ALTHOUGH I recognise that Mr Hussain is disappointed at losing his case in the Court of Appeal, I cannot allow his statement that the city council "had sat back and allowed (the harassment) to happen" (Citizen, May 21) to go unchallenged. Mr Hussain is ignoring the gaol sentences on eight people, totalling over 30 years, for the events of mischief night 1996.

The evidence that secured these convictions was provided by professional witnesses employed by the city council. Their secretly filmed video evidence was promptly handed over to the police. Carlton TV, who had film of the same events taken from inside his shop, did not act similarly. It is an interesting and so far unanswered, question why they did not.

Mr Hussain ignores too the possession orders served on several families, six of whom left the estate rather than face the near certainty of eviction and the forcible eviction we carried out in December. He ignores the surveillance equipment upgraded and installed in his shop by the council and the CCTV monitoring of the estate. No one denies Mr Hussain has been grievously harassed. However, the council has made sustained efforts to improve the situation on Ryelands both for him and for the peaceable majority. It serves no useful public purpose to deny this.

Cllr Ian Barker

Deputy leader

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