Police stick to their guns in twigs row (From The Oxford Times)
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Police stick to their guns in twigs row
11:00am Friday 3rd September 2010 in
POLICE will not change their policy after officers scrambled a helicopter to follow a family for ‘stealing’ twigs from an Oxfordshire woodland.
Gareth Pope, his wife and twin daughters were followed by the Thames Valley Police helicopter after an argument with a nature reserve warden at Chinnor Hill, near Thame.
He called police after spotting the family leaving with six carrier bags of twigs for their fire. Two police cars were also sent out on Monday.
Mr Pope, 41, from Stratton Road, Princes Risborough, Bucks, pictured with wife Kirsty and twins Aspen, left, and Kali said: “The warden ruined an innocent family’s afternoon.
“He was responsible for wasting public money and should be made to pay it back.”
It cost £350 to send out the helicopter, which was airborne for 40 minutes.
Speaking of the moment he saw the helicopter hovering above his home, Mr Pope said: “I thought, surely it doesn’t have anything to do with what’s just happened. The next minute two policemen turned up. The first thing they said was “Where’s the wood?”
Police found no offences had been committed.
Doug Mackay, Chiltern Air Support Unit executive officer, said the helicopter was dispatched as there was “a concern for the safety of those involved” and it was believed a crime was in progress.
Police spokesman Craig Evry said: “There are no plans to change the policy on what incidents the unit attends.”
Comments(19)
DJ LongDog
says...
11:31am Fri 3 Sep 10
icba1957
says...
12:30pm Fri 3 Sep 10
As far as I can see, the bloke is guilty of theft, so it's legitimate for the police to be called. Maybe the helicopter was a bit over the top, and they could have got his address from his car registration.
Wallingford2
says...
12:49pm Fri 3 Sep 10
jonny1976
says...
1:31pm Fri 3 Sep 10
LadyPenelope
says...
2:28pm Fri 3 Sep 10
the wizard
says...
2:33pm Fri 3 Sep 10
jonny1976 wrote:It could be construed that Mr Pope was "seeking to perminanly deprive," the parts from their owner, and that makes it illegal. As to whether the parts are dead or alive is not a material issue here. That fact that 6 bags "of goods" were removed without the owners permission or consent is the issue, and the fact that the owners appointed representative expressly forbode it, is also an issue. As the facts are presented by TV and Press Mr Pope IS guilty of theft. I strongly doubt if the owners or DPP will persue this case in court but would not be suprised if Mr Pope recieves and summonds to his local Police Station, to recieve an official police caution. Ridiculous as it may seem, the twigs are part of the fabric of the woods and as such are still the subject of ownership. Just because they have fallen away from the main body of the tree they are still within the perscribed boundaries of the land, and as such are owned.
its not an offence to take fallen twigs and branches from the site, they can request that you only take a few but can not do any thing about it if someone takes more.... there is no law for this. its not ilegal
DJ LongDog
says...
3:46pm Fri 3 Sep 10
the wizard
says...
6:21pm Fri 3 Sep 10
Yes, I agree with your point and commented as such to the original article. A massive overspend and pointless exercise, especially when you consider the attitude of the Police if you have a mower nicked out of your shed for instance. They normally take ages just to turn up, if at all.
DJ LongDog
says...
8:18pm Fri 3 Sep 10
Exactly. Recently stolen bicycle of colleagues of mine worth more than thousand of pounds took them over a month to start to investigate despite the fact footage of culprits and evidence with fingerprints was available and theft was reported within minutes.
Very disappointing approach in this particular matter.
Berty
says...
9:45pm Fri 3 Sep 10
Same old Tories, same old politics
says...
10:00am Sat 4 Sep 10
LadyPenelope wrote:Do you have a sign up in your garden saying please do not take my lawn?
Was there a sign up saying "please do not take the twigs?". Otherwisek how on earth are you supposed to know such an odd rule??? They really should have just left the twigs behind when asked though. And a complete over-reaction from the police!
Same old Tories, same old politics
says...
10:04am Sat 4 Sep 10
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon
says...
2:18pm Sat 4 Sep 10
Berty wrote:Well done Mr Pope for standing up to that jobsworth and protecting your rights. As the Police confirmed, you did nothing illegal, and made a stand for the common man. I hope the park warden will be made to pay for wasting Police time, and be reminded that he is paid for out of taxpayers money and should treat them with respect, and not call the Police on them at his every whim.
(The photo makes me cringe.) Mr. Pope could have avoided the lovely family afternoon becoming a nightmare by doing as the bloke asked and leaving the twigs. That aside, as many have said the helicopter is a disgusting waste of money, particularly as the Ambulance helicopter is funded by vountary contributions. Something's a little bit warped there.
simplicissimus
says...
4:41pm Sat 4 Sep 10
A duel to settle this might have been less absurd: pea twigs at dawn?
simplicissimus
says...
4:58pm Sat 4 Sep 10
Mr Pope was doing what's properly a forester's job. In healthy, well tended woods, fallen detritus and undergrowth is kept tidy. Too much clutter prevents best growth, and risks forest fires. The warden's efficacy in seeing to good woodland management may need scrutinizing.
Same old Tories, same old politics
says...
1:50am Sun 5 Sep 10
The comments on here speak volumes about the character of the posters involved.
simplicissimus
says...
12:00pm Sun 5 Sep 10
Your lot are mostly about centralized control and bad 5 year planning, aren'y they? I prefer the spirit of Magna Carta - devolving power to the People, in a big society way even all that time ago, and allowing Joe Public to be a stakeholder in the upkeep of our forests and woodland heritage.
Typically, like most Leftists, you ignore the valid points about that warden's impact, who could probably be made redundant with little discernible difference, along with that expensive heliCOPter affording questionable value for money, and most of Oxford's ShCity ruling politburo.
terrytowel
says...
8:29pm Mon 6 Sep 10
Would these be the same guns they use to shoot each other at HQ?
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Gareth and Kirsty Pope with their twins Aspen, left, and Kali
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Same old Tories, same old politics says...
11:29am Fri 3 Sep 10
“He was responsible for wasting public money and should be made to pay it back.”
Unbelievably cheeky git! This arrogant fool was asked not to take the six bags of wood from someone else's property and ignored a reasonable request. He should be the one paying for the cost of this!
There are an increasing amount of people like this selfish man who think they can just do what they want regardless of requests and the effects of their actions.
Maybe Mr Pope won't have any objections if we all go round his place and take away six bags of lawn from his garden.