In 1960 my wife bought Stoney Down Café and car park at Stoney Down Cross Road Lychett Matravers, which we ran as a profitable business until 1997. However, the business was unable to continue because Dorset County Council, (DCC) served a compulsory purchase order on our property, allegedly to enable an essential road traffic island to be constructed at the cross roads. Our objections were totally rejected and we were refused leave to appeal the draconian decision. In the event DCC never built the 'essential roundabout', instead the DCC sold the land at many times the price paid to my wife, after having granted planning permission to build houses on the site.

Having to pick ourselves up and get on with our lives my wife purchased Greenwood Grange Holiday Cottages with land adjoining Thornecombe Wood, (Thomas Hardy's Cottage). Later my wife sold the cottages and kept the land which we ran as a sanctuary for birds and unwanted pets, but my wife subsequently died.

The site was securely fenced in accordance with the 'T' markings on the Deeds which DCC claim encroached upon their boundary and made a claim against me in court. The court case cost me over £20 000 and DCC took the land from me in harmony with Lloyds Bank Plc. All the animals and some 5000 exotic birds were removed. The confiscated land was sold but the new owner has overturned the decision and found that DCC were wrong. I have therefore made application for compensation and damages for the wrong done to me.

In 1998 I purchased the office buildings and a yard, now known as Camelot House together with a lease for associated adjacent property from a Mr Parsons a building contractor. The property has 'B1' certificate of use No: 1/E/1999/0321, with the condition precedent that, 'In order to protect the amenities of the area and to insure road safety, there is to be adequate permanent off site and off road parking, which are to be retained thereafter for the specific purpose'.

During the period since my acquiring the site and buildings the Puddletown By-pass has been constructed passing a few hundred yards to the north of my site, the civil engineers using the land in between as their construction site, laying out drainage services and concrete roads and hard standing. Coincidentally Westbury Homes have obtained planning approval for the construction of some 28 houses on the now vacated site. The contractors previously had access via the A31, but now the only access is my site, the reason I believe for the unprovoked harassment of me and my family and staff by DCC culminating on February 7th 2002 when PC 199 Harvey entered my site and acting as he said on the direct orders of Chief Constable Jane Stichbury and supported by a Magistrate Order that my son Duncan and myself remove vehicles from the land, (designated as the required parking). The DCC then proceeded to employ JCBs' to rip up the concrete parking area in contradiction to my Deeds of Title, Leases and a CT1 number 274473 I have on the land.

Being law abiding citizens we complied, in spite of showing the Police Officer the official extracts of title and planning proviso that the land was to be designated exclusively for parking ! The order was allegedly obtained when I was in hospital

for a multiple heart by-pass operation and I knew nothing about it. My experience of the authorities in Dorset cause me to have real doubts that I would get a fair and proper hearing and I therefore intend to apply to The Court of Human Rights Strasbourg for protection.

I have also notified the Rt. Hon. Jim Knight MP for SouthEast who has initiated an inquiry into establishment corruption in Dorset as a result of the number of complaints he has received since becoming Member of Parliament for SE Dorset

Signed Eric Amey