THE assault of a 67-year-old man on a public footpath has led to an official enquiry into the Yorkley Court Farm evictions.

Security guards used dogs to threaten walkers, wildlife was damaged and personal possession was destroyed during the eviction of squatters living on the land off Lydney Road, according to residents and councillors.

Councillor Jackie Fraser (Mitcheldean and Drybrook, Lab) proposed that the Forest of Dean District Council should set up a scrutiny enquiry after being horrified by the alleged events - a motion that was agreed.

She said:“To be fair to the people we represent in this district a full scrutiny enquiry about the eviction should take place.”

Councillor Alan Grant (Pillowell, Ukip) said at last week’s meeting of the Forest of Dean District Council: “A respectable 67-year-old pensioner who lives in my ward was roughed up and had his camera taken from him just for walking a public footpath.

“Public footpaths have been illegally closed, members of the public have been threatened with menacing guard dogs, hedgerows have been ripped out with no regards for the wildlife that live in it.

“People’s personal possessions were trashed and put on bonfire. Industrial style fencing has been put up on agricultural land.

“Pleasant farmland wrecked and turned into a lunar landscape.”

Cllr Alan Preest (Lydney North, Ukip) proposed setting up a full public enquiry into the matter, but this proposal was rejected.