SIR – I am the Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) community coordinator for Welwyn Hatfield and I read with concern (WHT, October 8) about distraction burglars in Cuffley who duped residents by pretending to have crashed into their car. While I cannot guarantee

SIR - I am the Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) community coordinator for Welwyn Hatfield and I read with concern (WHT, October 8) about distraction burglars in Cuffley who duped residents by pretending to have crashed into their car.

While I cannot guarantee that membership of NHW and crime prevention advice from the police via OWL (NHW's Online Watch Link) would have prevented this particular crime, it does frustrate me that NHW coordinators in Northaw and Cuffley and Brookmans Park will not recommend OWL to their residents.

OWL is a great instant communication tool that allows police and NHW coordinators to send alerts via email, telephone and text to residents across the district, warning them of local crimes and incidents and giving topical and seasonal crime prevention advice.

All it takes to receive these emails is for an individual's name, address and email address to be loaded onto the system. The Northaw & Cuffley and Brookmans Park NHW co-ordinators have decided unilaterally to reject this

crime reduction innovation, opting instead for word of mouth and notes through letter boxes.

Every other ward in the district is onboard with OWL but the residents of Northaw, Cuffley and Brookmans Park are missing out without knowing what they are missing.

Isn't it time someone told them. If any member of these communities would like to receive OWL messages simply visit www.owl.co.uk and click on the Watch Finder tab.

Ian Colpitts, Elmoor Avenue, Welwyn.