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Bikers protesting in City Hall last month |
Motorcycle dispute gets revved up
Allegations of ‘bully-boy tactics’ and a ‘council slur campaign’ in parking fees row
ROGUE motorcycle protesters have been threatened with legal action after Westminster City Council accused them of waging a hate campaign against senior staff.
The council says a hardcore minority of militant protesters, who are angry at the daily parking charges currently being trialled across the borough, have resorted to bully-boy tactics including harassment and intimidation of councillors and officers at Westminster City Hall.
The man responsible for parking policy, Danny Chalkley, has borne the brunt of the bullying, allege the council. They say that protesters at the No To The Bike Parking Fee (NTBPF) campaign group emailed contractors from a bogus address purporting to be from Mr Chalkley.
A spokesman for the group denied the allegations, claiming they are the victims of a “smear campaign”.
They are confident any subsequent police investigation will clear them of any wrongdoing.
The two-wheelers object to the daily £1.50 fee and annual £150 permit introduced on a trial basis six months ago, which they have branded a “stealth tax”.
The parking department at the council has received more than 2,000 objections and the NTBPF campaign boasts the third-biggest petition on the 10 Downing Street website. In January it emerged that parking chiefs raked in more than £2million since rolling out the scheme.
Other charges relate to the group’s website including statements that anyone who supports the charge “must accept the consequences of their actions” as well as calling for a “total war” against Westminster staff.
The campaign group said the comments were not “dangerous”, and had been taken “out of context”.
The council also alleges that the website published the personal mobile number of cabinet member for finance Melvyn Caplan – who was subsequently bombarded with calls – as well as posting recordings of phone conversations with customer service staff on the internet. NTBPF say the council’s legal team have closed this particular matter.
Cllr Chalkley said: “We of course support people’s rights to protest peacefully against council policies that they may not agree with.
“We also understand that occasionally passions can run high, but the actions of some of those opposed to the council’s trial of motorbike parking charging fees go well beyond legitimate democratic opposition and protest.
“In recent weeks a number of our staff have been subjected to nothing more than a hate campaign of harassment, intimidation and bullying.
“If councillors and council officers continue to be targeted in this way, we will report those responsible to the police and will not hesitate to pursue legal action to bring an end to such behaviour.”
An NTBPF spokesman said: “We join Cllr Chalkley in condemning any acts which may constitute harassment, but have yet to see any examples that would justify this.
“The issuing of such unsubstantiated allegations in such a way as to slander our campaign is an attempt to frighten into submission the very people he claims to be listening to, and the forced closure of our public forum shows not only the level to which it has stifled public debate, but also highlights the responsible outlook and ethics of our campaign.”
Under the terms of the trial, the charges will be reviewed before any decision to make them permanent can be made. It is expected the decision will be made later this month. |
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