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Press Statement: 20 June 2004 |
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Ex-Greenham woman peace activist Anne Lee of Otley was arrested at Menwith Hill US Listening Station on Saturday 19 June as she was attempting to cut a hole in the Nessfield Gate with a junior hacksaw. She was disconcerted to discover that the weld-mesh wire cuts like putty and that the intruder alarm system failed to work. Five police patrol vehicles eventually attended the 'scene of crime' and she was arrested on the spot for Criminal Damage contrary to s 1(1) of the Criminal Damage Act 1971. Later, while in police custody at Harrogate Police Station she was also arrested for aggravated trespass onto Ministry of Defence land, contrary to s 69 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. Ms Lee was not charged with the offences on 19 June, but was unconditionally bailed to appear at Harrogate Police Station on Friday 25 June, when she will learn whether she is to be charged. The delay has been authorised to allow time for a statement from the Secretary of State for Defence [re. the legal status of the footpath] and for the Crown Prosecutor to consider the case. Ms Lee maintains that she was on a lawful public right of way and was attempting to remove the unlawful obstruction preventing the exercise of her right to walk the footpath. Since the footpath was closed and diverted by order of the Secretary of State for Defence in October 1985, there have been repeated attempts to walk the footpath by campaigners maintaining that the closure was unlawful. The footpath is obstructed at its access points by a weld-mesh, intruder-alarmed security gate and fence topped with razor-wire. On 6 June Ms Lee served Notice on the North Yorkshire County Council Highways' Authority to remove the unlawful obstructions. They acknowledged receipt of her letter, but failed to do so. Since the Countryside and Rights of Way Act came into force on 21 November 2002, any member of the public may now order the local authority to clear obstructions from rights of way. Ms Lee also maintains that the illegality of Menwith Hill's presence in the Yorkshire Dales is an issue that should be examined by the courts. Over recent years Ms Lee has made a number of complaints to the Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council about abuses of Planning Law at Menwith Hill. Among the list, the Station authorities have been obliged to relocate planned security fences to protect a colony of rare orchids: demolish a security fence encroaching 14cm onto the highways' verge: bury overground water supply pipes: demolish a redundant security gate and submit retrospective planning applications for other installations. On 11 May this year she complained about the environmental damage caused by unauthorised construction of a police vehicle patrol track running inside the perimeter fence. It is currently being removed and the land restored to its former condition. She is awaiting a response to her most recent complaint that no planning clearance has been granted for the unexplained disappearance of one of the world-infamous golf balls. Anne Lee
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