News | Highley Parish Council

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18th December 2025

Harmless activities on social media are fun to do, and you enjoy knowing how others react to your posts and sharing your family pictures, activities, and memories.

It may make you feel special when many people react to your posts, share them on their profiles and follow you. However not all details remain confined to your immediate connection but may get shared with a chain of “friends”.

So, this Christmas, when you share all the news and images of your social life, always think twice about who you want to see it.

Whilst all these posts are harmless and fun for your real friends and everything you post may be seemingly harmless and unimportant, to the criminal and fraudster it is a treasure trove from which they can harvest so much personal detail to build up a persona which may come back to scam you later.

How to protect yourself?

Set up unique and secure passwords that you have not used on other personal accounts
Applying Multi factor Authentication to your accounts gives added protection
Review your Friends list and Connections to avoid any security risks
Always remember to Log Out
Finally, think before you post and always remain vigilant.
Do not let criminals spoil your Christmas.

ACTION FRAUD HAS CHANGED

As from the beginning of December, the new service is called REPORT FRAUD and replaces Action Fraud and the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau.

This is aimed to make reporting cyber crime and fraud easier and quicker and provide more feedback to victims.

The contact details are listed below for your information.

Please feel free to share these messages with any vulnerable friends, relatives, or neighbours.

If you have been a victim of fraud

Report it to REPORT FRAUD on 0300 123 2040 or via reportfraud.police.uk

Scam Text messages can be forwarded to 7726 to help phone providers take prompt action and block numbers that generate spam on their networks.

You can also report fraudulent mobile calls by texting 7726 with the word “Call” followed by the fraudster’s phone number.

Scam calls received on WhatsApp can be blocked by opening the chat with the suspect phone number and tap on “Block”.

Forward Fake Emails received to report@phishing.gov.uk

If you think your bank account or personal banking details have been used fraudulently, then use the short phone number - 159 - to contact the Fraud Prevention Department of most major UK banks.

COUNCILLOR VACANCY

4th December 2025

Highley Parish Council needs YOU! Two vacancies have arisen - are you keen to help your community? Can you spare a couple of hours a month to work alongside a team of likeminded people? No formal qualifications are required, just keen and willing to share our vision of making Highley great for the people who live here and those who visit. ghet in touch if you are interested for more information contact: clerk@highleyparish.gov.uk

20th November 2025

We all know or have heard about someone who’s bought clothes, tech or even a car on the internet … only for it to never arrive. Sometimes it’s because of an admin error, but more often than not, they’ve been manipulated by a fraudster. Maybe it’s even happened to you. Buying online is convenient and often cheaper — but it’s also one of the biggest hunting grounds for fraudsters.

Ahead of Black Friday, why not take some time to read Get Safe Online's latest online shopping tips either via the leaflet attached or on our website:

Purchase Scams - Get Safe Online https://www.getsafeonline.org/purchasescams/

Secondly, if you, or someone you know, are seeking a seasonal job this Christmas, try our new Job Seekers Tool Page - featuring seven free-to-use tools to check if the job you are looking at is a genuine opportunity or a scam. With a massive increase in employment scams, coupled with pre-festive season demands for extra staff in certain sectors, this new page will help stop you becoming a victim in this way if you are looking work.

Safe Jobseeker Tools - Get Safe Online https://www.getsafeonline.org/safejobseekertools/

Many thanks

the Get Safe Online team

B4555 ROAD CLOSURE - see events notice

20th November 2025

Please be advised that the B4555 south of Highley will be closed for structural repairs from Monday 24th November to Friday 28th November, between 9.30am and 4.00pm daily.

Key Information from Highways Dept:
Gatemen will be stationed on Borle Mill during peak times:
7.30am–9.30am and 2.30pm–4.00pm
While the closure begins at 9.30am, gatemen will be in place for the afternoon school run to help manage traffic and deter build-up.
A gateman will also be positioned at the B4555/B4363 junction to reduce unnecessary traffic heading toward Borle Mill during the closure.
Access will be maintained for the farm at the east end of Borle Mill throughout the working day.
Advance warning signs will be installed on both approaches to the works area by the end of this week.

The official diversion route will be shared as soon as it is confirmed.

Highley Parish Council have requested response to the following and will update you as soon as we receive answers:
• Will the 125 bus drivers and users be notified?
• Will buses be able to pass through the closure during the day, or will a diversion or satellite minibus (e.g. to/from the Severn Centre) be arranged?
• Will “No Through Route” signs be placed at both ends of Bynd Lane and Covert Lane?
• Will the “Road Closed” signs at the Bridgnorth end clearly state that the closure is after Highley Village?
• Will diversion signs provide clear, location-specific guidance — rather than simply directing traffic back and forth along the B4363 — to help unfamiliar drivers and HGV drivers who cannot use Borle Mill to plan accordingly?

We appreciate your patience and support as we work to minimise disruption. Please feel free to share this information with your networks, and we’ll continue to provide updates as they become available.

Highley Parish Council

Beware of winter fuel payment scams

18th November 2025

Between April and September 2025, Action Fraud has received 2,790 crime reports relating to Winter Fuel Payment scams, with victims reporting losses totalling over £27,000.

Winter Fuel Payments are made automatically, you do not need to do anything. If you receive any text messages about Winter Fuel Payments, it’s a scam.

Not sure if a message is real? Contact the organisation directly using the contact details on their official website, not the number or web address in the message. Your bank (or any other official source) won’t ask you to supply personal information by email or text message.

If you have spotted a suspicious SMS or RCS message, you can report it for FREE by forwarding it to 7726.

If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud online at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040, or call Police Scotland on 101.

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