Along with about 100 other protesters I have just witnessed a further stage in the bullying tactics of National Grid as it seeks to foist their unwanted and unnecessary line of massive pylons on the people of North Yorkshire.

The occasion was a public "wayleave hearing", held at Easingwold, at which the National Grid were, for the second time, seeking compulsory powers to construct four pylons on the land of Mr and Mrs Wilkinson of Helperby.

On the one side was the National Grid, represented by Queen's Counsel, supported by solicitors, technical experts, and various other officials - in all some 20 (no doubt highly paid) men and women, fully supported by unlimited financial and technical resources.

On the other side were Mr and Mrs Wilkinson, supported by their Land Agent and by Prof Mike O'Carroll, the chairman of REVOLT (the organisation opposing the construction of the pylons), acting in a voluntary capacity.

The inspector whose job is to weigh up the balance of the arguments and present his recommendations to the Department of Trade and Industry is employed by the DTI.

He has previously chaired several enquiries relating to this application to build the pylons, and in all previous cases he has supported National Grid in its applications.

The only acknowledgement of any sense of democracy was the fact that the hearing was held in public and that 100 of us did our best to protest as effectively as we could.

I urge readers to join our protest.

Don E Cartridge,

Front Street,

Sowerby,

Thirsk.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.