Crowds gather to hound Glitter
THE sign says it all. It is a clear message to pop paedophile Gary Glitter from residents of the village in which he has been staying.
Residents in Hill Head, near Fareham, where Glitter is believed to have been in hiding, have said he's not welcome – and traders said they would refuse to serve him if he comes back.
Teacher Shaun Gillam, 35, a father of two, made the sign saying 'Gary Glitter out of H Head' and sounded a klaxon at regular intervals to bring his protest to the attention of other residents.
Mr Gillam, who teaches PE at a secondary school in Basingstoke, said: 'I have a two-year-old and a five-year-old who live 200 yards from this house and I don't want them anywhere near a paedophile.
'It will be the same wherever he goes. We won't want these people living where they might come into contact with children.'
Mr Gillam's feelings were echoed by residents in the road where the shamed rocker is believed to have stayed following his return to the UK.
And they questioned why the authorities did not tell them that a serial child abuser was staying in their midst just days after being released from prison.
One mum said: 'I want to see him dragged into the open. I can't bear the thought of him in this area.
'I think parents should have been told. When you have children it is vital to know. How else can parents protect their children?
'If you were just to pass someone on the street you wouldn't know. It would save parents a lot of worry if they knew who and where these people were.
'There are children living up and down the road.'
And a mother of two girls under five living just around the corner from where Glitter was staying said: 'I find it revolting that a man who has been convicted of offences like this can be living just yards away and we had no idea.
'I was horrified when I found out.
'There ought to be a law which says people living in the area where a convicted paedophile is living should be told.'
Another female resident said: 'I find it totally disgusting that he was living just feet from my front door and no-one said a word. We should have been told we had someone like that on our doorstep.'
Numerous reporters and photographers set up camp outside the property yesterday, but it appeared that no-one was home.
It is believed that Glitter left the house once his location was discovered, and may have gone to Fareham police for advice before leaving the county.
Last night police briefly became involved when a group of rowdy young people gathered outside the property. Police say they dispersed the group and nobody was arrested.
It is not the first time Gary Glitter has been in the area. His yacht Voyager was berthed at Gosport Marina for more than a year in the late 1990s and he was a regular visitor to the waterfront spot.
The vessel was searched by police as officers investigated child porn claims which eventually saw Glitter jailed.
The singer lived in a luxury farmhouse at Rogate, near Petersfield, in January 1976.
After only a year at the address he was declared bankrupt and forced to sell the estate.
Yesterday's situation has re-ignited the debate over introducing a Sarah's Law, which would allow people to know about paedophiles in their area.
Currently they do not have any right to know.
Fareham MP Mark Hoban said: 'What's important is that the police know where he is. When there are people registered on the sex offenders' list it's important their whereabouts is known so proper safeguards can be put in place.
'From having discussed cases like this with the police in the past, they will be taking appropriate measures.
'We should let the police get on with their jobs – the biggest danger we have is when criminals are forced underground.'
Portsmouth North MP Sarah McCarthy-Fry said: 'Providing he has signed the sex offenders' register and the police know where he lives, then he's less of a risk than the ones we don't know about.
'He's so notorious I don't think he will be able to go anywhere without being spotted, but he has served his sentence.
'It doesn't help anyone to have knee-jerk vigilantism.'
The News has made the decision not give the address of the house in which Glitter stayed.
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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