Police pull down 'intimidating' Burnhope street signs

Nov 3 2009 by Neil McKay, The Journal

POLICE have pulled down home-made street signs in a Durham village which they say were a constant reminder of “fear, intimidation and criminal activity”.

A team of officers, including Durham Deputy Chief Constable Mike Barton, arrived in the hilltop village of Burnhope, near Lanchester, to rename Wrights Way and Wrights Court as Front Street and Burnhope Court.

The streets had never been properly named, but someone had christened them Wrights Way and Wrights Court, and put up official-looking signs.

Officers who changed the signage were involved in heated exchanges with members of the Wright family who are well known in North West Durham. An order announcing the change of name was delivered to the 12 homes that make up the two streets in September.

On the same day more than 150 police officers and 50 officials from the Environment Agency carried out a series of dawn raids against criminal activity in the area.

Operation Sinta, which was launched on September 24, was mainly concerned with illegal tipping, waste disposal and car scrapping offences.

Chief Inspector Dave Turner said: “There is an organised criminal group in this area who believed they can act with impunity. They have paraded their wealth and criminality and our message is: ‘It is not being tolerated’.