EXCLUSIVE: Businessman accused of holding village ‘to ransom’
- Daniel Hill spent £18,000 on contested plots in Haslingfield, Cambridgeshire
- Previously appeared on the fact TV present Storage Hunters UK till 2018
- Denies that he had held anybody to ransom, intimidated or threatened anybody
An unscrupulous businessman has been accused of holding a village group to ransom after secretly shopping for up small parcels of land and now attempting to cost them £30,000 every to make use of their very own parking areas.
Daniel Hill – who spent simply £18,000 to accumulate the contested plots – is demanding residents of Haslingfield, Cambridgeshire, pay him £576 every week every in perpetuity for the suitable to park outdoors their very own houses, areas which they’d beforehand been utilizing without cost for many years.
Hill, 41, is known to have additionally demanded £200,000 ‘compensation’ from an aged couple to forfeit his proper to develop on a small inexperienced house the place they’ve lovingly grown and maintained a picturesque hedge and historical willow tree because the Nineteen Seventies.
The self-styled businessman, from Norfolk, beforehand appeared on the actuality TV present Storage Hunters UK, during which specialists promote the contents of deserted storage models to the best bidders, who in flip hope to find misplaced treasures.
He gained a small following from the Dave community present together with his catchphrase; ‘I’ll have a few of that!’.
Daniel Hill (pictured in purple) has been accused of holding a village group to ransom after secretly shopping for up small parcels of land and now attempting to cost them £30,000 every to make use of their very own parking areas
Earlier this 12 months, Mr Hill acquired unused plots of land on the Badcock Road housing property in Haslingfield at an public sale of the belongings of the unique developer who had gone into liquidation
He has now claimed that he not solely owns the 2 plots of land, however a sliver of land inside a backyard and the rights to who makes use of the general public highway
But after the present closed Hill was convicted in 2018 of working an unlawful dump on green-belt land in Surrey. He was fined £2,500 and order to pay an additional £26,814.75 in a confiscation order.
Earlier this 12 months the 41-year-old acquired unused plots of land on the Badcock Road housing property in Haslingfield at an public sale of the belongings of the unique developer who had gone into liquidation. Residents had been unaware the sale was even occurring.
Now Hill has claimed that he not solely owns the 2 plots of land, however a sliver of land inside a backyard and the rights to who makes use of the general public highway.
The peace was first shattered early one Monday morning final month when he arrived in Badcock Road, Haslingfield, with a chainsaw and started slicing down a silver birch on the property’s designated ‘tree-planting area’.
Hill claims he was merely ‘clearing the land’ within the fairly village close to Grantchester simply outdoors Cambridge.
He later spray painted yellow strains on the road indicating land which he claims he owns and can cost residents to park.
Chartered Accountant Jonathan Wheeler defined: ‘The original developer MJ Shanley Ltd went bust and their assets were sold at auction. This included these plots of land in Badcock Road.
‘Hill bought them for about £18,000, including fees.
‘He told us that he wants to build houses on them. But these plots of land don’t have planning permission and they’re unlikely to get it.
‘So the residents got together and we made a fair offer to buy the land from him. We offered him £40,000.
‘But he refused our offer. He said the plots of land were worth hundreds of thousands of pounds and that he had the right to charge us £30,000-a-year each to park our cars in the street.
‘It’s fully outrageous.
‘He says it’s not concerning the cash. But he’s attempting to carry us to ransom. So the residents have gotten collectively and we’re going to battle again.’
Hill spray painted yellow strains on the road indicating land which he claims he owns and can cost residents to park
This picture exhibits a resident allegedly locked out of personal aspect entrance by Daniel Hill
One Monday morning final month Mr Hill arrived in Badcock Road, Haslingfield, with a chainsaw and started slicing down a silver birch on the property’s designated ‘tree-planting area’
Trees broken in a single day in order that Tree Preservation orders can’t be obtained and the timber might be felled
He later spray painted yellow strains on the road indicating land which he claims he owns and can cost residents to park
Areas of the Public Highway are marked in yellow, then sprayed over by Cambridge Highways
Daniel Hill (pictured in purple) acquired unused plots of land on the Badcock Road housing property in Haslingfield at an public sale
Chartered Accountant Jonathan Wheeler (left) mentioned Mr Hil’s behaviour was ‘outrageous’
Haslingfield is a small village simply six-and-a-half miles away from Cambridge
Aerial Views of Badcock Road the place neighbours are at struggle over parking
Land property deeds have additionally revealed that Hill now owns a small sliver of land contained in the backyard of Steve Dawson
The second unused plot of land was included into the backyard of an aged couple many years in the past.
But final week Hill locked their backyard gate with a padlock and marked off his ‘property’ with yellow paint and ear-marked the mature willow tree for felling.
He erected an indication, threatening the owners with legal prosecution in the event that they went into their very own backyard.
However, Hill was then arrested by Cambridgeshire Police on suspicion of legal injury and breaching the peace, when residents complained about his heavy-handed techniques. He was later launched with out cost.
The aged couple have been left shocked and dismayed by the occasions and declined to remark, when contacted by MailOnline.
Land property deeds have additionally revealed that Hill now owns a small sliver of land contained in the backyard of Steve Dawson.
But the businessman is refusing Hill’s demand for compensation.
Businessman Steve Dawson advised MailOnline: ‘I’m not going to provide in to ransom. He can have this strip of land if he needs. I’ll simply transfer the fence.’
Maintenance contractor Paul Munro defined: ‘We first became aware of Mr Hill one Monday morning last month. He had turned up with a chain saw and started cutting down the tree.
‘But he has no right to do that. This is a designated tree planting area.
‘This is also where the children play.
‘He is totally out of order.’
Hill was then arrested by Cambridgeshire Police on suspicion of legal injury and breaching the police, when residents complained about his heavy-handed techniques.
Bussinessman Steve Dawson (proper) and upkeep contractor Paul Munro are refusing to provide in to Mr Hill’s ransom cash
Retired deputy-headteacher Wendy Timbs was considered one of the primary individuals to maneuver into the cul-de-sac when the homes had been first in-built 1973
Retired deputy-headteacher Wendy Timbs, 87, added: ‘All of this commotion has been extremely upsetting. I have a heart condition and I have had to increase my medication due to the stress of it all.
‘My husband and I were among the first people to move into the cul-de-sac when the houses were first built in 1973.
‘It has always been a lovely place to live. We have a scarecrow festival most years and children can play safely in the road.
‘But after this man turned up it has been a very worrying time.’
Last evening Daniel Hill denied that he had held anybody to ransom, intimidated or threatened anybody, however merely bought land that was on the market.
He added he was himself a sufferer of assault, insults and threatening behaviour.
In an announcement he advised MailOnline: ‘We have always wanted to live in Cambridge[,] we saw a plot of land for sale online valued at £2,000 which included to [sic] potential building plots, roads, paths and a parking area.. We bought the land for £12,000.
‘Before purchasing the land we did all the checks and found that their [sic] were no restrictions and in fact there was a planning polices [sic] that actually promoted development in the village.
‘I have not held anyone to ransom, intimidated nor threatened anyone [,] all I have done is purchase land that was for sale.’
Hill as soon as gave an interview during which he boasted of spending £100,000 on presents for his twin infants – solely to be accused by a earlier accomplice of failing to make little one upkeep funds
