They came in at about 3:00 a.m. We had plenty of warning and were trying to work out if it was Trollheim or Fairmile. We got confirmation Trollheim was being surrounded. I gave the shout over the CB and the intercom. I let off my specially prepared 2-tone squeal alarm. I left the ambulance to suss out some torchlights and bumped into two T.S.G in full riot gear. They told me to stand outside the ambulance. I told them who I was, and what I was doing. They allowed me to use the intercom to see if everyone was O.K., everyone was. They then allowed me to use the CB to tell the outside world everything was O.K. After that they prevented me from using the CB but I managed to get the odd message out. I had two police most of the time standing outside my back door.
At 4:55 screaming was heard through the intercom, it was lock-on no.6 (the tree- stump bunker (Fort Knox)) which contained three females. One was screaming "you're hurting me." The police refused to let me ask if they were alright.
At 4:57 diggers were being brought too close to the site. I sent a message to the sheriff about the high risk of cave-ins, in the tunnels due to the heavy machinery, but he ignored my warnings.
At 5:02 someone in 'The Well" {a deep shaft of about 25 ft with 3 ft of concrete in the bottom as a lock-on} was unwell. The bailiffs told 3 people he had taken an overdose and was locked on. Consequently three people thought things had gone too far and unlocked themselves after being told they would not be arrested. All three were arrested for obstructing the Sheriff. The 'overdose' casualty turned out to be merely sleeping and was fine.
At 6:15 there were still seventeen people locked on
Between 7-8:00 the main tunnel was entered. At first they forcefully opened the locked door at the entrance to the tunnel which was clearly marked as 'attached to shoring' with a crowbar. Thus causing shoring to become dislodged and sand to fall. The occupants had previously spent time explaining who they were and what they were doing. They attempted to compromise by asking the bailiff to talk to them and strike a deal that if the tunnel was not breached they would come up peacefully after two hours. The bailiffs decided to take the unsafe option and evict the protesters.
Once the door had been removed the ventilation system that had been installed by us was next in line.
With no clean air supply, the potholer bailiff {from the peak district}decided to forcefully remove two of the protesters who claimed to be locked on, by dragging them into the first section of the tunnel, now cleared of all the ventilation piping and fans, rolling them onto their backs and handcuffing them. They were then pulled to the surface through many tight gaps and openings by a 15 ft rope attached to their handcuffs. They were not locked on.
The bailiff had successfully used up all of the oxygen by being so forceful and causing everyone to breathe heavily.
He saw a third protester who also claimed to be locked on at the far end.
The bailiff claimed he was exhausted from being awake for 24 hours and he was finding it hard to breathe and returned to the surface for a 5 minute break, leaving the protester without air.
I heard the protester asking me for air and I tried to contact the under-sheriff to inform him of the situation but I was told everything was under control, a blatant lie.
The potholer bailiff returned into the tunnel {still cloudy from condensation} and moved onto the third protester.
A half boarded wall of timber blocking half of the tunnel was kicked out causing shoring again to be dislodged and large chunks of the ceiling began to fall. All of the timber was removed from the tunnel along with all of the water and bedding.
A noose was tied around the curled up protesters feet and he was stretched on a rope in order for the bailiff to clamber over the top of him to check he was locked-on. He was. At this point the intercom speaker was broken.
The bailiff swore and left the tunnel leaving the protester still being pulled on by a taut rope. Approximately every 10 minutes the rope was yanked to make sure he was still there.
A cave and rescue specialist brought in to monitor the 'overdose' casualty was asked to look into the tunnel and assess the situation. He entered the tunnel and instantly described the bailiffs 'as animals'.
He ordered the instant installation of intercoms, compressed air and untied the protester's feet. After a long chat the protester agreed to unlock and leave the tunnel on the condition he was not arrested.
At this point there were only two protesters left on site.
The tunneler was escorted off site and not arrested, leaving one protester on site.
At 9:51 the police asked me to leave and I did so.
The eviction at Fort Trollheim was Britain's first tunnel eviction.
The Trolls were impeccably behaved and there was absolutely no incidence of violence.
Troll engineering proved to live up to its high standard and was the only factor that saved lives.
If the under-sheriff and his not-so merry men use the same tactics as were used at Trollheim on the ancient muddy warrens of Fairmile. SOMEONE WILL DIE!
They came into Fairmile at 9.40pm police all over the place we spotted them sent out arooga rumour. As ever, one person caught out having a dump.
People down Big Mama are all O.K. and in good spirits. They have plenty of food and water and are behind three doors. People are up trees, not as many as there could have been. We have wire communications with Big Mama and CB contact with FOXTROT YOGHURT and BAY WATCH.
10.30pm 3 climbers up the beech trees by the badger sett.
10.34pm first arrest.
10.45pm walkways being cut.
11.02pm a girl has fallen about 6 foot she was O.K. but very upset.
11.06pm generator fumes going down tunnel. We passed the message on to the sheriff and the generator was moved. They will be pumping air down the tunnels and monitoring oxygen levels. I have been informed that they won't be touching anything on the ground until morning.
12.05am they have sealed the camp. Have met the guys going down and building the shoring. Their main concern is safety.
12.35am everything O.K. Early in the morning a megaphone was used to emit a loud squeaking noise down the tunnel this woke the people in the tunnel. It stopped after a short time.
2.00am there are 3 people in the big oak one person is handcuffed in an oil drum filled with concrete locked on.
4.10am PP3 was subjected to a full on search by the police.
6.57am 4 men and one woman in the oak.
8.30am caver going down tunnel. 9.20am climbers going up trees. 11.35am the cavers are going to square off the tunnel by the door before the shoring is put in.
11.40am tripod thing erected above shaft of Big Mama. Block and tackle attached with caving rope through pulley.
11.57am generator started near shaft.
12.15am they put up a wooden fence and are now laying down razor wire. We thought razor wire was illegal, but this stuff isn't real razor wire just looks like it.
12.35pm radar thing being used around lock ons very sensitive and accurate. We are a bit worried about this machine as the radiation given off by it is very dangerous. We're looking into it. They have spent hours to dismantle the tyre lock-on, no one was in it. At one point a bailiff tried it for size. A stretch has been cut through between the beech under the cargo net to the back copse.
12.45pm the sheriff's rep, doctor and potholer came to check on situation in tunnels. They also asked about a possible extra tunnel they are pumping air into. The potholers are mine rescue. They seem very reasonable and willing to help they are also honest, unlike the sheriff and his men. It was these guys who went down the Trollheim tunnels after the bailiffs had been in, and insisted that air and communications were re- installed. These guys are not going to take anyone out all they are doing is making the tunnels safe. They also told us that the bailiffs who tied up the person in the Troll tunnels and stretched them out, were given a serious telling off. The sheriff's man is still trying to say it didn't happen. Maybe one day we'll play him the tape.
1:00pm single line walkway between Darren's tree and the beech is re-connected. Yip Yip.
1:05pm the abyss is breached.
1:25pm 5 or 6 climbers at bottom of beech.
1:30pm climbers half way up.
1:31pm at base of battle platform
1:34pm climbing up sides
1:42pm climbers up top of tree. One person locked on in the inner sanctum in the beech.
1.47pm climbers at top of tree talking to protesters, being very friendly. I think that they have thought a lot about keeping things calm and gone for the approach of being nice to people. Everyone is being extremely fluffy. They only brought one rope with them so have to go back down and get another.
2.15 Baywatch gone off air.
2.20pm flags lowered from beech.
2.45pm pot holers and their camera crew going down tunnel. They're having a meeting on the surface.
2.55pm potholers spotted digging to the left of the tunnel. They are levelling the floor for their table thing. We have given interviews to the media.
3.40pm the persons lock-on stash in the beech has been removed. The table thing is level.
3.49pm equipment by the tunnels includes : 2 engine driven pumps with air tanks, 1 generator, light stand, TV connected to cables running to the shaft, pulley on tripod with expensive white caving rope, several air pipes connected to tunnel pipes, loads of boxes and cables. The table is for bits of paper and T.V. The pulley is for pulling bits of shoring in and out.
4.00pm 9 people still up trees. 5 people down Big Mama.The person locked on in the oak was locked on for 37 hours and 20 minutes. We tried negotiating soup to be taken to her last night because she was cold. Turned into a right palaver. Maybe one day we'll write a book about the negotiations we had with the police negotiators. Here is a summary.
THE OJ SAGA 10.00pm
OJ on lock on in oak, needs hot "cup a soup" as she is cold. Liason have said they will see what they can do. She can still move her hands but the handcuffs are tight.
10.02pm police liason install intercom link between PP3 and their own communications van outside. A very techno piece of tat indeed. The intercom works by keeping your finger on the button on the side, this will then ring next door and will be picked up by the tripple B's Bob,Brian and Bruce. There is no need to remove your finger from the button.
10.35pm police liason has asked that a protester should come down from the trees in exchange for a flask of hot soup, at this point OJ who had been locked on for over 24 hours in the high branches of the oak tree said she'd rather die of hyperthermia than create that situation.
11.35pm still trying to resolve the situation with OJ possibly getting somewhere. Talking to the police in PP3 at present, all for a flask of soup.
11.45pm asking for a medic to assess situation.
11.55pm police causing loads of hassle and bother.
12.05pm After PP3 explained that we would drop it, and that the person would get ill from hyperthermia, they reversed their decision. A flask was sent up to OJ at 12.12am containing hot mushroom soup and a sneaky pouch of tobacco.