Councillor 'intimidated' as she took photos at Trump site

Published on Monday 30 March 2009 22:47

ONE of the most outspoken critics of Donald Trump's £1 billion golf resort yesterday announced plans to lodge a formal police complaint against the tycoon's staff, accusing them of intimidation and "thuggish behaviour".

Debra Storr, who quit Aberdeenshire Council's ruling administration in the fall-out over the Menie development, claims she was harassed at the weekend after she began taking photographs of locked access gates on the estate near Balmedie.

She had already reported the billionaire's organisation to Aberdeenshire Council for allegedly breaking right-to-roam laws, after locals complained that six gates giving access to specially protected sand dunes had been locked by guards.

The former Liberal Democrat councillor said yesterday she had returned to Menie at the weekend after receiving a report from a constituent that access gates had been locked again.

She claimed her car had been followed and then blocked in by Trump staff as she was about to leave. Ms Storr said: "It was pretty intimidating to be followed by an unidentified car and finally to be prevented from leaving from the Mill of Menie track, where I had every right to be. We have laws that are designed to protect the public from this type of thuggish behaviour and I intend to take the matter further.

"I believe the Menie estate staff may have acted unlawfully by intimidating and detaining me by blocking my exit as I legally went about my business."

Neil Hobday, the Menie project director, said: "To find Debra Storr snooping around, illegally taking photos and looking at the locks was simply beyond belief and it way exceeds her authority as a councillor."