First he encircled them with a metal fence. And when that failed to move the gipsy camp off his land, he dug a moat.OK, it’s not going to be something that everyone can do. It helps when you have immediate access to earth moving equipment and manpower.
Builder Francis Shiner resorted to the measures when two gipsy families set up home on the disused car park of a building site.
He asked them to move, they didn't, and so he went on the offensive and managed to evict them within 48 hours.
But what a heartening story!
His workers surrounded them with an 8ft-high metal fence and excavated a trench around the camp.Hurrah! Hopefully, Basildon Council is reading this. I don’t think a moat is likely to cost upward of £2mill (although if they are council workers, it still might!).
They left a 5ft gap in the moat and told the gypsies to leave or face being marooned on an island - and they fled by the following morning.
A police spokesman for Bedfordshire police said they were not involved in the matter 'as common sense prevailed to resolve it peaceably'.So, what are you waiting for, Basildon Council? Fire up the earthmovers!
He said: 'This was not a matter for us as it didn't escalate into a breach of the peace.
'It is up to landowners to seek legal advice to remove people who move onto their land. It is a civil matter.
'Landowners are also within their rights to build a barricade on their land. If they had trapped the travelers on site, they would not have broken the law.'
6 comments:
Do you remember the landowner who was universally hated by his village and he reciprocated this by leaving a Will allocating his land exclusively to Travellers?
That's a gesture that made the majority of people smile. No doubt Labour supporters huffed and puffed about it.
Shiner for Parliament!
How on earth did the police let this happen without getting involved?
Brilliant. Good judgment. I forgot there were some coppers left you remember who they serve.
Good luck to Mr Shiner. I think though that had he finished the moat the gypsies could have sued him (at our expense, of course) for false imprisonment. I'm not saying they'd have been successful but out of court settlements have been agreed in the most completely opportunistic, indefensible and undeserving cases.
OTOH I'm confident that Mr Shiner would have defended himself ably. After all he is not a wimp and, more important, he would not be handing over taxpayers' money (which as you know falls out of the sky).
Tough one.
One the one hand, the police were probably itching to nick Mr Shiner for racially aggravated breach of said gyppoes' human rights.
But on t'other, the police chiefs probably did a quick risk assessment and decided that it would put officers at unnecessary risk of catching a cold or something while they stood around in a field arguing the toss.
"No doubt Labour supporters huffed and puffed about it."
Quite! They'd no doubt have rather he left the money to them - they're in need of a bit of cash at the moment...
"I forgot there were some coppers left you remember who they serve."
It's nice to see it - for a change. He'll probably not go far though...
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