Surveillance

Tue 12 Aug, 06:29

It hinges on wether or not you consider the Government's action proportionate or not. A total lack of public notification however is inexcusable.

Tue 12 Aug, 02:10

Apart from in an outraged Daily Telegraph four days ago....https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/08/07/police-raid-passport-photo-data-historic-breach-privacy/

Mon 11 Aug, 21:16

The government just recently allowed the UK police facial recognition scans to use images from  passport photos database too. It has not been widely reported yet, not sure why,  https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/08/uk_secretly_allows_facial_recognition/

Sun 10 Aug, 21:01

Perhaps it is time to write a strong letter, that always works. 

Sun 10 Aug, 21:01

What I found particularly disturbing in the observer article was the account of the police asking residence for details of their social media accounts. Do we know if the police have actually been asking for this information or is it a journalistic fantasy?

Sun 10 Aug, 13:33

What I found particularly disturbing in the observer For article was the account of the police asking residence for details of their social media accounts. This is a monstrous intrusion on our Rights as citizens. i’m glad that people refused this unlawful request. This is 2025, not 1984.

Sun 10 Aug, 07:27

Christopher - I gather the protest on the mill field is organised by the Stop Trump Coalition - and the idea is to film it and get media coverage.

Sun 10 Aug, 06:26

Christine:

Point taken. As you say: the left-leaning press is just as contemptuous of real Charlburians as the right-leaning. 

But then: they're all written by journalists. What else would you expect?. 

Sun 10 Aug, 00:45

No fan of Vance but can we try not to make this thread a general political discussion – thank you.

Sun 10 Aug, 00:38

To be honest, I found this paragraph more disturbing….

“St Theresa’s, Charlbury’s small Catholic church, is primed for a visit from the devout Vance. Father Clive Dytor has prepared his congregation. “This is a big Lib Dem area, but I have told the congregation that whatever their politics, red, blue or pink, we have to be welcoming.”

We should welcome a man who has berated and insulted our allies, insulted a President currently at war, who is allowing a genocide to happen in Gaza and is presiding over a policy where vulnerable people are “disappeared”.

I’m all for being polite but at this point, you’re pandering to evil.

Sat 9 Aug, 23:09

Michael, The Observer is no longer part of the Guardian. It was sold to Tortoise Media back in April, although quite a few previous Guardian journalists moved across to the new publication.

There were quite a few mistakes in The Observer article, but I found the opinion piece on Vance in the Cotswolds in the Guardian more offensive, also many of the BLT online comments. 

Sat 9 Aug, 22:47 (last edited on Sun 10 Aug, 06:22)

Mathew, that's it. The Observer has committed the ultimate affront to Charlbury.

Not only does it call us a village: it calls us "quaint". Enough to make any real Charlburian think seriously about having a good word to say for Murdoch. Or  at least flick through the Torygraph in the Co-op before deciding not to buy it.

I'd cancel my Observer and Guardian subscriptions if I wasn't too mean to have  bought one to eithrr of them .

Sat 9 Aug, 22:08

The Observer has been reading the "village forum" ha, ha!

https://observer.co.uk/news/national/article/first-it-was-clarkson-now-its-vance-spare-a-thought-for-the-beleaguered-cotswolds

Sat 9 Aug, 19:47

Good luck trying to drive anything through Dean from tomorrow. Unless you live there and your vehicle registration is already known, you won't get in!

Sat 9 Aug, 17:39

Does anyone know if this is available for hire? I'm sure a drive through Dean would put the wind through your hair and the wind up someone else.

https://youtu.be/paIGBOlkQr0?si=DOxIKvO9mgeea9aV&t=69

Sat 9 Aug, 15:42

I knitted myself a beret of the EU flag, which I wore when voting in person, or visiting Europe and identified as British.   If anyone cares to borrow it, as I can't stand up for long periods, you're very welcome.  

Sat 9 Aug, 15:33

Good to hear about the Millfield protest, hope to make that. 

However, Vance is very unlikely to see that protest, whereas there is a much better chance of him seeing a peaceful protest out at Dean. The world saw his rudeness to Zelensky at the White House earlier this year, and surely we want him to witness the feeling in the U.K. about that appalling treatment of a war time hero. 

Sat 9 Aug, 15:18

A new thread just started with details of a JD Vance protest meeting-up next Tuesday 12 August at 4pm in the Mill Field.

Sat 9 Aug, 14:06

Does anyone have any spare Ukrainian flags so we can protest peacefully against Vance out in Dean? His treatment of Zelenskyy (a war time hero) at the White House earlier this year when he was a guest, was just so so appalling. 

Sat 9 Aug, 11:22

There is a tent at each end of Dean, presumably to give shelter to any LiarLiarVanceOnFire demonstrators in case of inclement weather. A police car in the middle of Dean, two police walking up the road, otherwise all I saw was a flock of female joggers ... perhaps they were the FBI folks?!

Sat 9 Aug, 09:58

Much mention of Charlbury in this Observer article: https://observer.co.uk/news/national/article/helicopters-police-cia-fishing-life-in-the-english-countryside-jd-vance-style

I found this the most disturbing paragraph: “We have had the police knocking on every door,” said a dog walker and resident of Dean, as a helicopter whirred overhead. “They wanted the names of everybody living there and details of their social media. I know several people refused. We asked them if they were protecting us, or Vance. At least they were honest and said it is for him and that it will all be passed on to the American security people.”

Fri 8 Aug, 23:14

Thank you Liz, much appreciated.

Fri 8 Aug, 20:58 (last edited on Sat 9 Aug, 15:17)

Yes, it has been requested by the police for this visit.  See my previous post

Fri 8 Aug, 19:26

Liz is this a temporary fixture for the visitor? I wonder if you could seek clarification on this, as and when you have time.

Fri 8 Aug, 19:11

Actually two roads into Dean---at least from the Chipping Norton side. One lane divides into two even narrower lanes---need a very small car.

Fri 8 Aug, 17:54 (last edited on Fri 8 Aug, 17:54)

Dean is a good location when taking security into consideration. One road in and out if I’m thinking correctly? I’d expect them to close the public footpaths too… not a difficult place to lockdown. I wonder if the CIA are aware of Charlbury Forum yet!? Haha!!

Fri 8 Aug, 16:19

That's the same for a lot of houses on Google maps, nothing special there. 

(And if that makes it sound like I scope out random buildings when I was doing a lot of gardening outside Charlbury, I'd use Google maps to check the address and parking etc. 

Fri 8 Aug, 15:51

Helen, it may well be! But what intrigues me is that close views of it are blurred out on Google Maps! 

Fri 8 Aug, 15:49

Or, if they are so worried about security, surely that must be a decoy house picture?!

Fri 8 Aug, 15:10

Helen, I think that would be a great idea! From doing a picture match with the picture in the Torygraph article, it would seem that he will be staying at Manor House, Dean. 

Fri 8 Aug, 14:36

I've just learnt from Blenheim that the Palace will close to the public at 2.00 pm on Monday 11th - JDV comes to mind.

Fri 8 Aug, 13:35

If they close the road towards Oxford on Monday morning they had better put out some diversion notices, and very early in the morning. Many people have got much more serious issues than being a privileged *** on holiday.

Fri 8 Aug, 12:32

Prevention of terrorism!? In Oxfordshire?  More likely they want to make Ocfordshire look like a police state so he feels right at home.  (Not to mention Charlbury being the spiritual home of the anti-vaxers.)

Fri 8 Aug, 11:32

Is anyone organising any protests around Mr Vance's visit? I feel at the very least we should have the Ukranian flags out in force. But I'm up for placards and rallies - I think we need to let him know just because we're in the affluent Cotswolds we don't take kindly to him.

Fri 8 Aug, 09:20 (last edited on Tue 12 Aug, 08:40)

One other thing to say in relation to this - you may find roads being closed at no notice while he is here.  

Fri 8 Aug, 09:11 (last edited on Fri 8 Aug, 09:11)

This is the reply from our street lighting team:

"We received an email from Thames Valley Police on the 31st July with an urgent request to install an ANPR Cougar Camera.

This was the request, we haven’t been informed of who the high profile visitor is but they requested coverage, and this was the only location suitable with power available."

I think we can safely say that there is nothing to see here, other than Mr Vance

Fri 8 Aug, 08:19

I see that a certain tabloid has posted pictures of the house Vance will be staying at just outside Charlbury. The location of the cameras does lend itself to the possibility of them being used for security purposes, although I would expect to see more of them going up on the approach roads on the other side of the house as well.  

Thu 7 Aug, 22:55

There’s a blue  notice at the bottom of  9 Acres Lane warning that it’s a police speed check area (or something similar); could the two be connected?

Thu 7 Aug, 19:04

Planning permission isn’t required for 99% of highway works (unless OCC wants to build a bypass or dual Banbury Hill or something). 

Thu 7 Aug, 19:01 (last edited on Fri 8 Aug, 08:38)

At the moment all I can see is a bracket, and I can't confirm what its purpose is, but have sent a message to our streetlighting team to find out.

Thu 7 Aug, 17:56

Thanks Ed. That’s a very helpful post. No doubt our town council Clerk  Lisa will be able to clarify if planning permission was sought and if so what was the purpose given. In any case, if it is to do with traffic then I think OCC had better be explain  exactly what the purpose is. 

Thu 7 Aug, 14:39

Maybe it is something to do with Mr Vance's stay?

Thu 7 Aug, 12:53

There were two vans, both from Highways and I asked a lady who was 'supervising' what was being installed but she seemed reluctant to answer then said it was 'electrics'....I didn't pursue further but we should understand more than it appears we do.

I couldn't find planning permission for it and believe we should know where this presumably livestream is going. 

Neither 1984 nor Brave New world held any great appeal!

Thu 7 Aug, 11:43

Is it the same as the one down by the river bridge which enforces the HGV weight limit?

Thu 7 Aug, 11:39

I saw this yesterday too as it was right outside my house. The pair looked really dodgy, but on investigation they were legit.

I took a picture of it and put it in ChatGpt:

That device attached to the pole outside your house looks like a traffic monitoring camera or an ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) system. Here's a breakdown of what you're seeing:

Key Features Noticed:

Mounted on a utility pole

Black metal bracket with a small camera or sensor

Wired connection, likely for power or data

Pointed at the street, not at private property

Possible Purposes:

Traffic Monitoring or Flow Analysis

Local councils and transport authorities often install such devices to collect data on vehicle flow, congestion, or speed.

ANPR Camera (Automatic Number Plate Recognition)

Often used by police or local councils for:

Enforcing clean air zones or congestion charges

Monitoring stolen or uninsured vehicles

Checking traffic violations

Temporary Survey Equipment

Some councils or research bodies install temporary cameras for 1–4 weeks to measure traffic volume or study driving patterns in a given area.

Parking Enforcement or School Zone Monitoring (less likely unless near a school or restricted area)

What You Can Do:

Check for Nearby Signage: If it’s council-installed, there may be a small sign explaining its purpose.

Ask Your Local Council: Provide them with the location and ask if it's theirs. They should inform you if it's for traffic or research purposes.

Report Concerns: If it's unmarked and seems unofficial, contact your local authority’s Highways or Community Safety team.

Wed 6 Aug, 20:29

A camera is being installed on the lamppost on Thames St by Cotswold View. What is its purpose? Who is responsible? Is it a speed camera? CCTV? Or some other police purpose? I may have missed the publicity announcing this, but if not then I believe as residents we should be told exactly what the purpose is.