IN August I attended the widely supported Scam Awareness Event held in the bustling Friars Walk.

The event led by Newport Citizens Advice Bureau - in collaboration with Newport Trading Standards, the Gwent Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office, and Age Cymru Gwent - was a huge success, and I was pleased to be there to support it.

Scam techniques by post, online and over the phone are increasingly sophisticated, and it is important that people know how to spot the tell-tale signs, and how to report them.

Always act on any concerns you have by getting advice from the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline 03454 040506, or reporting scams to Action Fraud 0300 123 2040, and most importantly warn family and friends.

Scams cost people around £5 billion each year, but only five per cent of victims report their experiences to the authorities.

Campaigners say that if something seems too good to be true, it often is. To protect yourself, follow the three-step rule – get advice, report it, and tell others about it.

This week in Parliament I am hoping to attend a debate on scams, highlighting experiences of Newport East residents and looking at where Government regulations can improve.

If you have any experiences or stories you would like to share with me confidentially, please email me on Jessica.morden.mp@parliament.uk.

Last week I popped into the Spytty Tesco’s launch of an exciting new food waste scheme.

From September 5, the supermarket will be donating any edible surplus food to local charities and community projects, who do an excellent job in our city, working in partnership with Fareshare.

If you want to know more about Fareshare’s work, or are involved in a charity who may be eligible to receive surplus food, you can visit their website at www.fareshare.org.uk.

This week, the Paralympics are beginning in Rio.

I know we all wish the team good luck, but a special mention for the cyclists who held their training camp at the Newport Velodrome. The Paralympians’ camp in Newport followed the highly successful Olympic cyclists camp, and is an exciting venture by the Newport Live team.

It was fantastic to get the chance to watch a few of the practice races this summer.

I have supported the call for Cardiff to host the commonwealth games in recent debates, highlighting our velodrome’s excellent facilities.