'Put me in jail if I commit a crime' 'Persecution' angers man in sign row.

Byline: Neil McKay

AFATHER of seven at the centre of a street sign row yesterday hit out at "police persecution" after he was served with a Criminality Notice.

Alan Wright, 45, from Burnhope, near Lanchester, County Durham, was served the notice by Durham Constabulary in July this year, but decided to bring the issue to the public's attention after a street sign bearing the name Wright's Way was publicly removed by officers last week.

Deputy Chief Constable Mike Barton was among officers involved in angry exchanges with Mr Wright and his two sons as the sign was replaced with one bearing the name Front Street.

Mr Wright, a builder who says he is currently off sick with stress, invited journalists to his girlfriend Lyndsay Carlyon's home in Stanley, to complain about the actions of the force. He said: "In this country I thought you were innocent until proven guilty. Yet I am described as a criminal even though I have not been convicted for any offence for 15 years, and I was a lot younger and daft then.

"I come from a large family, there are about 50 of us in Burnhope, and we are being unjustly branded as criminals. The police are acting as judge, jury and executioner."

The Criminality Notice served on Mr Wright says: "Durham Police are in receipt of information that suggests that you are, or are likely to be, engaged in criminal activities as part of an organised group. Your activities and involvement within this group have a serious impact on the community. "You are therefore strongly advised to refrain from engaging in nay such criminal activity and as such we will be monitoring your activities over the next 12 months.

"If you do not accept this advice, you are hereby notified that Durham Police in partnership with other agencies will be engaging in any, or all of the following actions against you: 'Rigorous enforcement of the Law for all of the offences committed by you; Proactive investigation utilising overt and covert methods; Obtaining an Anti Social Behaviour order or injunction preventing individuals from frequenting certain areas or associating with other named individuals; Investigation into relevant offences to determine whether or not a person has a criminal lifestyle under the Proceeds of Crime Act.'" Mr Wright said: "If I had done something wrong I would rather be put in jail and serve my sentence rather than have this constant persecution."

Last Monday Wright's Way and Wright's Court in Burnhope were changed after being described by police as "a constant reminder to people in Burnhope of the fear, intimidation and criminal activity being carried out by an organised gang".

Chief Inspector Dave Turner said: "There is an organised criminal group in this area who believe they can act with impunity.

"They have paraded their wealth and criminality and our message is it is not being tolerated."

But Mr Wright, who said he built a number of luxury homes in the village after his ex-wife Deborah inherited money, therefore "saving the village from being blighted with Category D status", added: "Whoever heard of the police turning up to change a street sign? It is completely over the top." He pointed out that a petition signed by 100 residents of the hilltop village, organised at a village shop, said they were "not intimidated" by the street name Wright's Way. An order announcing the street name change was delivered to 12 homes in September - the day more than 150 police officers and 50 officials from the Environment Agency carried out a series of dawn raids in the Burnhope area as part of an operation into alleged illegal tipping, waste disposal and car scrapping offences.

CAPTION(S):

ACTION Alan Wright, left, at his home in Stanley with his father Robert Wright. Above police take down The Wrights Way sign and replace it with Front Street.