assist with a project as worthwhile as this."

Simon Blackett, Factor of Invercauld Estate, said:

"I welcomed the approach from Grampian Police asking me to participate with this initiative, as many of the car parking areas favoured by hill walkers fall on Estate land. We will now be arranging for signs to be displayed at most of these."
"We believe that the signs complement our own contribution to safety and security, as the new facility at The Keiloch provides persons who wish to enjoy outdoor based activities such as walking or cycling with a dedicated car park rather than them having to leave their vehicles on the verge of the often busy roads. The car park already has an Information Point for visitors, is overlooked by Estate properties and will also be patrolled each day by Estate staff."


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