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| Stone Formation Archive 1987 |
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 Stone Formations news, views, gallery and archive brought to you by Weird Wiltshire Introduction Latest News News Archive Stonehenge Stonehenge Project Stonehenge 360 Avebury Saviours Stones Village Solstice Wayland Smithy Long Barrow Woodhenge Gallery Summer Solstice Gallery 2002 Summer Solstice Gallery 2004 Postcards Wallpaper Links  |
First published on March 24, 1987 SOME police used excessive force in the battle of Stonehenge, but they cannot be disciplined. Neither they nor their victims can be traced, a report by the Police Complaints Authority says today. The report speaks of 'total confusion' in the melee when 500 hippies were arrested. It says the failure of police to turn back hippies well before Stonehenge meant the peace convoy and other people were concentrated in two fields. The eventual decision to arrest everybody in the fields 'posed significant administrative problems.' "Making the arrests, some officers clearly used excessive force," says the report, "but it has not been possible to identify them among the 1,363 officers involved. "Therefore, disciplinary proceedings, which demand a clear identification of officers, are impossible." There were several incidents in which police were seen hitting people with truncheons. A thorough police investigation followed. "The authority is convinced, and the police forces concerned accept, that the members of the public who saw these incidents are telling the truth," says the report. "But it has not been possible to trace the victims." The report also speaks of police being pelted with petrol bombs and missiles. Police Authority chairman Coun John Church, who said after the battle police had mounted a 'carefully controlled' operation and had 'acted properly,' was asked to comment on the report. Coun Church said: "Wiltshire police were faced with a situation they never had to face before. They were concerned with a number of people determined to break the law. "I have always accepted that, in the melee, there were some unfortunate incidents. There was some excitement and some police were more forcible than they should have been." Back to 1987 index |
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