Families told to blog off’ after Olympics 2012 complaint
FAMILIES on a housing estate next to the 2012 Olympic Park in East London were threatened with legal action after publishing comments on their blog. The row erupted after they criticised an Olympics authority employee about commitments to reduce noise and pollution
By Lee Peart
FAMILIES on a housing estate next to the 2012 Olympic Park in East London were threatened with legal action after publishing comments on their blog.
The row erupted after the Leabank Square Residents Association in Hackney Wick criticised an Olympics authority employee about commitments to reduce noise and pollution caused by the huge construction site.
“We have taken the offending comments down and are requesting legal advice,” said the association’s Sona Abantu-Choudhury.
“I didn’t think the remarks would be considered libellous.”
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The residents association was given a letter by the Olympics authority after the allegations appeared, threatening action if the comments were not removed.
“What are they reading it for?” added Sona. “This is a blog to serve the local community.
“It’s got nothing to do with them. They are eavesdropping on our conversations which is getting a lot of people down.”
PUBLIC DOMAIN’
But the Olympics authority insisted the website blog was “completely in the public domain” and was being linked to other websites.
A spokesman said: “We did not want to get to this point—but after several informal requests were ignored for removing what were personal and threatening comments about an individual, a formal letter was sent to those involved.”
The families have complained for months that soil cleansing and other construction machinery are operating till late at night just yards from their homes.
