- Dave Dawson threatened to remove travellers by force himself after declaring: 'I won't tolerate it.'
- Police say travellers left of their own accord in two hours 50 minutes after Mr Dawson's intervention
By Luke Salkeld
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Not having it: Dave Dawson, left, responded to travellers moving on to his land by leaping into his digger and threatening to move them by force
When he found travellers’ caravans had arrived on his land, Dave Dawson had two options.
He could either alert the authorities and wait for the slow turning of the wheels of justice and officialdom.
Or he could rely on the somewhat quicker wheels of his digger – and remove the caravans by force.
Taking the second course of action, Mr Dawson put in a call to the police to inform them of his intentions, which risked leading to his arrest.
Officers arrived to oversee what appeared to be a few heated exchanges before – remarkably – the travellers left of their own accord.
His swift action stands in stark contrast to the decade-long battle to shift travellers from the notorious Dale Farm site in Essex, which only came to an end in October last year.
Mr Dawson, whose farm is near Shoreham in West Sussex, discovered the intruders early yesterday morning. ‘I would have used any force possible to get them off my land,’ he said. ‘I got down here about 6am and told them to move off. There were four vans there at the time and more parked up outside.
‘I came down with the digger and tractor and told them if they didn’t move I was going to move them.
‘I just won’t tolerate it. It is my land. I bought it and I have worked hard for it. I called the police and told them I was going to get the digger and move them.
‘I didn’t care if they got squashed, flattened or left on their own, but one way or another I was going to get them off my land.’
'It's my land': Undeterred by the sudden arrival of the travellers, Mr Dawson called police and told them he was prepared to remove the intruders by force
'I would have used any force possible': Officers were forced to stand between Mr Dawson's digger and the travellers' caravans to prevent him from carrying out his threats
He said that at one point in the clash the officers had to stand between the two sides.
‘The police told me that once they are on the land they have rights. But what about my rights?’ Mr Dawson added.
‘If I had left it to the authorities they could have been on my land for weeks. I wasn’t going to wait for a court order to get rid of them.
‘As it was, the police threatened to arrest me. It has already cost me a day’s work and about 500 to repair the damage. They cut through a metal gate and put their own lock on it.’
A spokesman for Sussex Police said: ‘Six caravans turned up on land at 6.45am. The landowner also turned up and threatened to evict the travellers.
Furious: Officers oversaw what appeared to be several heated exchanges between Mr Dawson and his uninvited guests
A traveller talks to officers: Mr Dawson feared that if he left the eviction to the authorities, the caravans could have been left on his land for weeks
‘Police attended and remained on scene to prevent a breach of peace. The travellers left the site of their own accord at 9.35am.’ Removing travellers who have occupied land without permission is usually a much more costly and time-consuming exercise.
At Dale Farm, the decade-long legal battle cost taxpayers an estimated 18million.
A total of 43 people were arrested and several injured after protesters fought running battles with riot police over the eviction of about 80 families from what was the UK’s largest illegal traveller settlement.
As soon as Basildon council had declared a final victory, there was a massive leap in the number of caravans pitched on the legal Oak Lane site next door – and an adjoining road – prompting more expensive legal action.
In 2009, a convoy pitched up at another controversial travellers’ site just hours after a group had been evicted following a six-year legal battle costing 400,000.
The new arrivals rolled on to a field adjoining the notorious Smithy Fen site at Cottenham, Cambridgeshire, where travellers had set up an illegal camp.
Bye bye: The travellers eventually moved off Mr Dawson's land at 9.45am - three hours after they had arrived
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Brown Caps ground Eagles - SkySports
Surrey got their Friends Life t20 campaign off to a flying start with a 17-run victory over Essex at The Oval.
The hosts looked to be under-par with the bat as they posted a total of 128-8, but defended that total, despite the visitors starting their chase with a 44-run opening partnership between Mark Pettini and Ravi Bopara in just six overs.
However, when Pettini edged Jade Dernbach behind the wicket, the complexion of the game altered and by the time the score had been doubled, Essex were in deep trouble.
The visitors lost seven wickets in 10 overs, three of them to the spin of Gareth Batty, who finished with three wickets for 20 runs.
Batty trapped Owais Shah leg before wicket and two overs later gained the prized scalp of Bopara, who top-edged a reverse sweep and was caught by Matt Spriegel at backward point for 28.
James Franklin completed Batty's haul when he skied off a leading edge to mid-off as the visitors' reply fell away alarmingly.
As the panic button was pressed, a horrendous mix-up between Graham Napier and Franklin found both batsmen at the same end, with Napier departing for one as the innings disintegrated.
Wilson & Ansari shine
Surrey's significant partnership came from their sixth wicket pairing of Gary Wilson and Zafar Ansari, who added 40 after coming together with the score on 68-5 shortly after the halfway stage of the innings.
Wilson top-scored with a run-a-ball 33 which included three of the 15 boundaries recorded by the home side, whilst Jason Roy contributed 22 from 19 balls.
The pick of the Essex attack was Napier, who found line and length from the start to pose problems for the home batsmen throughout his four overs.
The burly all-rounder struck twice with successive deliveries in his opening over, taking a return catch off Rory Hamilton-Brown who skied the ball off a leading edge before Zander du Bruyn fell first ball when he lost his middle stump to a text book yorker.
Napier ended with the impressive figures of three for 16 from his four overs, while last year's leading bowler in the competition - left-arm spinner Tim Phillips - claimed 2-19.
Phillips was to later finish unbeaten on 16, one of only three Essex batsmen to reach double figures in this South Group game.
Source: www.skysports.com
Southern Water lifts Sussex hosepipe ban - thisissussex.co.uk
Southern Water has confirmed that they are to lift the hosepipe ban in Sussex after weeks of heavy rain.
However, don't get your hopes up that you can begin to use hosepipes again straight away. It depends on who supplies your domestic water services.In the Lewes area for instance, South East Water supply domestic water services and Southern Water supply waste water. This means the ban still applies as South East Water has yet to lift its restrictions.
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Southern Water have lifted the hosepipe ban in Sussex
The ban was put in place early in April following an extremely dry winter but after heavy rain in both May and June so far, the water company has confirmed that the restrictions are to be lifted.
However, Southern Water supplies many homes with waste water services not domestic water services. Waste water services do not relate too many of the activities restricted.
Southern Water is more reliant on rivers and reservoirs for their water. These have filled up with the recent rain.
South East Water relies on underground supplies that have yet to be replenished.
A spokesman for Southern Water said: "Southern Water is lifting water restrictions in its Sussex and Kent water supply areas.
"The temporary use ban that was brought in on April 5 following two exceptionally dry years will end on Thursday 14 June. Anglian Water and Thames Water will lift their restrictions at the same time."
Southern Water's ban will be lifted from midnight on Wednesday.
The heavy rain in May lifted reservoir water levels to close to the normal levels seen for this time of year and the extra rain in recent days – parts of Sussex received the normal amount for June in just 24 hours – has allowed the water restrictions to be lifted.
Heavy rain in the last few days has caused flooding in Sussex and chaos on the roads with many roads being shut as drains have been overflowing and rivers swollen.
Parts of Littlehampton and Bognor in West Sussex were badly affected and Worthing Hospital's basement was flooded. Fire crews in West Sussex dealt with more than 650 emergency calls in 18 hours, the same amount they normally deal with in one month.
The Environment Agency has issued four flood warnings and 21 flood alerts, including 16 in the South East.
Source: www.thisissussex.co.uk
Paramedic 'deflated ambulance tyre at end of her shift to avoid overtime and answering 999 call' - Daily Mail
- Victoria Parker avoided helping an elderly lady who had suffered a fall in Essex
- Five former colleagues accused her of intimidating and bullying them
- She was suspended by East of England Ambulance Service and has since resigned
- Panel found her guilty of misconduct and dishonesty and banned her for five years
By Rob Preece
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A bullying paramedic who let down one of the tyres on her ambulance to dodge an emergency call-out has been struck off.
Victoria Parker admitted she had been a ‘stupid a**e’ for sticking a pen into the tyre to let out air so she could finish her shift on time.
She was guilty of misconduct and dishonesty by avoiding the call to help an elderly lady who had suffered a fall, a Health Professions Council panel ruled.
Accusation: Victoria Parker let out air from an ambulance tyre to avoid attending an emergency call-out, a hearing was told
Parker, who was a paramedic with the East of England Ambulance NHS Trust, was adjudged to have put patients at risk by deliberately putting the ambulance out of service.
Parker, who has since quit the service and moved to Australia, was also found to have bullied and intimidated junior colleagues.
She was banned from practising for at least five years.
Panel chairman Clare Reggiori said: ‘The registrant’s actions on more than one occasion of causing an otherwise sound ambulance to be taken off the road for entirely selfish reasons had the potential to put patients at risk.
‘There was very little evidence that the registrant had shown insight into the possible impact of her conduct on patients who might have suffered as a consequence of the ambulances being off the road.’
Parker, who did not attend the hearing at Whitefield House in London, admitted letting a tyre down 30 minutes before the end of her shift on May 19, 2009, to avoid treating the elderly woman in South Woodham Ferrers, Essex.
Allegation: Parker used a pen to deflate the nearside front tyre of the ambulance, the Health Professions Council heard
During the trust’s internal investigation, she admitted: ‘I untwiddled the valve cap and with my pen I let a little air out of the tyre.
‘I told control we had a slow flat. I didn’t tell anyone about this.
‘I am a stupid a**e.’
Parker had also confessed to repeating the trick on March 10, 2010, during an internal assessment day, but the panel said it could not be sure this was true after hearing ‘vague’ witness evidence.
Parker was responsible for supervising student paramedics at Rayleigh Ambulance Station.
Parker claimed to have got on with paramedics Clair Flynn, Gail Newman, and Samantha Watson, but they gave evidence contradicting this.
They described a ‘clear pattern of sustained intimidation and bullying’ during a deteriorating relationship with Parker.
Ms Reggiori said: ‘The registrant’s actions were serious, deliberate, wilful and reckless. As found by the panel, they were also dishonest.
‘They also involved student paramedics for whom the registrant was responsible while they were in her charge.
No-show: Parker, who has moved to Australia, did not attend the hearing at Whitefield House in London
‘She was a person to whom they should be able to look to for guidance on proper professional standards and behaviour.
‘Her conduct in bullying her colleagues demonstrated, in the panel’s view, a deep-seated attitudinal problem about which the registrant appeared to have virtually no insight.
‘We saw at first hand the very profound effect which her conduct still has on those of her colleagues who gave evidence at this hearing.’
Parker has shown little remorse for her actions, the panel ruled.
It also raised concerns about the training of student paramedics at the trust, and ordered for a copy of the ruling to be sent to the chief executive.
An allegation that Parker instructed a student paramedic to falsify paperwork following the tyre incident was not proven, the panel found.
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Essex Fire Crews Vote Two To One In Favour Of Strike Action - Market Wire
ESSEX, ENGLAND--(Marketwire - June 13, 2012) - Essex fire crews have voted TWO to ONE in favour of strike action in a dispute over frontline cuts and changes forced through without proper negotiation or agreement. Current plans for cuts would see the loss of one in five frontline crews in Essex since 2008, with the public already waiting longer for fire crews to turn up to fires in the home.
The strike ballot result will be considered by representatives from fire stations and workplaces across Essex and the fire authority will be given notice of strike dates by the General Secretary in due course. The Fire Brigades Union said there was still time to resolve the dispute before any strike action takes place.
Prior to the ballot the union was told that all issues in dispute would continue to be implemented and cuts imposed regardless of any talks with ACAS or national fire service conciliators. The union believed this undermined moves to resolve the dispute.
Mick Rogers FBU brigade secretary said: "Essex fire crews have shown the strength of opposition to frontline cuts and changes being forced through without their agreement. The result explodes the myth peddled to councillors that fire crews have no genuine concerns.
"This damaging myth has led the councillors to support disastrous plans to impose changes and press ahead with cuts. There is a window of opportunity to negotiate and reach an agreement acceptable to both sides in this dispute if councillors want that to happen.
"No one in the fire service ever wants to take strike action and no one will be happy if we are forced to do so. It is crucial the fire authority now wakes up and joins with us in genuine moves to resolve this dispute."
Ballot result
The number of frontline full time firefighters have been slashed by 100 since 2008, loss of one in eight. The number of retained 'on call' firefighters has dropped by 60 since 2008, a loss of one in ten.
Further planned cuts would bring total losses of frontline fire crews to one in five since 2008.In the same period of time, Essex Fire Service has increased back office staff by 7.5% - from 238 in 2008 to 256 today.
Source: www.marketwire.com
West Sussex sea defences may have trapped flood water - BBC News
The Environment Agency is investigating whether or not sea defences in West Sussex trapped flood water, making flooding there worse.
Flood water is being pumped away from parts of West Sussex where many people were forced to flee their homes.
Residents living in Bracklesham Bay said the water level only dropped when an emergency channel was dug.
However, Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said the defences were not to blame.
The Environment Agency said no further properties had flooded overnight but it was keeping a watch on river levels.
It added that teams had been working round the clock with other emergency responders, checking flood defences and clearing blockages.
Gordon Wilson, from the Environment Agency, said: "We're investigating to try to understand what has led to such severe flooding here.
"And it is possible that given the diameters of pipes we put in as an interim measure, they were not sufficient to cope with such a huge amount of rain in such a short space of time."
Bracklesham resident Christopher Purchase said the water level remained static until the digger cut through the sea defences.
"It's pouring out of there like a plug out of the bath," he said.
However, Ms Spelman, who was visiting the area, said the Environment Agency did not believe the sea defences caused the floods, but the "sheer volume" of rainfall.
She added: "I've been very impressed by the emergency services response and all the other partners involved... but above all the community, and the way everyone pulled together to deal with an extreme weather event of this kind."
Roads impassableRising flood waters affected about 250 homes in the village of Elmer and caravans on two sites in Bracklesham.
Two flood warnings remain in place for the River Arun watercourse at the Aldingbourne Rife in Bersted and Felpham.
West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said it had dealt with about 1,000 calls in 24 hours, evacuating hundreds of homes and pumping water from them.
Sean Ruth, deputy county fire officer for West Sussex, said it had been "an incredibly busy time" and it was necessary to seek help from neighbouring fire services in East Sussex and Hampshire.
Many roads had been impassable due to flooding. Closures remain in force on the A29 Lidsey Road at Woodgate and several minor roads to the west of the county.
There are also restrictions on the A259 at Littlehampton and A281 London Road at Henfield.
Nine schools in Bognor Regis and Chichester were either closed or partly closed because of the conditions, along with Felpham Community College.
Laburnum Grove Junior School in Bognor Regis remained shut on Wednesday due to serious flooding, and is not expected to reopen until next Tuesday.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Accused GP Richard Scott says GMC persecutes Christians - BBC News
A Kent GP has accused medical watchdogs of persecuting Christians after denying trying to convert a patient.
Dr Richard Scott told the General Medical Council (GMC) that "doing God is good for you".
He is before the GMC accused of breaching medical rules by refusing to give a patient medication at his Margate surgery, in August 2010.
Dr Scott denies overstepping the mark but said a doctor could not "just take off" his faith.
The GP claimed the GMC had pursued the case against him with "excessive zeal" and was "singling out Christianity" as part of a "wider trend to marginalise" the faith.
'Not a maverick'Dr Scott has worked with his wife, also a GP, at the "expressly Christian" Bethesda Medical Practice since 2003.
“Start Quote
End Quote Dr Richard ScottI'm offering something that could have changed his life”
He told the council scientific studies, mainly carried out in the United States, showed faith benefited patients.
"Spirituality and faith is now becoming a new angle with medicine," Dr Scott told the hearing.
"It's a new specialism. The fact that Christians are optimistic is very positive for health.
"I'm not just a maverick doctor reaching out to patients.
"You can't just take off your faith when you enter the consultation room, either as a patient or doctor."
'Non-threatening'Under cross-examination by Andrew Hurst, counsel for the GMC, Dr Scott denied telling his 24-year-old patient that he would "suffer eternally" if he did not convert to Christianity.
Dr Scott said the patient was happy to talk about religion, when he had raised the subject in a "gentle, non-threatening" way.
Mr Hurst said "the effect" of what he told the patient was to promote Christianity over the patient's own religion.
"He had walked away from his own religion," Dr Scott said.
"I'm offering something that could have changed his life."
Paul Diamond, counsel for Dr Scott, told the committee his client believed the GMC was singling out Christianity.
"He does believe Christianity has been singled out for adverse treatment and believes this to be a wider trend in our society to marginalise the Christian," he said.
The case continues.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Well done that man its about time someone stood up to these people, well stood up to them and actually WON that is!
- DB1, Nottingham ENGLAND, 13/6/2012 21:01
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