Council drops case against Dale Farm protestors (From Echo)

Council drops case against Dale Farm protestors

6:26pm Thursday 23rd August 2012 in Local News By Jon Austin

FOURTEEN protestors accused of trying to stop bailiffs carrying out the eviction of Dale Farm have had a court case against them withdrawn.

Basildon Council yesterday buckled to pressure that the cost of pursuing them was not in the public interest because the maximum fine if convicted of obstructing a bailiff was £50.

The 14 were part of a group of 26 originally summoned to Southend Magistrates Court accused of the offence which is prosecuted by local councils rather than the police who arrested them during last October’s around £8million operation.

Two were convicted, with 10 others accepting cautions. Council leader Tony Ball said: “Following a review of the comments of the district judge and a number of other factors linked to these cases we have decided to withdraw the remaining charges."