Arrest me or drop case, says stadium campaigner

for publishing a poster criticising Lewes District Council has challenged police to "put up or shut up".

It is more than three weeks since Roz South was warned she could be arrested over an image published on her website which was the subject of a formal complaint of harassment from the council.

The photographer, from Firle, said: "It's a ludicrous accusation.

"It is now high time this matter was resolved in one way or another and that I am formally advised of the resolution since it is quite unreasonable to be left not knowing whether Sussex Police intend to act.

"It is not members of Lewes District Council who are sitting around not knowing whether the next knock on the front door is going to be from the police."

The poster accuses Lewes District Council leader Ann De Vecchi and her colleagues of attempting to "murder" Brighton and Hove Albion.

It was widely circulated among Albion fans as a part of the campaign to persuade the authority not to seek a judicial review against the planning permission granted for Falmer stadium.

Inspector Viv Johnson, from Lewes Police, told Ms South she could be prosecuted under harassment laws.

Police are also investigating Ms South over comments made by fellow fans on Albion internet message board North Stand Chat, of which she is a moderator.

One message appeared to encourage a physical attack on Ms De Vecchi and police have accused Ms South of tolerating it by not removingit.

Ms South, who claims the posters are an innocent and valid form of political expression, has now written to Insp Johnson asking her to either arrest her or drop the case.

She wrote: "I am concerned that, in the attempt to build what appears to be the flimsiest of cases, my activities on North Stand Chat have now been taken into consideration.

"I do not have responsibility for the sentiments expressed by other users of that message board and neither do I have sole responsibility for editing the content thereon.

"I refute any suggestion that I could have tolerated the messages that you quote.

"Indeed, there is a convention on North Stand Chat that individual moderators do not interfere in topics that affect them personally."

Ms South is also concerned about comments made by Insp Johnson which said Lewes District Council reserved its right to take action against her.

She said: "A local authority has no role in the enforcement of the Protection from Harassment Act and I would like the relationship between the police and the council on this matter clarified."

Ms South is refusing to remove the image from her website, allthingsbrightonbeautiful.com.

A Sussex Police spokeswoman said: "The file is currently with the Crown Prosecution Service who are reviewing the evidence and Sussex Police are awaiting their decision."