Butsfield

Butsfield is a village in County Durham, in England. It is situated a few miles to the south of Consett, near the village of Satley. Butsfield Burn Farm is the farm located at the centre of the Butsfield area.

Albert Dryden

It was the location of a dispute between Albert Dryden and Derwentside District Council. Dryden had built a bungalow without planning permission, claiming that it was not required since only the roof was visible.

The council, along with police and a BBC camera crew, arrived to demolish the property on 20 June 1991. Dryden shot the council's chief planning officer, Harry Collinson (aged 46), dead. He then shot a police officer (Stephen Campbell) in the buttock and BBC "Look North" reporter Tony Belmont in the arm.

The fatal scene was captured on camera and transmitted on the BBC's local evening bulletin "Look North". The footage shows Collinson asking the camera crew to take a shot of Dryden's gun. The camera pans to Dryden, who fires the gun at Collinson (now off screen). As everyone (including crew) disperse, Dryden shoots the police officer and the reporter.

A photographer for local newspaper "The Northern Echo" photographed the scene from Dryden's side of the fence.

External links

* cite news
url=http://archive.thisisthenortheast.co.uk/2002/03/27/141283.html
publisher=This is North East.co.uk
title= Fatal errors of the Butsfield shooting
date=2002-03-27

* cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/wear/3190431.stm
publisher=BBC News
title=Parole hearing for gun killer
date=2003-08-29

* cite news
url=http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/eveningchronicle/eveningchronicle/content_objectid=13479466_method=full_siteid=50081_headline=-I-m-Sorry-name_page.html
publisher=Evening Chronicle
title=I'm Sorry
date=2003-10-04