Lib Dem councillors in Crouch End have been working to secure a compromiseover the controversial decision to remove Gerry the Bookman from Crouch EndBroadway, and to confiscate his books.

Liberal Democrat councillor Ron Aitken says that Gerry should be allowed to stay, while the antisocial aspects of other stalls in theBroadway tackled. Ron Aitken has written to the landlords of the strip ofland where Gerry currently trades, suggesting that if they were to give himpermission to trade, Haringey Council could then issue a license.

Ron Aitken comments:

“I very much appreciate the strength of feeling this has generated in CrouchEnd. We have been seeking a ’round table’ meeting of all concerned. Howeverthe Council was unwilling to participate in a meeting specifically aboutGerry. I have therefore been dealing with the different parties individually- the Council, the land agents and so on.

“Although this has been laborious we hope a compromise is possible thatwould allow Gerry to stay, while giving the Council the necessary powers tostop undesirable trading on the Broadway.”