Woman in right of way row condemns police over arrests
‘Living nightmare’ over path sees landowner arrested 3 times after challenging trespassers
ALANDOWNER handed a criminal antisocial behaviour order (CRASBO) for blocking walkers using a right of way outside her home has spoken of her fury at being arrested three more times by police.
No new charges have been brought against Frances Hirayama but the Evesham landowner claims she is enduring a “living nightmare” after being slapped with a five-year CRASBO in February for allegedly preventing people using the public path.
She says locals from a new estate regularly stray onto her private land.
Ms Hirayama, 57, claims since the court case she has been arrested three more times after clashes with locals – but no charges were brought.
On one occasion, she says eight officers turned swooped to arrest her after claims she had a gun. She was held in a cell before being released without charge.
Ms Hirayama has now logged complaints with West Mercia Police over the “false arrests” and her treatment. The force has confirmed it is investigating one complaint from Ms Hirayama, but said the outcome of other complaints found “the police service was acceptable”.
Ms Hirayama claimed the first arrest came when a girl “trespassing” on her land accused her of grabbing her. No further action was taken was police.
Then, in June, she claims she was arrested after children claimed she had pushed them into a river and assaulted them. She says she provided video evidence to police and was released without charge.
In July, she says a couple called police claiming she had attacked them on the footpath – and fired a gun at them. Eight police officers turned up at her property and arrested her, claimed Ms Hirayama, but she was released without charge after being held in a cell.
Her family has lived at Hampton Mill for 50 years, which has a right of way running through it.
But after a new housing estate was built next door, off Corn Mill Road, tensions came to a head.
Magistrates found her guilty of displaying a ‘do not enter’ sign with intent to cause harassment, alarm or distress and failing to comply with a community protection notice on December 14 last year in her absence.
Ms Hirayama was given the CRASBO order in February after a court heard she had used razor wire and chains to stop walkers using the public footpath near her home.
The mother-of-one said she was ill with Covid at the time but proceedings continued without her so “she could not speak up for herself against the accusations”.
Ms Hirayama, who previously aired her claims about locals on Channel 5’s Nightmare Neighbour Next Door, claims that when she had complained to West Mercia Police about alleged malicious and threatening behaviour, nothing is done.
“The order (CRASBO) has made things worse and this is a living nightmare,” said Ms Hirayama, a professional in the pharmaceutical industry.
“The parents think it is funny to let the children bother me and make up outrageous claims that I have proved unfounded.
My family lived here long before the housing estate. Some of the residents abuse the right of way, going off the path, trespassing. Frances Hirayama
“The police have arrested me three times but not charged me with anything. It feels like harassment.
“My family lived here long before the housing estate came along. Some of the residents abuse the right of way, going off the path, trespassing around my land, paddling and fishing in the weir, riding bikes around and letting their dogs off the lead to frighten my sheep.
“I’ve faced 97 different types of crime on my land but the police do nothing about it.”
She claimed a Facebook group was encouraging people to report her, adding: “The police go along with every unfounded claim. But they don’t respond when I report threatening or abusive behaviour.
“I feel the police aren’t being fair. It’s like a war-zone here.
“The court case went on without me when I was ill and I feel that I have been denied my day in court to put over my side of what’s been happening.
“They think I am a 57-year-old woman living alone that they can push around.”
Ms Hirayama has complained to West Mercia Police over the three “false arrests”. She also appealed against her sentence and applied for a judicial review, both of which were denied by the courts.
A West Mercia Police spokesperson said: “We can confirm that we have reviewed a complaint from a woman in relation to her land in Hampton Hill, Evesham and the lack of service she felt she had received from police.
“The outcome of the review was that the police service was acceptable. Two further complaints were submitted but these were found to have been dealt with within the original complaint.
“No further action was taken on these complaints due to them being repetitious.”