Fathers group returns to Harman's home

Last Modified: 09 Jul 2008
Source: ITN

Two Fathers 4 Justice campaigners are staging a rooftop protest at the home of Labour Party deputy leader Harriet Harman.

It is the second time in just over a month the group has staged a protest at Ms Harman's home in Herne Hill, south London.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said police were called at 6.22am and officers are in attendance. It is not known if Ms Harman was at home when the incident began.

The protesters, dressed in superhero costumes, said they would not come down until the Government takes them seriously.

They gave their names as Nigel Ace, 40, who was dressed as Spiderman, and Tony Ashby, 42, who was wearing a Batman costume. They said they had enough food supplies to last for a week.

Mr Ace, who described himself as a sales manager from Bristol, said the stunt was provoked by Ms Harman's recent pledge to ensure equality in the workforce.

He said: "What about dads? We haven't got equality. The Government is ignoring us and has a feminist agenda.

"We want Harriet Harman to come back here and engage in a debate with us and if not then Gordon Brown should come. I am trained in survival, so I don't care how long we are up here."

Mr Ashby, who described himself as a painter and decorator from Leicester, said he had not seen his children for seven years.

He said: "We have been up here since 6am and we are in for the long haul. We don't want to cause trouble, we just want to get our message across."

Ms Harman left her home at 7.45am and ignored the protesters, who have draped a flag on her wall saying 'Stop the war on dads'.

The men said they had not been involved in any previous stunts and had drawn straws to decide who would stage the protest.

Last month two protesters, Jolly Stanesby and Mark Harris, both from south Devon, scaled the roof of Ms Harman's home dressed as superheroes.

Mr Stanesby spent more than 24 hours on the Cabinet minister's roof in a protest that began on June 8 and ended the next day.

The pair were bailed by police until July 16 pending further police inquiries.

The group said at the time it wanted to highlight the fact that fathers were being made redundant emotionally in the courts, and now biologically in the new Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill.

Last month's protest forced Ms Harman, Minister for Women and Equality, out of her home.

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