A community safety champion who has worked tirelessly to raise awareness about scams and cons has been recognised for his hard work protecting residents. 

Geoff Pegg, director of operations at the Wycombe District Neighbourhood Watch Association, was presented with a certificate at Bucks County Council’s AGM on Thursday, registering the group as an official Friends Against Scams organisation. 

Friends Against Scams is a national Trading Standards initiative which aims to protect and prevent people from becoming victims of scams by encouraging communities to take a stand by empowering them to recognise and know how to deal with potential scams.

The presentation also recognised Geoff’s personal commitment to the cause and his work in overseeing the training of members of the High Wycombe group to proactively go out and speak to local communities about how to protect themselves.

With nearly 700 schemes and twice as many coordinators, the Wycombe Neighbourhood Watch Association is one of the biggest voluntary groups in the county with much of this growth due to the dedication of Geoff and his colleagues.

Geoff has also encouraged a scheme at Bucks New University and in a number of residential care homes. 

Since he became a Scam Champion in November 2016, Geoff has trained 961 Friends at 42 separate events.

Noel Brown, cabinet member for community engagement and public health at the council, said: “If you mention Neighbourhood Watch in High Wycombe, people instantly think of Geoff which is a sure testament to his tireless work for many years across the district in the name of community safety. 

“I’m sure I can speak on behalf of all the residents of High Wycombe and beyond who have benefitted from Geoff’s efforts to say thank you. 

“Without a doubt these efforts have helped numerous people from falling victim to devious scams.”