Revealed - Avocet's five year profit forecasts

by DOUGLAS SHEPHERD

Shareholders in the Avocet group of 'disruptive technology' companies were provided with eye-watering profitability predictions in early 2018 alongside the prospect of tens of millions of pounds in government and EU grants to finance rapid development.

But two years on parent company Avocet Infinite PLC, now known as Omega Infinite, is being liquidated and wound up while 650 investors in the group see no sign of manufacturing of revolutionary green fuel or hydroponic crop growing on a commercial scale.

Farms in the Scottish Borders where many of Avocet's activities were to be located are currently in the hands of insolvency experts with debts in excess of £3 million already identified. A considerable number of suppliers claim not to have been paid.

The picture seemed much more rosy in January 2018 when group chairman Martin Frost, described in company literature as a serial entrepreneur, circulated a set of sales and profit forecasts for four Avocet Infinite subsidiaries.

The respective figures read as follows: "Broadly speaking, within the next five years, Avocet annually expects:, Avocet Agriculture - sales £50 million, profit £10 million; Avocet Infinite Renewables - sales £1,000 million, profit £200 million; Avocet Fuel Systems - sales £3,000 million, profit £150 million; and Avocet Bio Solutions (based in Republic of Ireland) - sales £2,000 million, profit £250 million."

Mr Frost commented in the circular: " I trust some of the above figures along with enclosures will demonstrate the magnitude of the Avocet businesses."

And shareholders were also told: "So far, the Avocet Infinite group has received little government support. Such appears to be changing - thus apart from the 25% HMRC research and development repayment grant, Avocet companies are now looking at a £10 million  grant for an avocet additive plant in the  North  East of England  along with  EU  Flagship Funding of 50 million  euros for Avocet Bio Solutions based in Cork, Ireland."

Mr Frost asserted that considered as a  package, the full Avocet model produced  healthier food, truly  renewable fuels, cleaner air quality and improved  natural capital  return  on equity for farmers,  local  authorities, businesses and governments. 

The document added: "In  2018-2019, Avocet plans to build three sites  in the Scottish  Borders to demonstrate  this full complement of technology and new farming methods. These sites will  benefit from  heavy investment and creation  of jobs. Avocet already has a  substantial tentative order from the Moroccan government; who wish to visit later in the year."

So far there is no sign of the proposed Borders centres or the promised jobs although in October 2018 Councillor Mark Rowley, Cabinet member for economic development at Scottish Borders Council told local newspapers he was impressed by the Avocet plans following a site visit to one of the farms.

The many investors were also provided with copies of Avocet executive director  Dr Bob Jennings'  'Parliamentary Avocet  Presentation' "which the UK Parliament is shortly to issue to every member of both chambers.

"It is an unfortunate fact that the Avocet philosophy has not been received with  open arms  either by the  UK or Scottish governments even though  Avocet by 2022 is likely to generate  a greater sales  income than  the total of the  Scotch  Whisky industry. 

"However, Avocet has been very well  received in the  Irish  Republic and has secured  significant  EU, Italian, Middle  Eastern, and US interest. Avocet already has the impetus along with margins to produce a billion in sales for the year 2021 producing some £300 million net profit."

 

Avocet chairman's 'Trouble with the Police'

by DOUG COLLIE

A 'former' website of Martin Frost, currently chairman of the troubled Avocet group of companies, tells how he was charged with fraud 40 years ago and was subjected to numerous Department of Trade & Industry [DTI] inquiries into his business activities.

The extensive site, assembled by Mr Frost more than ten years ago, includes copies of correspondence linked to litigation, and a detailed account of what allegedly happened to him after encountering the Lothian & Borders Police fraud squad.

In a recent circular to the 650 shareholders of Avocet Natural Capital, which purports to be in business to develop 'green' fuel and transform agricultural production Mr Frost took the trouble to robustly deny allegations he had embezzled £14 million of investors' cash.

Two members of the Avocet 'stable - Omega Infinite PLC and Orrdone Farms Ltd. - have been declared insolvent in recent months. But Mr Frost maintains the assets of the business are safe after being switched from Omega (formerly called Avocet Infinite) to Avocet Natural Capital (ANC). As a result of the transfer stakeholders saw their number of shares increase by 50%.

As well as charting his long list of achievements, and his involvement in countless legal actions in the courts of England and Scotland, the 'forgotten' website has entire sections devoted to Mr Frost's apparent business successes and his relationship with the authorities.

The section headed 'Trouble with the Police' describes his first run in with fraud squad officers. He writes: "My fall out with the Lothian and Borders Scottish police started in 1980.The manager of the Bank of Scotland Lauder branch reported me to his local police office for the theft of some £9,000 which I had allegedly obtained from his branch via deception. A zealot of a police woman from the Lothian & Borders fraud squad commenced a crusade against this ‘perfidious denizen from Albion’".

Mr Frost claims that despite his protestations he was charged with fraud and the Bank of Scotland instituted debt court action against him in the Court of Session. The Procurator Fiscal decided he did not have a case to answer.

"The Bank of Scotland upon reviewing their paper work found that after due allowances were made I was in credit, the bank thus abandoned their case and I secured a court decree of Absolvitor (dismissal)."

According to Mr Frost's account of events: "Was I left in peace? No, I had been judged guilty by the police and I had to be stopped. My zealot police friend then went out of her way, as she saw it, to bring me to justice. The more I appeared to prosper the more she determined that I was succeeding in my wrong doing. She informed more and more folk of my purported criminality."

He goes on to allege that after he bought Langlands Mill in Newtown St Boswells in 1982 he refinanced the business and had "a grand re-opening ceremony overseen by Mr David Steel MP."

Mr Frost wrote: "It was a televised function. Members and officers of Borders [Regional] Council were invited because their headquarters were across the road. All declined upon the advice of the chief executive who in turn had been informed by my police zealot that I was about to be jailed on account of theft from the Bank of Scotland.

"Furthermore, the chief executive was advised that the very mill purchase was under investigation as it appeared I had stolen the mill’s purchase consideration and had duped the Nat West Bank who was now funding me."

"Similar tales were related both to the Inland Revenue and Customs & Excise. So much so, that the Customs & Excise at first refused to give the business a VAT number. VAT had been informed by the police that the business was likely soon to shut down and the VAT application was probably but part of a long scam for me to get my hands on VAT refundables which I didn’t deserve. A. Hall suppliers and my bankers, the Nat West were given similar stories."

In 1986, adds Mr Frost, he was planning a £10 million investment into County Durham. But the chief executive of the development authority summoned him because he had received a phone call from Lothian & Borders Fraud squad.

"I bought one new factory there but thereafter curtailed my interest as the Lothian & Borders police call had soured the relationship. No less than seven, to my knowledge, local authorities were contacted by Lothian & Borders police force in this manner between 1982 and 1991."

The lengthy web post also claims the fraud squad 'struck lucky' with the DTI.

" I then had seven full investigations which froze my assets and effectively terminated my business career. The amazing thing is that the DTI not only has immunity from prosecution but the most draconian summary powers.

"I believe in all honesty I can say that I have had more DTI investigations against me than any other person since such legislation begun. It must have cost millions. I was never charged or cautioned, just financially ruined."

Towards the end of the post Mr Frost states: "I have reached the reluctant conclusion that the Lothian & Borders police are a corrupt body. It appears that the cronyism of Edinburgh’s legal and judicial system is contagious."

Avocet restructuring revealed to shareholders

by DOUGLAS SHEPHERD

The chairman of the Borders based Avocet Group of companies has announced plans to gift the bulk of his millions of shares to a newly formed Foundation which will become a registered charity with "many distinguished people" agreeing to act as Trustees.

Martin Frost, who heads the collection of Avocet entities, two of which are currently insolvent, outlined the new set up in a circular to investors in Avocet Natural Capital PLC, some of whom have called for an investigation into the 'green fuel' business's affairs. The document is headed: 'A Good News Day'.

The shareholders are told by Mr Frost: "My day is run: I seek neither wealth nor income from Avocet. Hopefully in weeks I can retire. Personally, I do believe I have kept Avocet’s opportunities intact despite physical and mental attack. This time last year Avocet was in a horrendous loss-making position. Today, Avocet has a positive cash flow and opportunities from past hard effort are now flowing in."

In a recent letter to 650 investors Mr Frost denied allegations he had embezzled £14 million from the businesses which purport to specialise in 'green' fuel technology and hydroponic crop production. As reported, at least one investor has told Not Just Sheep & Rugby "there does not appear to be any business activity at all; it's just shares being moved around".

But in this latest circular stakeholders are made aware that "On the 10th June 2020, the company Avocet Natural Capital Humanities Limited was formed: this company is now in the process of becoming a registered charity – the Avocet Natural Capital Foundation.

"Into this charity the bulk of my personal ANC PLC (Avocet Natural Capital), Omega Infinite Plc, and Avocet Bio Solutions Plc shares are to be gifted along with some further cash plus various existing loans made to Avocet. In late 2018, many distinguished people agreed to be Trustees to the Avocet Natural Capital Foundation which broadly with my and other gifts will own some quarter of ANC Plc."

The fledgling Avocet company's paperwork shows Mr Frost is the sole director, and all 1,000 shares are held by one of his other companies, Loch Lomond Heritage Ltd of which he is also the only director. Avocet Natural Capital Humanities Ltd.'s nature of business is registered as 'activities of other holding companies'.

A shareholders list published last weekend showed Avocet Natural Capital Foundation already holds 3,458,198 shares in ANC. Mr Frost's personal stake exceeds 13 million shares while Loch Lomond Heritage is also a major shareholder.

A number of other recent moves in the life of Avocet are also outlined to shareholders by Mr Frost.

He writes: "On Tuesday 9th June 2020, Amar Sharif, Dr. Bob Jennings [another of Avocet's executive directors], and I, had within the orbit of Avocet N C Limited a powerful conference call with prospective fodder unit and anaerobic digestor buyers and financiers from the Pakistani province of Punjab.

"On Wednesday 10th June, Dr. Bob Jennings within the orbit of Avocet N C Limited furthered Avocet’s relationship with JCB along with the sourcing of avocet additive.

"On Monday 8th June, Martin Frost communicated with the Methanol Institute based in Washington D.C. on behalf of Avocet IP Limited (within the orbit of ANC Plc) to sound out the financing and possible renewable methanol intellectual property and thereto joint ventures as to more efficient green methanol production."

The letter also explains that ANC Plc via its subsidiary Avocet IP Limited owns an ever-growing amount of intellectual property.

It continues: "Admittedly, there are some legacy cash issues as with AFS Ventures Plc [a business which has been in voluntary liquidation since 2015 with Eric Walls, of KSA Group as joint liquidator], but ANC Plc has largely reached a steady state and within itself (if need be) can generate cash to pay its way and provide shareholder return.

"Avocet N C Limited needs money to further its objectives: such cash can either be commercially raised or possibly borrowed from ANC Plc or the prospective Avocet Natural Capital Foundation".

Mr Frost signs off with these words: "Proven concepts, solid finance, and strong governance: regenerated Avocet is prospering".

 

Avocet chairman denies "embezzling £14 million"

EXCLUSIVE by DOUG COLLIE

The head of the troubled Avocet Group  - 'specialists' in green fuel and hydroponic farming - has lashed out angrily at critics for 'badmouthing' the business while taking the opportunity to deny rumours suggesting he may have embezzled millions of pounds from investors.

Martin Frost, a director of a multitude of firms, many bearing the name Avocet, has also dismissed claims that he stands to gain from insurance settlements following the theft of £1.8 million worth of machinery and equipment from the Berwickshire farms where the Avocet operations were based.

In an extraordinary and hard-hitting circular to the 650 shareholders who have stakes in Avocet Natural Capital, Mr Frost warns that legal action will be taken against 'naysayers' after he claimed his family had spent over £95,000 in May alone "on private enquiry agents, lawyers, and counsel to bring these people to book". 

Avocet Infinite PLC (now known as Omega Infinite) is in the hands of liquidators with a court order to wind up that entity. And subsidiary company Orrdone Farms (previously called Avocet Farms) is in administration with estimated debts of more than £3 million.

However, as Mr Frost told The Sunday Times last month a switch of company assets and intellectual property to Avocet Natural Capital Ltd. [ANC] means investors now have 50% more shares than they had with Avocet Infinite.

At the same time Mr Frost, who told the newspaper he suffers from terminal cancer and dementia, has amassed more than 13 million shares, giving him control of the business.

Meanwhile another investor with a significant stake in the Avocet companies has contacted Not Just Sheep & Rugby to outline serious concerns over the large sums of money now thought to be in the possession of the Group's directors. Various inter-linked firms are registered at an address at 25 Palace Street, Berwick-on-Tweed with the secretary in each case listed as Eirlys Lloyd Company Services.

The shareholder told us: "There has never been any evidence of the much talked about Avocet fuel being produced commercially and no sign the hydroponic crops are being grown for sale. There appears to be no business, just a shifting around of shares.

"A number of people who 'over-invested' in Avocet have been in touch with me as they are facing serious financial issues."

Our source believed the green fuel concept which is named Avocet had considerable merit having been tried and tested over a considerable period of time by previous owners of the patent. A properly constituted board and a well run commercial operation could have succeeded given the technology available, in their view. Hydroponics also worked well with a potentially huge order book waiting for producers.

But the disgruntled shareholder added: "There is no proper paper trail, and it has been suggested investors should bring in independent auditors to investigate Avocet group affairs but management  will not allow that to happen. 

"It has become clear that everything presented to investors was over-estimated. Assurances were given by director Bob Jennings that the fuel could now be produced in a continuous process rather than in batches, and it would provide an economic replacement for diesel. There was even mention of a production deal with a company down south but nothing has materialised".

Mr Frost begins his circular to shareholders: "This is a side issue to our trading, but nevertheless is a matter that needs addressing. No doubt because ANC Plc. has such good financial prospects our naysayers again choose to attack our company for their perceived personal gain."

He also writes: "No £14 million of money has been embezzled by me – indeed as Ryecroft’s (the company's auditors Ryecroft Glenton, now resigned) have already shown in the 2017 audited accounts some £7.8 million was lost by Omega Infinite on Orrdone Farms Limited.

"Furthermore, when the 2018 and 2019 accounts fall in, one will see that this figure rose to some £14 million in straight cash or nearly £20 million with interest – money due to Omega from Orrdone."

He then gives shareholders this assurance: "Omega Infinite Plc is NOT balance sheet insolvent: eventually as an Infinite shareholder you will receive back funds in addition to your ANC Plc shareholding."

As we reported previously, Ryecroft Glenton confirmed to Companies House last month that they had resigned as Avocet's auditors after failing to receive professional fees for work done.

According to Mr Frost's circular: "Although Ryecroft’s are still due some £70,000 they have remained supportive of Avocet and have assisted with the supply of documents & figures." The resignation, says Mr Frost, was a necessity allowing ANC Plc to promptly publish independent accounts with Companies House and so seek a listing on an exchange platform.

 And in another passage of the eight-page document Mr Frost declares: "The suggestion that I arranged for the Harcarse & Sunwick items valued at £1.8 million to be stolen so I could claim on the insurance is denied.  Factually, neither Avocet, nor I, have benefitted from one pound of insurance money.

"The current Avocet thefts of some £1.8 million of plant & machinery are being dealt with by Mr. Ashleigh Fletcher, the liquidator of Omega Infinite Plc. To date, there has been no theft pay-out by Avocet insurers."

Borders newspaper group about to 'disappear'

by EWAN LAMB

Journalists and photographers of a certain age will have noted with some sadness that the only remaining 'Tweeddale Press' offices in Selkirk and Berwick-on-Tweed are due for closure in the latest restructuring exercise by the local publishers' current owners JPI Media.

And according to the Companies House file for Tweeddale Press (TP) the company, which was formed in 1939, is set to be dissolved in the not too distant future.

Just another of the names set to disappear completely from the newspaper scene only some 20 years after the so-called Borders 'minnow' was engulfed by the tentacles of the burgeoning Johnston Press.

News of the impending office closures where the Southern Reporter and Berwick Advertiser staff are based was broken this week by media website Hold The Front Page.

According to their story JPI Media plans to shutter 11 newspaper offices – citing the increased amount of remote working during the coronavirus lockdown in its decision. Apparently a recent survey revealed “many” of its staff expressed a preference for an increased element of home working.

The bases listed for closure are Alnwick, Aylesbury, Banbury, Berwick, Coleraine, Louth, Mansfield, Melton Mowbray, Selkirk, Stornoway and Sleaford.

Hold The Front Page reports that in a message to staff company chief executive David King said: “As the COVID-19 pandemic hit, one of the changes faced by many of us has been the sudden switch to working from home. We have all had to adjust to this new way of working, some of us whilst juggling work, childcare and home-schooling, as well as a host of other changes to our normal lives.

“As I have said before, it is a testament to everyone’s hard work and resilience that we have been able to remain so productive during this time. As you know, we keep our property portfolio under review as a matter of course and over the last few years have reduced our footprint significantly, offering flexibility to our employees while still providing quality local news and information to our readers and audiences online.

“Like many businesses, the changes enforced by the current crisis have caused us to carefully consider both our approach to how we work and our future property requirements."

The march of time has seen the printing of the Borders papers switched to locations far away as the clunking presses here fell silent.

And editorial premises have already been radically downsized in line with the parent company's spiralling level of debt. Now, with editorial staff operating from their spare bedrooms the former Tweeddale Press papers will be without a visible presence in any of the local towns.

Little more than 20 years ago almost every Borders burgh had its own Tweeddale Press office. But the likes of Duns, Dunbar, Hawick, Jedburgh and Kelso soon witnessed the withdrawal of  office facilities.

It was in those premises that many a budding reporter or photographer cut his or her teeth before going on to 'greater things' in the world of journalism.

Johnston Press's takeover of the Borders group resulted in a catastrophic fall in its fortunes in the space of two decades.

When Johnston's bought the TP from the Smail family in 1999 for £7.799 million the prospects for the Borders papers seemed bright with promises of additional investment in the newly acquired titles. But before too long cost cutting rather than extra cash became the norm.

The family-owned TP was employing 122 people in 1997 with an annual wage bill of £1.79 million, an obvious benefit to local economies.

And in the acquisition year Johnston Press announced a profit of £65.9 million, an increase of 29% on 1998. The takeover of the TP was described in Johnston's annual accounts as "a strategically important purchase".

The weekly circulation figures for the Borders papers were recorded as Southern Reporter 16,851, Berwickshire News 5,359, and Hawick News (acquired separately from local proprietor Robert McNairn) 7,134.. The Hawick News has already disappeared from the Scottish newspaper scene.

The facts and figures set out above makes the Johnston Press-led decline of the Tweeddale Press and other UK newspaper groups all the more spectacular in such a short time span. It surely cannot all be down to technological advances.

Wind turbines in a Prehistoric landscape?

by DOUGLAS SHEPHERD

The construction of a massive wind farm with up to 45 turbines in a Prehistoric Borders landscape littered with Iron Age and Bronze Age scheduled monuments would compromise a significant number of historic sites, it has been claimed.

Faw Side wind farm, covering 23 square kilometres of unspoiled countryside in Scottish Borders and Dumfries & Galloway council areas would be one of the largest projects of its kind in the United Kingdom.

Applicants CWL Energy were granted a time extension last year. But now their application is being advertised again with representations to be submitted to the respective planning authorities or to Scottish government ministers by July 6th.

Turbines ranging in height from 179 metres to 200 metres will pepper the skyline in river valleys close to the town of Langholm and in parts of rural Roxburghshire.

But an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) commissioned by CWL makes light of the intrusion their scheme would have on the rich cultural heritage of the area. The EIA claims time and time again that individual scheduled monuments of high importance will not be affected detrimentally.

It is not a view shared by council archaeology officers Dr Chris Bowles (Scottish Borders Council) and Andrew Nicholson (Dumfries & Galloway Council) who have both conducted detailed assessments of their own.

In his newly published report, Mr Nicholson says: "The walkover survey (by CWL's consultants) was conducted by a single qualified archaeologist over the course of two days. Even allowing for the area already surveyed and the low likelihood of archaeological remains on the steeper hill slopes I do not feel that a single individual could adequately cover the 23 square kilometres of the development site over the course of two days."

And similar sentiments are expressed by Dr Bowles in his assessment: "I do not believe a thorough assessment has been compiled for the range of potential direct impacts. The EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) contains several statements that are either not correct or underestimate significance and impact. In part this is due to information that has emerged since the EIA was completed.

"The walkover of the site described in the EIA, by a single archaeologist over two days, is insufficient for a site this size even if covering just infrastructure and known sites." 

In particular, Dr Bowles claims there are potentially major setting impacts to a newly identified   hilltop cairn on Pikethaw Hill which lies within the proposed development area.

He states: "As it currently appears, the sizeable mound (approximately 5 metres high and 40-50 metres in circumference) is consistent with a hilltop cairn of Neolithic or early Bronze Age date.

"The cairn is partly within both the Scottish Borders and the wind farm boundary. It should have been easily identified within the Inner Study Area by the applicant’s archaeological advisors. The potential significance of the cairn cannot be understated. If confirmed as a burial cairn, it is a very well-preserved example of a monument that is not particularly common in the area. Hilltop cairns, are common, but not at this size."

Dr Bowles, who recommends an objection to the proposals pending further investigations, adds: "The EIA states that there will be no monuments within one kilometre of a turbine in the Scottish Borders. This is clearly incorrect. A number of assets such as the drove roads are within metres of turbines, and will certainly be crossed by infrastructure as the EIA states." 

He recommends that the area should be surveyed using,LIDAR, a technology which uses laser light to create a three dimensional representation of the earth's surface. It can be used to find archaeological features which are not immediately visible from the ground or through traditional satellite images.

Meanwhile Mr Nicholson outlines his concerns for a series of ancient Esk Valley forts which would be impacted by the wind farm. In particular the group of forts – Camp Hill, Castle O’er and Bessie’s Knowe - all have wide-ranging, extensive views across the surrounding landscape. 

His report says: "The sites are all of national importance and have high aesthetic and experiential properties deriving from their prominent strategic topographic location and wide-ranging landscape views as well as the contribution the forts make to the surviving wider prehistoric landscape.

"They are all promoted on the Eskdale Prehistoric Trail, and each has dedicated parking and an information board. The first impressions of a visitor, the ‘Sense of Place’ noted in Historic Environment Scotland’s guidance on setting, will be informed by the presence of the turbines on the skyline in a broad arc to the east.

"The proposed turbines of Faw Side would continue this sweep around through a significant extent of the eastern horizon, resulting in a near 180 degree arc of turbines for Castle O’er and Camp Hill. This would result in an obvious, visible change to the outlook from the sites, which would be significant in terms of their sense of place".

Mr Nicholson recommends refusal of the submitted proposal.

Borders crime slashed by the virus

EXCLUSIVE by DOUG COLLIE

Criminals and law-breaking motorists in the Scottish Borders appear to have had their activities radically restricted thanks to a rare if welcome side-effect of Covid 19, according to statistics  published today by the Scottish Government.

Under some categories the level of offending recorded by police in April 2020 fell dramatically by up to 58 per cent when compared to the corresponding figures for April 2019.

But, perhaps significantly and definitely depressingly, the number of offences involving drugs actually increased by 17% from 41 to 48 suggesting the unscrupulous dealers who prey on addicts have not been obeying instructions to 'stay at home' to protect the NHS!

The tables of figures produced for the Scottish Borders Council area shows total crimes recorded fell between the two Aprils in question from 328 to 258 (21%) while so-called other offences including common assault, breach of the peace and motoring offences plummeted by 40% from 360 in April 2019 to 217 this April.

A breakdown of the data in each crime category includes non-sexual cases of violence down from nine instances to seven, attempted murder/serious assault incidents reduced from five to two, and sexual assault from eight incidents to six.

Beneath the heading 'Crimes of dishonesty' the total showed a dramatic fall of 45% (161 to 88) with house-breaking incidents down 58% (26 to 11), theft from motor vehicles reduced from nine incidents to one and theft of motor vehicles cut by 42% from 12 to seven.

The closure of the vast majority of retail outlets obviously limited the opportunities for stealing from shops. The 14 shoplifting incidents recorded this April was 69% fewer than the 39 cases reported a year ago. "Other thefts" at 34 were 37% down on April 2019 when 54 such crimes were logged. On the other hand there was a slight hike from 11 to 13 in reported frauds.

The Borders crime file for April also shows 73 separate reports of fire raising and vandalism last April, down by 15% to 62 in 2020.

As reported above, a separate chart covering other offences displays a total of 360 recorded 'crimes' during last April and 217 in April 2020, a difference of 40%.

Common assaults were down from 60 to 54, breach of the peace from 71 to 59, and urinating from 20 to nil. It would seem Borderers with weak bladders have adhered strictly to the lock down regulations!

The enforced reduction of car usage took its toll on motoring offences, slashed by an impressive 58% from 183 to 76 over the course of the two Aprils.

Alleged offences of dangerous driving were down from 21 to 11, driving under the influence down from 14 to four, speeding instances cut by 86% from 37 reports to just five and unlawful use of vehicles down by 53% from 75 to 35 recorded incidents.