The Derwentside Story recalls murder live on television

Mar 14 2009 by Neil Mckay, The Journal

THE shooting of a planning officer encouraged customers to become more aggressive to council officers, a new book has revealed.

The day that council planning officer Harry Collinson was shot dead witnessed by millions of TV viewers is recalled in the book, The Derwentside Story, Derwentside District Council 1974-2009. Killer Albert Dryden made headlines around the world when he shot Mr Collinson in front of journalists and police on June 20, 1991.

Dryden, a self-styled eccentric, had built a bungalow without planning permission at Butsfield, a few miles south of Consett, County Durham, claiming that it was not required since only the roof was visible.

The council, along with police and a BBC camera crew, arrived to demolish the property. Dryden, who had an arsenal of guns in his bungalow, shot dead the council’s chief planning officer, Harry Collinson, 46. He then shot a police officer, Stephen Campbell, in the buttock and BBC Look North reporter Tony Belmont in the arm.

The fatal scene was captured on camera and transmitted live on the BBC’s local evening bulletin Look North. The footage shows Mr Collinson asking the camera crew to take a shot of Dryden’s gun. The camera pans to Dryden, who fires the gun. As everyone including the crew fled, Dryden shot the police officer and the reporter.

In the book published to commemorate the impending demise of Derwentside District Council to make way for a single unitary authority, Mr Collinson’s colleague Peter Reynolds says: “Harry Collinson was a very conscientious officer. He was determined not only to do everything exactly correctly, but that everything should be done openly and honestly.

“All the necessary approvals were in place, and the council could have sent a bulldozer in the night and knocked down Dryden’s bungalow without anybody knowing. Instead, Harry arranged for the demolition to take place during the day, and notified Dryden in advance.”

The book, written by local author Chris Foote Wood, reports: As Harry Collinson approached the bungalow, Albert Dryden appeared with two others in the background. Without warning, Dryden produced a gun and shot Collinson dead.

Ex council leader Joe Rhind said: “The murder of our chief planning officer was a huge shock to everybody. Never before had we thought that a council officer, or a councillor, might be harmed in the course of doing his or her duty. Council staff were put under terrific pressure.

“For the first time members of the public started to get aggressive. We had to bring in new procedures to avoid anything like this happening again.”

Dryden, 69, who has served 17 years in jail, has vowed to get his conviction overturned on the grounds that he was provoked and, if he is successful, he hopes to receive £4m in compensation. The former steelworker is employed in the post room at Haverigg Prison, Cumbria.

The Derwentside Story includes a foreword by Sir Bobby Robson. The former England and Newcastle United manager was made an Ambassador for Derwentside nine years ago.

The book is for sale in local book shops or from council offices. Profits go to local charity the Willowburn Hospice.

Page 2: The day a good man died – and we all realised nobody is safe from the threat of violence