It is interesting to read that my concern is not only common but that it has been given a name and is understood in our culture. The example of people such as Mercedes de Dunewic is extremely sad, yet more common than we would like to admit. The matter of gang stalking also happens in more rural and middle class areas also.

My experience in a small village/hamlet in Cornwall is very sad, and whilst not as blatant as the situation of Mercedes, it has led to loss of my job, my good name, my marriage/family and my health. Criminal damage and other malicious activites were also present as neighbours of all types (nearly always professing to be respectable and/or religious sadly) took to kicking us when we were down.

The people involved were professionals, ex-naval officers, retired and semi-retired ex- home counties rejects of various professional backgrounds as well as an odd farmer or two, many involving themselves in village politics by being members of the Parish Council and Village Association. All behaved as if they owned the village. Any reasonable questions or requests for their position that was inconvenient or not sanctioned by the "clique" was a nail in the coffin for your happiness and well being in the village (more than me had been affected in the past).

Of course when you challenge them, their lunacy becomes projected onto you...You are the one who thinks you own the village!! And of course you must then be dealt with!!!

This is also a common concern in our society today, the growing "blame culture". It is so easy to get away from ones responsibilities by blaming a problem on someone else or if it there is a threat that your activities are about to get exposed (which was the case when I raised an issue or two in 2002/2003), then "get the retaliation in first". Ensure that the story contains sufficient half truths (remeber a half-truth is one complete lie) and "Bob's your uncle", ready made official complaint!

Of course the system by idiocy, lunacy or deliberate corruption in many cases appears to support this behaviour and is happy to "take it to the max".

There has always been a nistory of concerns about life in rural villages, Cornwall seems to have a bit of a reputation for it also, which may or may not be true as it may not be any worse than any other rural area. However one thing is for sure, rural life is not the idyllic life that we are led to believe; aks Tony Martin.

Anyway for now I can consol myself with the knowledge that I cannot be alone in my circumstances as I lick my wounds and wait for the old adage "what goes around comes around" to apply it's Karmic balancing force to those who are giggling to themselves that thay have got away with it.

I can also put my DVD of "Straw Dogs" on to remind me that victims of gang stalking is not new in Cornwall, and Dustin's bittersweet victory reminds me that justice does sometimes come our way.

It begs the question though, just how do we stop the rot that has set in and is insidiously destroying the fabric of civilisation that we once called life in Great Britain, a once truly good place to live in the world? If we ask the local authorities and they ignore us, then we stand up as individuals and get attacked and villified; the higher authorities then go into denial or refuse to assist. Just what are we to do?

I find it hard to ever pass through the same village now without hearing the music of "Duelling Banjos" in my head as I accelerate out of the God-forsaken place.

Sansome