New safety measures on menu at service stations
Watford Gap and Northampton Services, both in Northamptonshire, now have advanced automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) systems, more CCTV cameras and better fencing.
The work has been funded by the county's police, fire and crime commissioner (PFCC).
Roadchef, which owns the two sites, said the improvements would create "safer, more secure environments for drivers".
Watford Gap Services opened in 1959 and became a meeting place for musicians in the 1960s, including The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix.
The 50th anniversary of the site inspired a musical in 2009.
Northampton Services, formerly known as Rothersthorpe, was originally due to be the UK's first service station, but did not open until 1979.
A Crimestoppers campaign has been launched to publicise information via leaflets and display boards on how to secure vehicles and prevent them being targeted by criminals.
The PFCC's office applied for the funding from the government's Safer Streets scheme.
Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone said: "This will make the venues more secure and help to deter criminal behaviour.
"This will then free up our police officers to spend more time being visible and accessible in their local communities."
Darrell Wade, from Roadchef, said: "These upgrades are vital in creating safer, more secure environments for drivers."
Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
One of the UK's first service stations 'not going anywhere'
Goodbye to the 'iconic' Watford Gap services
UK's first service station 'never been so quiet'
Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner
Roadchef
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time Business News
11 hours ago
- Time Business News
Stolen Cars UK 2025: The Essential Guide for Used Car Buyers
Why This Matters More Than You Think If you've ever bought a second-hand motor in Britain, you'll know the ritual. A bit of friendly chatter with the seller. Pop the bonnet, nod approvingly. Prod the tyres as if you're checking for secrets. But here's the cold truth: none of that will save you if the car you're eyeing was nicked three months ago in Birmingham and is now wearing cloned plates from a quiet street in Kent. The only real safety net? Running a proper history check — ideally starting with a free car check before you even think about handing over cash. Optional? Not in this climate. 1. The UK's Theft Problem in Black and White We're not talking urban myth. The numbers are real—and grim. • 61,343 vehicles stolen in 2024, per DVLA figures. • That's roughly 168 cars a day—about one every 8½ minutes. • A modest 6% drop from 2023, but still far higher than before the pandemic. • Less than half of stolen vehicles are ever recovered. Once gone, many cars are chopped for parts or shipped abroad before the owner's had time to make a brew. 2. The Crooks' Favourites Some models are practically theft invitations. Year after year, the list barely changes. Most Stolen Cars in 2024 1. Ford Fiesta – 4,719 stolen 2. VW Golf – 1,946 3. Ford Focus – 1,855 4. BMW 3 Series – 1,415 5. Toyota RAV4 – 1,452 6. Mercedes C-Class – 1,362 7. Range Rover Evoque – 1,284 8. VW Polo – 1,211 9. Audi A3 – 1,175 Qashqai – 1,124 Own a Fiesta in a high trim like Zetec or Titanium X? Statistically, you're more at risk than your neighbour with a six-year-old Micra. 3. Where the Risk Runs Highest According to official data, some postcodes see far more theft than others. • London – 11.8 thefts per 1,000 registered vehicles • West Midlands – 7.7 per 1,000And within those, certain districts have a reputation that's been earned over years. If you're parking overnight in Aston (Birmingham) or Tottenham (North London), it's fair to assume someone's watching — and not in a neighbourly way. 4. The Methods in 2025 Forget joyriding for kicks. This is organised, profitable and alarmingly slick. • Relay attacks – Extending the signal from your key fob so they can open and drive off in under 60 seconds. • OBD hacking – Plugging into the diagnostics port to code a fresh key.• Container exports – Disappearing into shipping crates bound for Eastern Europe, Africa or the Middle East. The whole job can be done before you've finished stirring sugar into your tea. 5. Why a History Check is Non-Negotiable A proper check isn't about box-ticking — it's about spotting trouble before it costs you. With Reg Plate Check, you can: • Flag a stolen VIN instantly • Detect cloned number plates • See if finance is still owed • Spot insurance write-offs • Uncover mileage tampering This isn't paranoia. It's self-defence. 6. One Painful Lesson A man in Manchester thought he'd found a bargain BMW 3 Series last year. One month later, ANPR cameras pinged it as stolen from Surrey. The plates were clean. The VIN wasn't. Police took the car there and then. He got neither the motor nor his money back. A free check could have stopped it before it started. 7. Keep What's Yours Even the sharpest history check can't stop a future theft — so stack your defences. • Steering lock – Looks old-school but still puts thieves off. • Faraday pouch – Stops keyless fobs being 'read' from outside your house. • Tracker or immobiliser – Both slow thieves down and help police find your car.• Smart parking – Well-lit and overlooked beats a dark side street every time. 8. Before You Buy Run through this before you sign or pay: 1. Run the reg through Reg Plate Check. 2. Match VINs on the logbook, windscreen, and chassis. 3. Check MOT history for sudden mileage drops. 4. If it smells dodgy — walk away. No deal is worth the risk. The Bottom Line Car theft in Britain is fast, smart and, too often, consequence-free for the criminals. But you can swing the odds back in your favour. Start with a proper car history report. Use the free checks. Layer your security. And keep your investment exactly where it belongs — on your driveway, not in a container heading for another continent. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Yahoo
New car park charge to be introduced - with cameras ready to catch motorists
Automatic number plate recognition cameras (ANPR) will be used to fine motorists that haven't paid a soon-to-be-introduced charge at a car park. Liberal Democrat-led Didcot Town Council has voted in favour of introducing charges to Civic Hall car park in Britwell Road. Three companies put forward their proposals to operate the ANPR cameras in the car park. National Parking Control (NPC) offered to have parking wardens patrol the car park five times per week. READ MORE: It also said all parking fares will go to the town council's pockets while all fines collected would go towards the company. There will also be the option to pay by cash or on a RingGo app with NPC being the ones offered the 12-month contract with Didcot Town Council. Support would also be available to those struggling to pay on a 24/7 basis. The pricing of the car park's fares is to be determined at a later date once a report has been written for councillors to decide. Minutes published by deputy town clerk Lucy Blake said: 'The committee would like a policy and procedure to be prepared for the car park to help with a conflict regarding car parking and charges.' Help support trusted local news Sign up for a digital subscription now: As a digital subscriber you will get: Unlimited access to the Oxford Mail website Advert-light access Reader rewards Full access to our app Meanwhile the other two unnamed companies that came with proposals to operate the cameras would have made less financial sense for the council. They both asked for 20 per cent of each parking ticket goes to them while collecting the income from the parking fines. One company didn't even have any wardens available, but said it would train some while the other would have patrols at 'regular intervals'.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Yahoo
Volvo's Abbey Road Mode Turns the EX90 Into a Personal Music Venue
Volvo's Abbey Road Mode Turns the EX90 Into a Personal Music Venue originally appeared on Autoblog. Music is an essential part of driving, whether through your car's radio, on physical media, or a streaming service like Spotify or Apple Music. Some of us have that special mixtape, burnt CD, or mixtape full of the essential tracks meant to lift the spirits on the morning commute, the drive home, or a long drive somewhere far away. One of the bands I grew an unhealthy, obsessive fixation over when I was a kid was The Beatles, and ironically, one of those songs on one of my driving playlists is Drive My Car. Though we know the words and notes of our favorite songs by heart, the most discerning ears know that there are wildly different and noticeable differences when we listen to them in our cars, our headphones, and through various types of speakers. Nothing can compare to the experience of attending a live performance or being in the room with artists as they record. However, if you're a Beatles fan like I am, you might need a time machine to experience that era. But while time machines and flux capacitors remain the work of fiction, Volvo's latest software update has a cool new feature that may be the next best thing: a way to bring you closer to one of the most iconic studios in the world. After teasing this feature last year, Volvo has officially introduced what they call the 'Abbey Road Studios Mode' in an over-the-air (OTA) update for its all-electric EX90 models equipped with the optional Bowers & Wilkins High Fidelity Audio system. This innovative digital audio experience has been crafted in collaboration with audio engineers from the actual Abbey Road Studios in London and high-end audio experts at Bowers & Wilkins. In essence, Abbey Road Studios Mode was made to replicate the distinct sound and acoustic character of the Abbey Road recording rooms inside the Volvo EX90. In its quest to explore the limits of the in-car music listening experience, Bowers & Wilkins worked closely with the same audio engineers who obsessed over the minute, fine details for a wide range of music artists to create a series of digital soundscapes that could bring the studio alive in the big Volvo EV's ultra-quiet cabin. Though other expensive brand-name high-end stereo systems in other cars allow you to tweak, tune, and mess with various equalizer (EQ) settings like the balance, bass, treble, and even focus the sound on passengers or drivers, Volvo says that the Abbey Road Studios Mode is different. The mode comes with some special presets that 'provide a selection of sounds, optimised for different listening styles,' as well as a special 'Producer Mode,' which 'allows you to engineer your own sound' by adjusting between retro-style warmth or modern, crisp depth, and even shifting the simulated acoustic environment in the same way George Martin would've done. 'The Abbey Road Studios Mode brings the unique sound of our spaces and equipment to the Bowers & Wilkins system in the Volvo EX90 for the first time,' Abbey Road Studios GM Jeremy Huffelmann said in a statement. 'We are hugely proud of this collaboration, and excited for Volvo customers to experience this landmark technology.' The Abbey Road Studios Mode is a nice addition to the EX90, which already features a Dolby Atmos-capable, 1,610-watt Bowers & Wilkins system with 25 speakers placed throughout one of Volvo's quietest interiors. As a music fan, words underestimate the kind of songs that were recorded at Abbey Road. We're talking 190 of The Beatles' 210 song catalog, Lennon's Imagine, the entirety of Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of The Moon, modern hits like Lady Gaga's Born This Way, Frank Ocean's Pink + White, and even the scores of Oscar-winning movies like Gravity and The Shape of Water. Although it may seem like a bit too much of a niche "if you know, you know"-type of deal, I feel that given the studio's rich history in modern music, the 'Abbey Road mode' is the ultimate form of an audiophile's stamp of approval, which can sway at least some music-loving buyers towards the Volvo. At least for me, it could make "Drive My Car" sound true to the original recording. Volvo's Abbey Road Mode Turns the EX90 Into a Personal Music Venue first appeared on Autoblog on Jun 18, 2025 This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
