Bailiffs arrived at Michael Hilton’s home in Meadoway, Church, at around 9.20am yesterday. They reported him to police after they heard him say that if they entered the property - his home of 30 years - there would be an ‘explosion’.
The police said they believed petrol and gas canisters were in the house. Mr Hilton, 52, was last night in police custody after being arrested on suspicion of affray following a stand-off lasting around three and a half hours.
Two fire engines were called to the scene, close to St Christopher’s High School, as well as around six police cars, two police vans, a riot van and later, police dog teams.*sigh* The usual police overreaction.
Mind you, I’m not too concerned about the residents this time. Their attitude leaves a lot to be desired…
Johnny, who lives with his father, said: “I knew something like this was going to happen. He has been hounded to pay bedroom tax since September last year.
“My dad has four children altogether and, sometimes, they stay here with him.
“In the eyes of the council, he has a spare room but, from his point of view, that’s a bedroom for his kids.
“I have even tried to speak to the council myself and try to sort it out. I called them last week and told them that my dad has mental health problems. He thinks he’s being persecuted.”Well, he’s not.
And it doesn’t matter what his ‘point of view’ is, does it? The fact remains ordinary taxpayers are fed up shelling out for people to have a better lifestyle on benefits than they do while working!
Johnny added: “He has been driven to this and I think that he feels like he is making a stand for everyone that has been faced with the unfair bedroom tax. I am very worried about him.”He hasn’t been ‘driven to this’, unless of course someone held him at gunpoint and forced him to father children he couldn’t support in a house he couldn’t afford…
Another neighbour, a resident of nearby Queensway who knows Mr Hilton, said: “All of this because of that stupid bedroom tax.”
A crowd gathered at the police line and many of the onlookers seemed to show sympathy towards Mr Hilton.
One said: “It’s the government, this. They are putting these taxes on vulnerable and poor people and look what happens.”What a pity all the fed-up taxpayers don’t start having screaming tantrums & holding police at bay. I guess we just have to keep paying and paying and paying…
Cheapskates. Not one flying pig?
ReplyDeleteJust what is this bedroom tax? I don't see it mentioned in any tax schedule available at the moment.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I can think it must be is some left over remnant of the Broon years as is most of the problems we see in the UK today.
"He's been hounded to pay Bedroom Tax."
ReplyDeleteI think you'll find Johnny, that what your old man is being asked to pay is more commonly known as his "rent".
With a load of petrol and 20 gas cannisters, I don't think it's fair to accuse the police of overreaction.
ReplyDelete"The usual police over-reaction". Please could you pop along to these incidents Julia and give us the benefit of your expertise.
ReplyDeleteJaded
Repeat an untruth often enough and it sticks. Bedroom tax does not and never has existed. Being asked to move to a smaller dwelling because of unused rooms is only labelled a tax in deranged lefty "brains".
ReplyDeleteDroves of bored plod are now seen kicking lamp posts on Lancashire streets. I blame the shelving of Operation Seed of Yew which denied plod their own bundle of senile celebrities who couldn't recall exactly what they were doing in Granada studios, 60 years ago.
ReplyDeleteBunny
ReplyDeleteReading a paper by the wonderful Helena Kennedy QC a couple of years ago, her comment was that the judiciary were stopping seeing that housing benefit was an automatic right. The downside was that they were going to make eviction bloody difficult.
Tell you what Helena you pay for them out of your wages.
"Just what is this bedroom tax? I don't see it mentioned in any tax schedule available at the moment."
ReplyDeleteQuite!
"With a load of petrol and 20 gas cannisters, I don't think it's fair to accuse the police of overreaction. "
Shoot him. 'Imminent threat to life'. No-one lights matches if they are dead.
Shoot the neighbours too. It'd raise the average IQ a tad.
"Please could you pop along to these incidents Julia and give us the benefit of your expertise."
Happy to! See above.
"Repeat an untruth often enough and it sticks. "
ReplyDeleteIt always works for the progressives.
"Tell you what Helena you pay for them out of your wages."
THIS!