http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=503069
Dad hits the roof

By Anna Burdett

May 26, 2007, The News & Star (UK)---A FATHER climbed on to the roof of Carlisle’s Crown Court complex in protest after a judge banned him from seeing his children.

Peter Chipping scaled houses next to the court and climbed onto the roof shortly after the Family Court hearing at around 1pm. He strapped himself to a chimney with climbing gear and hung a banner from the roof which read ‘C****girl & Powerboy – Daddy will always love you’. The 44-year-old had said he planned to stay put for the entire bank holiday weekend and had taken a tent, sleeping bag, cooking stove and basic rations onto the roof.

But the Real Fathers For Justice activist climbed down just five hours after starting his protest to be arrested by police on suspicion of aggravated trespass. Speaking to the News & Star from the court roof during the protest, he said: “I got up here very carefully and quickly out of sight of court security and police officers. “I’ve been terminated from direct contact from my children.”

Mr Chipping lives in west Wales. He said his children now live in the Carlisle area. He added: “I’ve already lost my war, I’ve lost everything as of today. We’re just trying to highlight the inadequacies of the family law system. “The police asked me to come down but I politely and firmly refused.”

Fellow members of Real Fathers For Justice stood outside the court to support Mr Chipping and a crowd of onlookers gathered to watch the spectacle yesterday afternoon. Mike Kelly from the fathers’ group, said: “He has protested on roofs before and he planned to stay up there for a few days.”

After initial attempts to persuade Mr Chipping to come down, police withdrew from the court yesterday afternoon.

The News & Star is unable to report the full circumstances of the court case for legal reasons.

The original Fathers 4 Justice group carried out stunts to highlight the cause of men denied access to their children. A man dressed as Batman climbed onto a Buckingham Palace balcony, and protestors threw flour at Prime Minister Tony Blair in the House of Commons. Real Fathers For Justice was formed by hardliners who left the original group.

Fathers 4 Justice disbanded last year following newspaper reports that Real Fathers For Justice was planning to hold Tony Blair’s young son Leo hostage. They denied such a plan existed.