27 August 1999
Disgruntled promoter Harvey Goldsmith, who threatened Cornwall County Council with legal action over the alleged mismanagement of planning for festivals during the eclipse, himself faces being taken to court by the outraged police over his 'gratuitously offensive' remarks.
Alan Street, the Assistant Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Police, and the chairman of the Eclipse Co-ordinating Group (ECG) which was responsible for planning arrangements on August 11, said he would take legal advice following the promoter's remarks.
In a vigorous defence, Street said the work of the ECG had been misunderstood, and added it 'categorically refutes the allegations made by Mr Goldsmith which have absolutely no basis in fact.'
Goldsmith has accused the ECG of 'doing everything in their power to deter people visiting Devon and Cornwall' and handling the event as if it were 'World War Three'.
He added that 'untold damage' had been done to both counties. 'In 30 years of promoting, I have never come across a more dishonourable group of people who were determined to prevent as many people as possible visiting the eclipse,' he said.
But Street countered: 'The comments of Harvey Goldsmith in referring to the Eclipse Co-ordinating Group along with the county councils and police are so misinformed that I wonder whether he is referring to the same group at all. Since his public pronouncements, I have invited him to clarify this but I have received no response.'
He said the work of the ECG had been 'misunderstood' by promoters.
'Our role was to protect public safety, not to "highlight events taking place". That was the job of individual event organisers. If entrepreneurs provided events which failed to attract the sort of people who came to see the eclipse, that is simply a failure of their commercial judgement,' he added.
Promoters claim they lost up to £1m, alleging planned events had been hard to get to because of ticket restrictions and the removal of road signs to events.
One organisation, Eclipse Events Ltd, which staged a pop festival, has placed itself in receivership.
PFaug1999
