Fair Oak and Horton Heath Parish Council is deeply shocked and saddened by the serious incident involving the stabbing of a young man in Shorts Road on the evening of 31 October 2024. Our thoughts are with the victim and his family during this difficult time, and we extend our sincere wishes for his swift and complete recovery.
Following the incident, the Parish Council has been in contact with Hampshire Constabulary and has provided relevant footage captured by our CCTV cameras located in New Century Park. These cameras, owned and operated by the Parish Council, were upgraded in 2021 in accordance with the National Security Inspectorate Code of Practice NCP-104, ensuring high-quality footage suitable for use as permissible evidence. The Council’s investment of over £5,000 in this upgrade underscores our commitment to community safety.
PC Ross Edwards, Eastleigh East Neighbourhood Policing Team, said “This is an isolated incident which Hampshire Police are currently investigating. The investigation is ongoing and complex, but officers are leaving no stone unturned to bring those responsible to account. Please rest assured however that Fair Oak, Bishopstoke and Horton Heath are extremely safe places to live & we are continuing to patrol as often as we can”.
To clarify, there has been some recent misreporting regarding CCTV systems in the area. The cameras owned by the Parish Council are separate from those managed by Eastleigh Borough Council (EBC), and any decision by EBC to decommission their own system lies entirely outside the Parish’s remit and control.
Furthermore, a recent statement by Cllr Steve Broomfield was inaccurately reported in the press, with his reference to lobbying for CCTV upgrades pertaining to Eastleigh Borough Council’s system, not the Parish Council’s. Cllr. Broomfield has requested that the press correct this error to reflect his comments accurately.
In the past, the Parish, has advocated for EBC to monitor our CCTV cameras via their control room to ensure incidents are reported directly to the police. However, as EBC are unable to provide this service, the Parish Council will seek an alternative provider to deliver 24/7 monitoring for our cameras in New Century Park.
We also want to remind residents of the availability of defibrillators throughout the Parish, including two with bleed packs located at New Century Park’s squash courts and at Lapstone Playing Fields Pavilion.
Hampshire Constabulary encourages residents to report any information related to this incident or other crimes by calling 101 or visit How to tell us about an existing case or report | Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary
The local Neighbourhood Policing team hold regular surgeries in the Parish. The next surgery will take place on Saturday 9 November at 10am at the Fountain Café.
Our primary concern remains the safety and well-being of our community. We will continue working closely with law enforcement and community partners to uphold security measures in our Parish, including the continued investment of our CCTV systems.