Friday 20 July 2012

Here’s Someone Who Won’t Be Receptive…

…to the police ‘Anti-Winsor Campaign’:
Dave Durant says there was clear evidence that squatters had broken into Granby House in St John's Road, Bedminster, on Wednesday afternoon and police could have made arrests.
But he says they declined to use their discretion or collect evidence, hiding behind their fear of squatters' rights.
Gosh. How surprising. You’d think they’d be only too happy to use any excuse to head off another potential problem area, wouldn’t you?
Mr Durant, who has a planning application in to turn the building into flats and houses, is concerned that by letting the squatters stay, their lives are at risk as the building is currently under renovation and has no staircases.
There is also a risk of exposed electrics as the building has been vandalised by thieves trying to steal copper.
The 59-year-old from Somerset says he is also concerned that he will be held responsible for any tragedy but feels that the police's failure to act should make them culpable as well.
I don’t think he could be held responsible, surely? I mean, sure, maybe by the useful idiots, but not by anyone worth listening to..
But in a statement Avon and Somerset police say an investigation established there was no damage caused to the property and therefore the incident was a civil matter.
It’s amazing how evidence has a way of disappearing when inconvenient.
He told the Post: "Everybody knows the law is an ass when it comes to squatting.
"The police arrived and there was evidence of bolt croppers being used to gain entry. Police say there was no evidence of forced entry but that is just not true.
"They could have cleared them out straight away but they didn't and now it's turning into a nightmare.
"Initially there were five and now people are saying there is about a dozen." Mr Durant said the experience had led him to have more contempt for the police than he did for the squatters.
I can see why, frankly. It’s about time squatting was made a crime, and not merely a civil case. Then they’d have to act.

But it’s not just their failure to act that rankles:
Mr Durant also said he also could not understand why so many police needed to attend the scene if they could do nothing.
"I really, really object to five policemen turning up to tell you there's nothing they can do," he said.
"I cannot believe the police are under pressure if they can spare people to stand around for an hour."
He’s got a point. Perhaps it’s like the old Soviet Union joke, reworked for Britain in 2012 – one who can read, one who can write, one to keep watch on the two dangerous intellectuals, and the other two…? 

Answers on a postcard in the comments, please!

11 comments:

Lynne said...

...to count tractors and compile the statistics.

Bill said...

At least they attended. I had squatters in a place last year and they wouldn't even come out. Just gave me a call centre number to ring (they weren't interested either).

They came out though when one of the squatters (15 y/o Romanian) stabbed one of the neighbours though.

But not to aid the bailiffs when it came to evicting them (after months and £1000's spent on legals)

Twice, the police failed to attend to aid bailiffs. "No one available" they said. On the 2nd occasion though they had at least half a dozen officers pulling up motorists & checking tax disks, tyres and insurance, only half a mile away.

Like the guy in the article, I have nothing but contempt now.

Anonymous said...

A few years ago, a local resident found squatters had taken over his dead mother's bungalow. He managed to speak with them and they refused to leave. He told them that he had to make structural repairs to the property and that it may be inconvenient for them to remain there while he did so. They refused. His next step was to prepare the property for repair by boarding up all the doors and windows with the squatters still inside! When the Police arrived he showed them video footage of him explaining the situation to the squatters and their refusal to leave. Some of the boarded up doors were removed only after he had been paid for their removasl and replacement by the boarding up company. He couldn't be accused of imprisonment or unlawful detention as he had given them the opportunity of leaving. Summary justice indeed!

Anonymous said...

The two extra officers were probably the Diversity Officer and the Sustainability Officer (the officers designated to beat up the innocent party if they accused the police of being ****ing useless got lost on the way).

uk Fred said...

Mr. Durant should be thankful one cop wasn't the yob who was found not guilty of Ian Tomlinson's manslaughter, or he would probably be in intensive care, if not the morgue by now.

Anonymous said...

Fred, dear boy, can you advise me what part of the evidence you have seen which was not made available to the jury? Yet another case of 'Trial by Youtube'. I would presume that in a previous life, you were sat in the Coliseum with your thumb showing the gladiator should be killed. What's next? The gingers?
Penseivat

blueknight said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
blueknight said...

The Bristol squatters were arrested for the rave, not squatting.
Technically the Police could have arrested the Bedminster squatters on suspicion of criminal damage, if anything actually had been destroyed or damaged, but with no evidence as to exactly who had committed the damage, they would have been out of custody before you could say 'unlawful arrest'.
There are plenty of Squatters Rights organisations and many squatters know exactly what they can get away.
Simple Trespass is not a criminal offence and if nothing has been stolen, it is not burglary.
Anyone who refers to 'Breaking and entering' is quoting the 1916 Larceny Act, which was repealed in 1968.

JuliaM said...

""No one available" they said. On the 2nd occasion though they had at least half a dozen officers pulling up motorists & checking tax disks, tyres and insurance, only half a mile away."

Oh, well. At least they weren't tasked with Obscene Hedge Crime...

"Summary justice indeed!"

Love it! :D

"What's next? The gingers?"

They've only got themselves to blame...

"Simple Trespass is not a criminal offence.."

If this useless government does just one thing right, I hope it'll be changing this...

Anonymous said...

In a democracy, freedom to be 'a squatter' is just as valid as freedom to be gay, a muslim, an atheist or anything else.

Squatters who choose that life as opposed to those being 'forced to by circumstances' are often people who don't believe in society, the concept of money, or, in some cases, the concept of ownership.

We still have a right to housing, food and medical care whatever our beliefs or race.

Breaking into someones home while they're on holiday and refusing to move out, for example, is not a loving thing to do.

But making a temporary home in some deserted industrial building and treating it with respect is perfectly valid and reasonable.

JuliaM said...

"Squatters who choose that life as opposed to those being 'forced to by circumstances' are often people who don't believe in society, the concept of money, or, in some cases, the concept of ownership.

We still have a right to housing, food and medical care whatever our beliefs or race."


You have no 'right' to those things at all. I don't care what some hippie dipshit told you at poly.