Milling today

[Mike Dempsey]

I was milling a beech today in a public park with the council's permission including a letter stating that.

I had my barrier tape up, signs posted and was doing everything legit such a PPE. About 2 oclock a woman and her husband came up to the barrier tape and started taking photos. As I was on the saw my mate told me this when I had finished the plank. He also told me that he saw the man on his phone as well and we had a laugh about him phoning the police.

About half an hour later two coppers turned up and started questioning me about what we were doing there and had we got permission.

I pulled out my letter from the council and showed it to them and they were happy with that. As per usual they took my name and address etc even when I hadnt commited a crime.

I did ask them though if I could make a complaint against them for breaching my privacy under human rights legislation and they agreed I could! I wont be doing that as I am not an arse!

[se7enthdevil]

did the couple think you were stealing the wood?

[Mike Dempsey]

Hi Steve

I dont think we looked 'furtive or shady' We didnt look anything different from the local council tree squad. What I forgot to say is we often get people out dog walking or passing by asking questions. I am only too happy to answer their questions and I have yet to meet any hostile people out there. Plenty of nutters as well. Even the tree huggers are happy that the trees are getting used and will go on for many years instead of rotting away.

Maybe some people are just like that, with nothing to do!

[skyhuck]

How very sad

 

People are abused and assaulted on trains and buses, people just look the other way, but for this they call the plod, pretty much sums up modern society unfortunately

[Mike Dempsey]

Funny thing is, I have been in this park a few times and nothing like this has ever happened. Even stranger is that two coppers came out within half an hour of being phoned!

[dirtybiker]

They must have been from 'special branch'!

Sorry I couldn't resist

[agg221]

Personally I don't have an issue with people doing this to me.

 

I am doing something unusual, they are concerned about what I am doing but don't feel confident to approach me about it and they are taking photos in a public place. The police then check that everything is above board; if it is they go on their way.

 

I have had it milling on a farmer's field with a public footpath across it; I had it years ago milling some of the bends from parkland trees along the line of the channel tunnel rail link and, most recently collecting bend sections from a collapsed tree on Corporation of London land, where the stipulation was only fallen timber and no chainsaws. The latter was Corporation of London rangers rather than the police and they did get a bit officious to start with, but I waved my permission at them, they went and rang the person who had given it (who was empowered to do so) and went off rather grumpy about what I was doing, but more with the person who had given permission for not informing them than with me.

 

In all cases, I considered that the alternative that I was just left alone effectively would have indicated that anyone could turn up, fell anything they fancied and milled it up without anyone batting an eyelid. I considered my minor inconvenience was trivial compared with that potential outcome.

 

Alec

[Ghettoblaster]

That's the way of it these days unfortunately!

They could have just spoken to you about what you were doing rather than assuming the worst.

Thought you were not supposed to do noisy work after lunchtime on Saturday on the weekends, could have been about that?

[Mike Dempsey]

I am in Scotland so I dont think that we have that law up here. The only time I have been stopped for noise was when they were filming Cash in Your Attic at a local 5 star hotel. They played back the filming and you could hear my chainsaw vaguely in the background. They sent someone out to ask me to stop. I was happy to oblige as I was getting about 50 tons of logs for free from the hotel as they had a load of trees felled for an extension. They had to reshoot quite a lot of the programme because of me!

[Couldyajust]

Thought you were not supposed to do noisy work after lunchtime on Saturday on the weekends, could have been about that?

 

Thought that only applied to London.

https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/business/environmental-health/environmental-protection/Pages/Construction-.aspx