Assault, theft and racial abuse listed in Police Scotland's Community Safety Report for December in Forres

ASSAULT, theft, motoring offences and an incident of racial abuse were all reported in Forres in December.

The crimes were highlighted in the month's Community Safety Partnership Report.

There were seven assaults committed during December and five people were reported in relation to the incidents. Enquiries are ongoing into the other attacks, one of which appears to be racially motivated.

The thefts included the removal of a decorative Santa from a garden in the town. Luckily Santa was discovered nearby and returned to his rightful place in the Christmas display.

A bicycle was also stolen from outside of a shop in the town centre, although the bike was later returned to its owner. A line of enquiry is ongoing to establish who removed the bike.

A break-in was also reported at Forres Golf Club in December, however no items were stolen.

Police were also very active during the festive period and following speed patrols by Roads Policing Officers, three people were detected driving at excess speed in the Forres area.

During this time, however, no one was detected driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Enquiries are also ongoing into a report of a collision between two cars in the town centre where a driver failed to stop.

Local Community Policing Officers also continued to carry out high visibility patrols in the lead up to and across the festive period, paying particular attention to licensed premises.

However, due to the Covid restrictions at the time, it was clear to officers that fewer people were out socialising than is typical for the period and there were no reported incidents during this time.