Police curb perve demo

Sep 7 2007 By Paul Bradley, Birmingham Mail

ANGER over a new mental health unit in Birmingham reached boiling point as protesters clashed with police at a meeting.

Dozens of campaigners with loud-speakers and placards descended on the Bordesley Centre, where Heart of Birmingham Primary Care Trust was holding its annual meeting.

Residents who live near the proposed 80-bed all-male unit in Yardley Green Road, Bordesley Green, were shocked when police arrived.

Father-of-five Ali Khattak, who organised yesterday's protest, said: "Suddenly all these police turned up and threatened to arrest us if we didn't stop talking.

"They put their foot in it a bit, as the discussions were going well with chairman Ranjit Sandhu and his chief executive.

"It was completely peaceful. We told them we weren't happy and they agreed to talk to us again before they went any further.

"If they are genuine then we might achieve something here. All we want if for them to stop all building works and to come and talk to us."

Mr Khattak, aged 37, added: "We don't want perverts and paedophiles around where we live. This is going to have an effect on our families and our children.

"It's not simply a hospital. These patients are dangerous."

Nearly 100 protesters arrived by coach to make their views heard at the hour-long meeting, and demanded that the facility proposed by Birmingham and Soli-hull Mental Health Trust be scrapped immediately.

More than 3,000 people had previously signed a petition against the unit amid fears over the safety of their children.

A spokesman from Heart of Birmingham Primary Care Trust was not immediately available for comment.