A MAN who denies being involved in criminal activity has claimed that he is the victim of a police campaign of harassment against his family.

Father-of seven Alan Wright called a press conference to speak out against action being taken against him by Durham Police.

Last week uniformed officers removed the sign at Wrights Way, which was named after his well known family, in Burnhope and replaced it with a sign for Front Street. Wrights Court has now been renamed Burnhope Court.

Police raided his girlfriend’s home on East Street, in East Stanley, County Durham, yesterday (tue) and intended to arrest him but he was not there.

Mr Wright, from Burnhope, said he had served four-and-a-half months in prison for making threats to cause criminal damage but was no longer involved in crime.

He has been served with a criminality notice by police warning him that police have received information that he is ‘engaged with criminal activities as part of an organised group.

Mr Wright has four brothers and a sister and many cousins, some of which have also been served with criminality notices.

Mr Wright said: "The police is portraying us a criminal group but there no law against having a big family.

"Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty. This is undermining British justice."

Mr Wright said a petition asked people if they were intimidated by the name Wrights Way had been signed by 100 people who said ‘no’.

He said he intended to launch a judicial review to have the names changed back.

Vehicles have been seized by the police and allegations of illegal tipping, waste disposal and car scrapping offences are still being investigated.

Inspector Dave Turner, of Consett Police, said: "Nobody is saying that he is guilty of anything.

"Perhaps he thinks by contacting the press we will go away. Well we won’t."