24.05.23 – Fatal Assault in Meir, Scam Awareness Week
Written by Hitmix Local News on 24 May 2023
Officers are continuing to investigate an assault in Stoke-on-Trent where a woman sadly died.
We were called to Kingsdale Close, Meir, just before 5pm on Friday (18 May) after receiving reports of an assault.
Officers found a 46-year-old woman and a man in his 30s inside.
Whist officers were arresting the man downstairs, the woman fell down the stairs. She was taken to hospital for treatment but sadly died a short time later.
Her family continue to receive support from specially-trained officers at this time.
The woman’s death is currently being treated as unexplained while our investigation continues.
A 38-year-old man from Stoke-on-Trent was arrested on suspicion of assault and has since been released on conditional police bail while inquiries continue.
We made a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) as police were present.
Anyone with any information which can help with the investigation are asked to get in touch through the Major Incident Public Portal here: https://mipp.police.uk/operation/STAFFS23K10-PO1
To report anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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People are being urged to spot the signs of scams, report them and look out for those who may become victims as part of a national campaign.
Scams Awareness Week is an annual campaign run by Citizens Advice and supported by Staffordshire County Council’s Trading Standards service. The campaign, running all this week, aims to create a network of confident, alert consumers who know what to do when they spot a scam.
With many people facing increased financial pressures, and scams on the rise, officers now want people to spot tell-tale signs online, on the phone, through the post or on the doorstep.
Common scams include, energy rebate scams, bogus bank calls and emails asking for personal details, offers for goods and services and doorstep scams like double glazing sales.
Officers have also seen an increase in the ‘Hello mum’ scam. This is where victims receive a text message purporting from a family relative claiming to need urgent financial assistance. Believing it to be genuine, victims agree to make bank transfers of substantial amounts of money, not realising they are dealing with a scammer.
Victoria Wilson, Cabinet Member responsible for Trading Standards at Staffordshire County Council’s said: “Scams cause a huge amount of stress and harm to millions of people each year and sadly it seems to have become a daily part of our lives.
“The campaign message is to stop, report, talk and be scam aware. We know that lots of people feel embarrassed to speak up about being scammed, but if we get people talking, it helps others to avoid being scammed too. It’s also important to look out for older relatives and neighbours too as they are often targeted most.”
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