Meeting to allay attacks concerns

Police in Oswestry are to hold a community meeting in Hengoed following two serious sexual assaults on women in the village.

The meeting is an attempt to reassure villagers and an- swer concerns after the att- acks. Leaflets are also being distributed in the area.

Inspector Jim Stafford, of Oswestry Police, said the community meeting will be held at The Last Inn in Hengoed on Tuesday at 7pm.

Detective Inspector Michael Homden and other Oswestry officers will attend to respond to community concerns and provide information.

It follows an attack on a woman in her 30s on April 6 as she walked along a country lane between Gobowen and Hengoed, and on an elderly woman as she tended a grave in the village cemetery on July 23.

In an open letter to residents in the area, Detective Chief Inspector Jon Groves, the senior investigating officer, says: "I am aware that two serious sexual assaults on women in the village recently will have caused considerable shock and concern within the local community.

"The purpose of this letter is to briefly update you on the current situation. Police have arrested and charged two men - one for each of the incidents - which happened in April and on July 23.

"They are both currently in custody awaiting trial at Crown Court.

"Because of these incidents, there has been a considerable police presence in the locality and I would like to thank residents for their support and co-operation."