Police assault Titnore Woods camper
Woodlander | 24.07.2006 17:10 | South Coast
THUGS from Sussex Police have once again forced their way onto the peaceful Camp Titnore protest site near Worthing, assaulting one of the campers in the process.
The new invasion happened today (Monday July 24), following a similar incursion on Wednesday last week and the ten officers who turned up video-recorded the camp and its residents.
Police also said they will now be returning to the camp regularly, with the same intimidatory tactics.
The assault occurred when one of the campers legitimately refused to allow police access to the hut which is legally his home and was physically pushed over.
Official complaints to the police are being made about this outrageously heavy-handed behaviour.
People may recall a newspaper report in The Argus on Tuesday May 30 quoting the local police chief as saying the camp was legitimate. This stated: "Worthing District Commander Jason Taylor said officers served notice for their removal on Sunday evening as a precautionary measure. He said there were no plans to remove the protesters unless any offences were committed. He said: "As far as the police are concerned we have a situation which is, at the moment, legitimate. People are protesting lawfully and are not causing particular problems. They're causing problems for the landowner and he can go to court - but at this stage I'm not going to endanger the protesters or people in the area by enforcing the removal of people"."
So what has happened since then? A political change of heart? Orders from even further up the chain of command?
The police do not seem to have any bona fide reason for visiting the camp, as far as law
enforcement is concerned.
But today also saw court papers served on the campers by Clem and Fitzroy Somerset, the landowners, as part of a civil process regarding land ownership which should have nothing to do with the police.
These papers were in fact issued on July 12, with a mysterious 12 days elapsing before they found their way into the campers' hands.
The delay means the protesters now have only three days to go through the 100-plus pages of legal paperwork and prepare for a court case - which is not to be held locally but at the High Court at the Royal Courts of Justice in The Strand, London, at 11.30am on Thursday July 27.
Anyone who can offer them some legal help is urged to contact the camp on 0780 4245324.
Sussex Police have an area on their website where they seek feedback from the public. If anyone wishes to comment on their behaviour they can go to
http://www.sussex.police.uk/npt/worthing/feedback.asp
A new camp website has been set up on:
www.freewebs.com/titnore.
Police also said they will now be returning to the camp regularly, with the same intimidatory tactics.
The assault occurred when one of the campers legitimately refused to allow police access to the hut which is legally his home and was physically pushed over.
Official complaints to the police are being made about this outrageously heavy-handed behaviour.
People may recall a newspaper report in The Argus on Tuesday May 30 quoting the local police chief as saying the camp was legitimate. This stated: "Worthing District Commander Jason Taylor said officers served notice for their removal on Sunday evening as a precautionary measure. He said there were no plans to remove the protesters unless any offences were committed. He said: "As far as the police are concerned we have a situation which is, at the moment, legitimate. People are protesting lawfully and are not causing particular problems. They're causing problems for the landowner and he can go to court - but at this stage I'm not going to endanger the protesters or people in the area by enforcing the removal of people"."
So what has happened since then? A political change of heart? Orders from even further up the chain of command?
The police do not seem to have any bona fide reason for visiting the camp, as far as law
enforcement is concerned.
But today also saw court papers served on the campers by Clem and Fitzroy Somerset, the landowners, as part of a civil process regarding land ownership which should have nothing to do with the police.
These papers were in fact issued on July 12, with a mysterious 12 days elapsing before they found their way into the campers' hands.
The delay means the protesters now have only three days to go through the 100-plus pages of legal paperwork and prepare for a court case - which is not to be held locally but at the High Court at the Royal Courts of Justice in The Strand, London, at 11.30am on Thursday July 27.
Anyone who can offer them some legal help is urged to contact the camp on 0780 4245324.
Sussex Police have an area on their website where they seek feedback from the public. If anyone wishes to comment on their behaviour they can go to
http://www.sussex.police.uk/npt/worthing/feedback.asp A new camp website has been set up on:
www.freewebs.com/titnore.
Woodlander