A MAN who has campaigned against plans to turn a popular park into a gyratory system was threatened with arrest after he attended the full council meeting yesterday brandishing a home-made banner.
Peter Giles, 66, who has repeatedly protested against the controversial plans, attended the meeting as he knew the gyratory would be on the agenda.
Peter told the Chronicle he was threatened with arrest as he stood with his banner in the public gallery of the council chamber at the town hall.
“I wasn’t being noisy or disruptive, just standing and holding the banner,” Peter, of Lancaster Street, said.
“I was using my democratic entitlement to bring to the councillors my concerns.
“Two great burly security guards came and asked me to leave or they would forcibly evict me, and within fifteen seconds that turned into threatening to arrest me for trespassing. I was shocked.
“When I asked to see the legislation letting them do that, I was told they couldn’t tell me because they didn’t know. I was polite, it wasn’t as though I was refusing to leave.”
Peter said the banner was then ‘wrenched’ from his hands by a steward, who he tracked down afterwards to be told she was ‘just following orders’ and have his banner returned.
Peter, along with fellow campaigners Pete and Linda Fielding, attended the meeting to see Lib Dem prospective parliamentary candidate for Penistone and Stocksbridge Hannah Kitching pose questions to Coun Roy Miller on the gyratory scheme.
The three were allowed to remain in the public gallery following the incident, but Peter said his experience had soured his opinion on the usefulness of public council meetings.
Peter said: “This was my first visit to a full council meeting and I’ve come away wondering whether there was any point in it.”
A council spokesman said: “We welcome attendance at our meetings. Generally most meetings are open to the public and people can stay for as long as they want to.
“The government provides information for the public and press on attending meetings. It states that people acting in a disruptive manner could be asked to leave the meeting.
“This includes any action or activity which disrupts the conduct of meetings, such as displaying banners and signs.”
