Ex-car boot sale organiser hits out at 'thug' label

FORMER Gloucester car boot organiser Reg Daldry has protested being "labelled a thug" as council chiefs defended informing the police and calling in extra security amid concerns over a possible "people's uprising" at a meeting.

- Carmelo GARCIA Local Democracy Reporter

Mr Daldry asked questions about the recent award of the car boot land lease at the cabinet meeting held on June 11.

He previously ran the Hempsted Meadows site on a temporary basis, was among the three parties who bid for a long term leasehold for the site.

He asked the managing director Jon McGinty why he asked for police and extra security to attend a meeting earlier this year and informed 40 people he would be attending.

"When myself, my daughter and members attended this meeting," he said "Every councillor and everybody in this room already knew to look upon me as a thug or a criminal because you told everybody I was attending.

"If you look at what you sent, which isn't very nice for anybody. I'm not a criminal, I was in partnership with Gloucester City Council. So why would you have the audacity and nerve to call the police on me and label me as that person?

"So everybody has already based an opinion on myself. You are going to say we had intelligence I was attending.

"Yes you had intelligence I was attending because I told you I was attending. Because you asked me if I was attending.