destined for demolition.
On a summer’s day in County Durham, 1991, a routine planning enforcement order turned into an act of violence which shook the country. Harry Collinson, an officer for Derwentside District Council, was involved in a planning dispute with Albert Dryden, a deranged landowner who had erected a dwelling on his property without permission. The day the building was scheduled for demolition, Collinson - fearing Dryden would resist the council order at all costs - invited BBC Look North to film the confrontation. In front of a live audience, Dryden pulled out a revolver and shot Collinson dead in full view before turning the gun on other bystanders.
For BBC Radio 4’s Illuminated, this feature sheds light on a little known (or remembered) moment of madness.
For BBC Radio 4’s Illuminated, this feature sheds light on a little known (or remembered) moment of madness.