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Star’s
son arrested in hunt protest at PM’s house
The nineteen year-old son of Bryan Ferry, the singer, was arrested
by armed police officers after approaching Tony Blair's constituency
home in the middle of the night with pro-hunting posters.
Otis Ferry, an amateur whip with the Middleton Hunt in Yorkshire
and a passionate supporter of hunting, was intending to place
Countryside Alliance posters on the walls of the building at
Sedgefield, Co Durham. He was challenged by two officers after
passing through the security gates at 4am and arrested when
he refused to give his personal details.
After being released without charge, Mr Ferry said: "I
had seen on the news that pro-hunting protesters had been targeting
MPs' homes and thought you couldn't get better than Tony Blair's
home.
"I found out where he lived and drove there, not expecting
to be arrested. There were no keep out signs and the gates opened
when I walked up to them. "When I heard the CCTV cameras
rotating towards me I thought I had better go but when I turned
round there were two armed policemen there. One of them was
carrying a machine gun.
"I am annoyed with myself for getting caught. It was stupid."
He was taken to a police station for questioning but released
without charge. However, he was re-arrested after Humberside
police contacted the Durham force saying they wanted to question
him in connection with an incident of alleged criminal damage.
He has since been released on police bail.
Mr Ferry, educated at Marlborough College, joined the Middleton
Hunt after leaving school two years ago. He is passionate about
field sports and his father, the lead singer of Roxy Music,
is understood to have pledged his support for the Countryside
Alliance.
His son said: "I felt I was not doing enough to try to
save hunting. There are so few ways of making your feelings
felt other than going on marches. I am passionate about it.
Why else would I be pratting around outside the Prime Minister's
constituency home at that time of the morning? I haven't done
anything wrong and I am certainly not going to be dissuaded
by what happened."
A spokesman for Durham police said Mr Ferry had approached the
Prime Minister's constituency home at 4am on Wednesday last
week. "A hooded man was spotted walking towards the front
gates. He was challenged by two police officers and when he
refused to give his personal details he was arrested,"
he said."He was taken to Newton Aycliffe police station
for questioning but after further inquiries, investigating officers
decided no offence had been committed."
Humberside police questioned Mr Ferry that evening and released
him on police bail pending further inquiries. A spokesman said:
"He was wanted for questioning about an incident of criminal
damage in the East Riding area of Yorkshire in May this year."
Mr Ferry, who lives near Birdsall, North Yorks, refused to elaborate
on the incident, except to say it was "not serious".
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