‘Builders yelled homophobic abuse at us in our garden’
POLICE are investigating footage of a gay couple apparently being subjected to homophobic slurs, songs and threats of violence from builders working next door.
It happened in Stroud, the Gloucestershire town which last week topped a poll in The Sunday Times as the best place to live in Britain.
Chris Copley-Hammond and his husband John, both 49, say they have been left frightened in their own home by the workmen.
They said it started with “the odd comment” from builders working on a new housing development since May last year.
But they say it escalated over the last few months from a construction crew working on scaffolding which overlooks John and Chris’s garden.
The verbal abuse came to a head last week when Chris filmed the builders singing along to Stevie Wonder’s I Just Called To Say I Love You on the radio, but changing the lyrics to homophobic slurs.
After laughing loudly at their lyrical amendment, one of the builders can then be heard calling to another further abusing the men.
And on Monday, when John went outdoors to ask the builders about some cement that they believe had been thrown on to their patio, the builders began to hurl abuse at him, at one point threatening physical violence.
The victim then films the cement covering his garden furniture and table and labels them a “disgrace” while vowing to get them all fired.
He adds: “This is a homophobic hate crime and you are going to go down.”
Property developers Bales Homes Ltd have apologised for the “regrettable” incident – and say the individuals involved were subcontractors and have been removed from the site. And John and Chris, who have two primary school-aged sons, have reported the builders to Gloucestershire Police, who confirmed they are investigating.
John said: “We’ve been left really frightened. I wasn’t sure whether to report it to the police but it is a hate crime. We can’t live like this in our own home.”
And Chris added: “It’s really quite upsetting – we’re both 49 years old now, but we were both bullied at school, and it does bring up those feelings again. A lot of the comments they have made are ridiculous homophobic things that were said as slurs in the 70s.”
The couple believe that the intimidation has built up as a result of them opposing a proposed change by property developers Bales Homes to increase the height of the 12 houses in the new development.
Chris said that it was “upsetting” that this has happened – after he and John moved to Stroud eight years ago because of its reputation as an “accepting” town.
He said: “We have felt very welcomed and very accepted here, it is a great community on the whole.
“We founded the first Stroud Pride group three years ago, and it was fantastic. We got a great reception.”
Siobhan Baillie, Conservative MP for Stroud, said the abuse John and Chris have been subjected to is “unacceptable”.
She said: “In the 21st century it is unacceptable that this sort of homophobic abuse is still in our society.
“No one should have to put up with it, particularly not in their own home. The law protects gay people from such abuse.”
Gloucestershire Police said: “We received a report of homophobic comments being made towards a couple in Stroud. We have spoken to the victims and are investigating.”
Lee Bales, managing director of Bales Homes, said: “Bales Homes are very sorry this has happened. It’s a regrettable situation and we feel sorry that the situation arose in the first place.
“Unfortunately the individuals involved were subcontractors.
“As soon as we were informed as to what was happening, we complained to the director of the subcontracting company and had the individuals removed from the site. Bales Homes have taken this complaint very seriously as the views expressed are not our own, and we will make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Bales Homes declined to reveal the name of the subcontractors.