Wednesday,
10 September, 2003, 14:15 UK
Yet Another Building site brought to standstill
by current wave of Outraged Father Protests
Police negotiators in Devon are trying to persuade
a protester to come down from the top of a 120-feet high crane
at a building site.
At about 0700 BST on Wednesday the man from Plymouth climbed
to the top of the crane at the site of the new Crown Court in
Exeter.
He is from a pressure group, Fathers 4 Justice, which campaigns
for contact rights for fathers and he is threatening to stay
on the crane for a week.
A crane driver is also in the cab and the machinery has been
disabled.
Speaking to the BBC from a mobile phone in the crane's cab he
said, despite being a registered child-minder with no criminal
record, he only sees his daughter for two hours once a fortnight.
"I
just want to be able to share my daughter's life," he said.
"There's
no reason why I shouldn't.
"My
daughter wants to be with me, and there's no reason why I shouldn't
be able to have good contact with my daughter and
in many cases it's the same."
PC Roy Adams said police will review the case to see if any
criminal offences are being committed.
"The fact is that he has entered the building site as a
trespasser and that's where any offence occurs," he said.
"Trespassing
itself is not a matter which the police can take any action
on."
'Adequate security'
Matthew O'Connor from Fathers 4 Justice says the protestor's
food supplies could last longer than a week.
"That is not to say he could probably last for a month
if he wants to," said Mr O'Connor.
"This
is a well-organised, well-planned event by him.
"Fathers
4 Justice endorses this type of action, particularly direct
action against family courts."
The main contractor at the site, Alfred McAlpine, says security
is adequate and cannot explain how the man managed to climb to
the top of the gantry.
Story
on BBC site
click here
Jolly
Stanesby climbed the crane at the site of the new Crown Court
at about 0700 BST on Wednesday.
Mr Stanesby said he will stay there for a week but has enough
provisions for longer.
Speaking to the BBC from a mobile phone in the crane's cab,
he said he was a registered child-minder with no criminal record
and that he only sees his daughter for two hours once a fortnight.
He
said: "I
just want to be able to share my daughter's life. There's no
reason why I shouldn't."
Contractors at the construction site said security is adequate
and cannot explain how he managed to climb to the top of the
gantry.
Police are negotiating with him to bring him down and said they
will review the case to see if any criminal offences are being
committed.
Family
Courts : Summer of Discontent |
|
