friends and protectors?

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The Police – Friends and Protectors? Life for one family in Sidcup – A case study  Nov 2011

About three years ago two neighbours in Sidcup, X and Y became engaged in a planning dispute over boundary lines between their properties and the specific ownership of items of properties. Such disputes are not uncommon but what followed certainly is.
In 2010, Y applied for planning permission for a development which impacted on X’s property. X objected to the application as part of established democratic process and her objections were supported by other independent and impartial parties.
This planning application was (rightly) rejected by Bexley Council but caused neighbourly relations to deteriorate even further (to put it mildly)!
By April 2011 X accused Y of harassment, and destruction of property. On 2nd May 2011 a physical attack by Y against X occurred with further destruction of property and theft. Y claimed to have video recorded X assaulting him.
Police arrested X on 11th May, detained X for several hours. X charged on 26th May. No evidence or corroboration was ever produced, nor was X counter claim provided to the CPS or for the court but case was thrown out before it got to court on 2nd June. Harassment incidents continued by Y against X with defamatory allegations broadcast to the whole neighbourhood by Y.
By July X was accused by Y of criminal damage to the boundary fence by Y even though, according to X, Y had been climbing on it, and on trees as part of an ongoing campaign of spying. As a result X was arrested and detained overnight before being released without charge BUT with a record and DNA samples on the Police computer. The police have insisted that X pursues civil action incurring considerable cost. What is worse, a solicitor has advised that without the cooperation of the police, such action would be a waste of money. Effectively, X is locked in a vicious circle. The position of X is severely compromised by the failure of X to be given an incident number, crime reference number or statement.
Furthermore, X is now being told that there is NO RECORD WHATSOEVER of the harassment reported to the Police crime room.

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Designed by pLLogistics