THE HANGING MAN

At around 4am on the morning of 15th June 2008 fathers rights activist Simon Anderton scaled the Tyne Bridge, the iconic landmark that connects Newcastle and Gateshead.

Once there he unfurled a banner saying Happy Fathers day - real fathers for justice.org, dangling from a rope underneath the bridge is an effigy of a hanging father; this is to symbolize the thousands of fathers who will commit suicide as a result of contact denial and prolonged family court proceedings.

Simon (50) has previously protested on a ledge with Paul Addison at Westminster Abbey at Easter 2006, where they were eventually talked down by Ann Widdecombe, they also spent 9 days on the roof of Metro radio in sub-zero temperatures over Christmas 2005.

He had few supplies for the days ahead and had no plans to come down quickly.

Group spokesman Mike Kelly Said This protest marks a return to action for us, we have tried to engage with government ministers but have been denied access again and again

We were denied access to a conference where Harriet Harman was discussing opening the family courts to the press, this is symptomatic of this governments refusal to listen to the electorate

The fact is children are still being denied access to see one of their parents, we estimate around half a million - court sanctioned contact orders are not being enforced, Cafcass officers are still under trained and underfunded, the doors to the secret family courts remain closed and unaccountable

Parents like Simon deserve justice, he has not had any contact with his own children for 8 years, despite having a contact order saying he can, the courts wouldnt enforce the order and they seemingly have now been alienated against him - he can only hope they will vote with their feet once old enough

We again call for an overhaul of family law, starting with proper enforcement of court orders and a legal presumption of shared parenting to be enshrined as a starting point if parents separate or divorce