11:23am Tuesday 12th June 2007
By Jon Austin
TRAVELLERS have accused police of hounding them with the force helicopter.
Residents and travellers told of an unusually high level of police helicopter activity near the Hovefields site, Wickford. Some travellers suggest they are being hounded by the chopper.
Essex Police has admitted the chopper spent lengthy periods above the Hovefields site.
It was taking photos, but claimed it was just updating its aerial photograph records.
On one day it was seen hovering low over the unauthorised site, off the A127, at 2pm, 4pm and into the evening. It was also seen hovering there and above the Dale Farm site, Crays Hill, two days earlier.
Travellers accused police of heavy-handedness in March, after the chopper was used to arrest Patrick Egan, 12, and two other Dale Farm youngsters after a minor scuffle in Festival Leisure Park. No one was charged.
Richard Sheridan, Dale Farm spokesman, said: "It's an invasion of privacy. No one else gets helicopters snooping above their roofs all the time.
"It makes the residents think there are crimes going on. They should be out catching drug dealers and rapists, not wasting taxpayers' money spying on us."
Jill Walsh, a settled resident of Hovefields Avenue, said: "We are used to the helicopter, but this was unusual.
"It was up for 45 minutes at about 4pm and came back twice later. It was up for about 15 minutes at 7pm then again later. Everyone was wondering why it was up."
A traveller spokeswoman at Hovefields, who did not want to be named, said: "They were having a good look round. They could have photographed through people's windows."
Police spokesman Nishan Wijeratne said of the visits last Saturday: "There are no reported crimes linked to this.
"The helicopter was taking routine pictures in the Basildon area to update aerial photograph records."
Washers seizure: 'We're victimised'
POLICE has been forced to return a haul of seized pressure washers after it turned out they were not stolen.
A police helicopter spotted the 17 petrol-powered machines in a trailer on the traveller site at Oak Lane, Crays Hill, last month.
Officers said they were seized on suspicion of being stolen.
However, investigations have shown this not to be the case.
Police spokesman Nishan Wijeratne said: "The items were seen by the force helicopter with no apparent owner nearby, so there were grounds for investigation."
Dale Farm spokesman Richard Sheridan said: "It's victimisation again. Who else would have to prove to the police they had bought something, because it was seen by a helicopter?"
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