Uncertain New Year for pensioner

Published 1 Jan 2010 15:18 6 Comments

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A FRAIL 82-year-old man fears he could be spending the last New Year in his home of 51 years after the council threatened to take his dogs away.

Maurice Seddon, of Horton Road, Datchet, was served with official papers just before Christmas telling him to comply with a noise abatement notice to get rid of the animals which he says are his only companions and protection.

But the former army captain is refusing to act and the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is now on the brink of forcibly taking the hounds, which number around 12.

Royal Borough Mayor Datchet councillor Jesse Grey added: "We have been trying to tread softly because we are trying to consider his position, his age and thinking but we have got to think of his neighbours who are as old. They are fed up with the noise and the state of the place.

"It will now have to go to the courts and we'll say he's not done anything and the courts will say, well take them, so we will have to go to someone like the RSPCA."

Mr Seddon has previously challenged noise abatement notices from the council through magistrates and crown courts but without success.

He said: "All I can afford is dogs as protection and, thanks be, they are a very effective deterrent and the council is seeking to deprive me, a weak old man, of my only protection.

"I would not be able to live here without them and would have to move out. As far as I can see, I would have no home and no dogs which are also my only and beloved companions."

A statement from the Royal Borough said: "Both courts heard extensive evidence about the case and agreed that the Notice had been fully justified. Despite this the noise has not stopped and Capt Seddon appears not to have taken any steps to abate it."

Datchet Parish councillor Ewan Larcombe believes the borough is being too heavy handed.

He said: "The Royal Borough are spending Council Tax payers money victimising an old gentleman.

"He will only end up as a burden on the state because without his dogs he will not live there. I think it will be too traumatic to him. It's just really, really sad."

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James
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Jan 22, 16:25
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I think its disgusting, all that dog dirt everywhere, its not hygienic. What about the global warming? Everyone should be limited to one small dog per household. Its disgusting.

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william
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Jan 23, 14:33
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This article contains several inaccuracies. The complaint to the council comes from one neighbour in particular who moved to Datchet a few years ago. Maurice Seddon has lived here for 50 years, so the complainant moved to the situation and has now made life difficult for Maurice who previously had no problem with neighbours despite his admittedly eccentric lifestyle. Both properties are under the Heathrow flight path and the noise from planes, one a minute, is louder than any dog barking. Maurice actually won the first court hearing but the law allows people to make the same complaint repeatedly. Maurice has applied to the European Court and is awaiting a response from them but the local council are ignoring this fact. The complainant reportedly has another property in America so presumably could afford to move elsewhere. The terms of Maurice's lease bind him to this property until his death so he is unable to move even if he wanted to.

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James
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Feb 12, 13:32
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Dont give me any rubbish about inaccuracies - now - I am an animal lover, (I have a pet goldfish and a gerbil) and I put put birdseed out in my back yard. But let me tell you, I wont put up with dog dirts and its discgusting, I am disbled and when I come home I have to spend ages cleaning off the dog dirt off the wheels of my wheelchair. Its a foul habit defecating all over the pavements and there should be a £60,000 fine for anyone caught defecating on the pavements. I have to user rubber gloves wheile I use the wheelchair because I dont want to catch toxoplasmosis infections from dog and cat dirt scattered all over the pavements of Datchet, Windsor and Slough. Its disgusting.

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Unregistered User
Feb 14, 20:45
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The inaccuracies are not rubbish. My observations are based on having known Captain Seddon for over 20 years and having attended 2 of the court hearings regarding these alleged offences. The excrement from Maurice's dogs is not an issue. The fact is that the dogs' howling is often exacerbated by the sound of a siren passing, i.e. from an ambulance or a police car. Maurice cannot afford legal advice and each time he goes to court he represents himself with the aid of a "mackenzie friend" who is not entitled to speak in court but can offer advice by passing notes. At the last hearing, the council was represented by a barrister who was able to outwit Maurice in court partly by suggesting that Maurice is racist because he uses the term Diddicoy which is beside the point and completely irrelevant to the case in question. I'm sorry to hear that you have trouble with dog excrement on your wheelchair but a £60,000 fine seems somewhat draconian.

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Burroughs
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Feb 19, 18:02
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Now dont get me wrong, I 'm no animal hater... but I can tell you after I had my urethra turned inside out and manified 10,000 times all because of some indeftion I got off a tin of cat food. Its no jones you know in Jonestown here, if you catch my drift. It all goes soylent green when I shoot the dogfood in the mainline, you catch my drift? No narcs with Ourina all in one dogfood, it gives me sweet taste. Now in the comedown I prefer to snot chappie, it cools me out.

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william english
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Mar 16, 22:01
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Most of Maurice's dogs are mongrels and eat food from the various deep-freezes which are situated throughout the garden.

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