Bailiffs and environmentalists prepare for the 'Second Battle of Hastings' as Sitting Bull leads new generation of 'Swampy' road protesters
- Fifty activists have set up tree huts and dug tunnels along the route of a planned £93m link road in East Sussex
- One protester said he was prepared to live in a tunnel for a month to prevent work being carried out
Protesters say they are willing to 'risk their lives' in what they are calling the 'Second Battle of Hastings'.
Around 50 activists have set up tree huts and dug tunnels along the route of the planned £94million Bexhill to Hastings link road in East Sussex in an attempt to thwart workmen clearing the land.
Work on the scheme began this month after Chancellor George Osborne last year committed £56million towards the overall cost of the project.
Determined: Protester Simon 'Sitting Bull' Medhurst in his tent and tunnel which opens onto the route of the planned road between Bexhill and Hastings
Around 50 activists have set up tree huts and dug tunnels along the route of the proposed £94m link road in East Sussex in an attempt to thwart workmen clearing the land
Defiant: Simon Medhurst guards his tent as he watches out for any challenge to his camp near Crowhurst; right, a 'tight and nasty' tunnel he built - so called because it is unsupported
But opponents have said construction of the road will destroy the unspoilt Combe Haven Valley and represent a poor use of public funds.
It has also been claimed that building a road so close to a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) would damage ancient woodland housing protected species including dormouse and bittern.
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Day and night, male and female activists from protest group the Combe Haven Defenders take turns to stand guard as bailiffs look to dismantle their sites.
The first protesters arrived in mid-December, with a small group even keeping watch on Christmas Day in anticipation of the work re-starting.
Left: Protesters take to the trees to prevent the new development, and right, a banner highlighting the cause
Plan: The proposed route of the new road between Bexhill and Hastings
They have been on site ever since, expanding their camps and securing their positions day by day.
With a just a small tarpaulin tent for shelter and half a dozen sleep-deprived protesters, they are guarding half a dozen 300 to 400-year-old oak trees.
Tunneler Simon Medhurst, who is not a Defender but has joined the protest, said: 'I've chosen this spot because it will give me 30 seconds at least to get in and bolt the door if the bailiffs come.
'Once inside, I reckon I've got enough supplies to last a month.
Angry: Simon Medhurst is sitting tight in his makeshift camp which is made from layers of wood and canvas
Daniel Hooper, alias Swampy, was known for his environmental campaigning antics in the 1990s. Above, Swampy in a tunnel dug in the path of planned expansion at Manchester airport in 1997, which is where Medhurst met him
Medhurst said: 'I try to dig an oval-shaped hole which will hopefully support itself, it was perfected by the Vietnamese in the Vietnam War, and I'm willing to risk my life'
'I've got bottles of water, tinned food, torch batteries, books, a wee bottle and some plastic bags for you know what...'
The 54-year-old activist from Kent, worked for many years as an RAF photographer on various assignments.
However, his life-long love of nature has seen him on the frontline of some of the country's most high profile environmental protests.
'I was with Swampy in Manchester in 97 and was at Newbury and Fairmile', he said.
Sitting Bull, as he is known in camp, has constructed his own accommodation near to the protesters' main base, from old tarpaulin and logs.
Crates form the base layer of his temporary home with a thin mattress and sheets for warmth.
To one side is a kitchen type area with packs of crisps, bottled drinks and boil in the bag meals for strength.
The self-confessed novice tunnel digger, he says he owes all his knowledge to the website discodavestunnelguide.com
'This one is known as a 'tight and nasty', which means it is unsupported.
Fighting: The Combe Haven Defenders fly a banner over their camp to warn off road-builders
Keeping guard: Police officers attend the site of the illegal protest near Crowhurst
'I try to dig an oval-shaped hole which will hopefully support itself, it was perfected by the Vietnamese in the Vietnam War, and I'm willing to risk my life.'
He added: 'I just love nature and especially the trees. I always feel happier when I'm around them. We are prepared to do whatever it takes to stop this destruction.
'This is the second Battle of Hastings and we're not going to give in.'
But supporters of the road, including East Sussex County Council and local business leaders, say it is vital to the regeneration of the most deprived economy in the South East.
Council leader Peter Jones has said it will enable the building of up to 2,000 new homes, business park space of 50,000 square metres and create more than 3,000 jobs, as well as bring economic benefits worth £1 billion.
It is also claimed that the road, which will link the outskirts of Bexhill and Hastings, will ease congestion and improve air quality on the busy A259 at Glyne Gap.
Progress: Work is going on around the protesters to clear a path for the road
The local authority has said the scheme has the backing of local people, with a consultation in 2004 finding that out of more than 2,550 responses, only 419 (16 per cent) objected.
Three protesters are due to appear in court charged with trying to obstruct the road-building.
On Tuesday, a road was closed for five hours after unemployed Dominic Langford, of Cardiff, climbed a telegraph pole.
He was been charged with wilfully obstructing the highway and resisting arrest and has been bailed to appear at Hastings Magistrates' Court on January 22.
Superintendent Trevor Botting said contractors clearing trees and undergrowth for the new road were able to continue working but there could have been a hazard to traffic.
Two others, unemployed Oliver Sumerling, 26, of Carfield Avenue, Sheffield, and Alex Etchart, 22, of Patshull Road, north-west London, have been charged with obstruction and assault. They will appear at the same court on the same date.
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