Letter from DCC's Solicitor, parts of which may be held to be defamatory. 15 September 2002.

The Chief Executive of DCC was later forced in effect to retract part of this letter. There are many people in Sidmouth who have for years considered me to be a public nuisance. They include the more dotty of our councillors, their Britain in Bloom hangers-on, incompetent local officials, people who do not like being forced to think and many others. Some of them are described elsewhere on this website.

"Et semel emissum volat irrevocabile verbum."
(Once a word has been allowed to escape, it cannot be recalled.)
Horace (65 - 8 BC)  Epistles, I. xviii. 71 

SIDMOUTH LIBRARY

The Chief Executive is away until 30 September and, in his absence, I am answering your letter of 9 September.

Mrs Osborne's letter to you of 30 August was written after consultation with me and I am satisfied that, given your previous correspondence with Libraries staff it represents a reasonable and restrained response to your lengthy commentary of 22 August.

I have only two points to add:
(1) it invariably seems to be the case that people who send rude and arrogant letters to local government officers expect prompt and courteous replies to their disproportionate demands upon the public service;
(2) the XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX in your commentary cause me considerable concern and I have drawn these to the attention of the Chief Constable.

Let me make it perfectly plain to you that you are no longer a welcome visitor to any County Council premises. Your behaviour in recent months at Sidmouth Library has been wholly unacceptable : intimidating staff, throwing items around, disturbing other users and infringing their privacy, XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX and, most lately, distributing your absurd 'survey'. Far from being the protector of the public interest you mistakenly appear to imagine yourself you are in fact a regular cause of complaint from other members of the public who have urged the staff to take stronger protective action.

The Library Byelaws which you repeatedly mention give the Council the right to exclude a persistent troublemaker and we will not hesitate to use this power. However, given the likelihood that you would treat such a sanction with contempt, I would seek to reinforce it with a court injunction restraining you from further interference.

I am well aware that last week you requisitioned a supply of Ombudsman forms and this letter is written with a reference from you very clearly in mind.

Yours faithfully

Roger Gash

COUNTY SOLICITOR
cc Councillors Mrs Channon, Mrs Spence and S Hughes
Director of Education, Arts and Libraries
Deputy Director of Resources