To quote the late Douglas Adams:

If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, we have at least to consider the possibility that we have a small aquatic bird of the family Anatidae on our hands.

Here at TAG we make extensive use of the duck test and spend time validating or finding the evidence. It makes a lot of sense when holding DIO South East to account and has exposed prejudice, false statements, assertion of powers of arrest and misleading advertising.

For example, until DIO South East started routinely deleting in-use records the validity of the DANGER signs at Long Valley the duck test was applied to the booking on/off records. The duck test proved the DANGER signs published more lies than truth. DIO’s response? Change policy perhaps? Update the signs? No just make sure the evidence is deleted within 48hrs.

The issues TAG expose are not the fault of any military who use the land. Army training is accepted as having priority and primacy.

DIO taking civilian bookings for events are welcomed and seen as a positive thing. It’s great to see the spaces used for military training or public benefit. Those events that foster and strengthen a positive relationship between those who serve and the wider community are particularly welcomed.

Military training is never a concern. What TAG deeply object to is the breadth and depth of misinformation DIO South East are prepared to publish seeking to restrict, limit and discourage causal recreational access at all times irrespective of what is, or most likely is not, going on.

Which is why this blog is going taking a hard look at the claims of DANGER and military training underway on the signs at Long Valley on the 27th of October whilst an orienteering event was underway.

Can an orienteering event really claim to be military training?

And does it qualify as dangerous and likely to place casual recreational users in harm’s way?

So, is this a civilian event? Or a military training exercise?

To answer that took a quick trawl on Google and it turned up a useful PDF. A summary would read:

• There is an entry fee listing military and civilian rates
• The event is conducted under British Orienteering Rules 2020
• Toms Food Wagon is in attendance

You can read a redacted copy of the event PDF here. We have highlighted the civvy references to make it easy:

The DANGER signs claim military training. Yet serving military have to pay an entrance fee – and civilians are welcome.

The clincher is how the event is conducted; it’s all under British Orienteering Rules 2020.

British Orienteering is very much a civilian organisation.

Page 2 of the PDF suggests competitors “Have fun and enjoy the woods”. TAG would very much agree with that sentiment. It is regrettable DIO do not see the idea of recreational fun worthy of support. Unless you pay an entrance fee perhaps?

DIO saw nothing wrong in claiming it’s all dangerous and full of important military training when publicly accessible information tells us otherwise.

Just who are DIO trying to fool here?

Spoiler alert, next time you look in the mirror, the face staring back is the person they are seeking to fool.

The report from Long Valley was clear; from the direction and type of vehicle tracks and noise, chainsaw training was underway – at the same time. That takes less than an acre and is always accompanied with signs and tape. The rest of the test track area was empty and unused complete with a fallen tree blocking part of the inner route for the previous week.

It’s not the first time DIO have pulled this stunt so it should not come as a surprise to find DIO have previous form.

Pattern of Behaviour

Orienteering has triggered DANGER signs before:

The search for DIO providing misleading information does not stop at Long Valley. DIO don’t hold back when it comes to discouraging casual recreation and this includes the area to the south of us near Bordon known as Weavers Down. This sign went up in October 2020:

At first glance it all looks very official. MOD logos top corner – check. Red font on white background – check. Military motorsport event – check. All very official.

This event was a round of the British Enduro championship where some of the UK top talent were competing for the win. Dangerous? Potentially, but having attended this kind of events as a spectator in the past TAG affirm the organisers take safety very seriously and there are plenty of warning notices and tape marking the course.

The biggest issue with DIO South East here is the claim of the event being military.

The event was run under the Auto Cycle Union (ACU) permit system and open to civilians and serving military alike so just like the orienteering event we have a civilian governing body, in this case the ACU, setting out how the event will be run and has a permit issued to enable it be part of the British championships.

Military? No, not at all. Organised by the military perhaps but run under civvy rules and open to everyone.

But that does not stop DIO. Never let the facts get in the way of the narrative – recreation is unwelcome irrespective of risk.

Stick up the DANGER signs and tell ’em to go away.

To reiterate, TAG are all for seeing the lands used for military training and civilian events like these. It’s good to see the space put to good use when the army are not there.

What TAG object to is the level of misinformation DIO are prepared to publish with the intent of discouraging recreation irrespective of who the organiser or what the actual risk is, and the use of fencing and locked gates to block perfectly legitimate recreation access that the public has enjoyed for over 150 years.

If indeed there is an organiser, bearing witness to empty unused space and a block on casual recreation is morally repugnant and contrary to repeated statements by various Secretary of State for Defence Procurement.

And before we all disappear down the rabbit hole of public liability, these events will need a permit. The terms of that permit transfer the liability to whoever is running the show and it’s up to the organiser to manage the risk. The permits make this clear in their licensing terms and conditions.

So why do DIO go the extra mile to lock the public out? Why publish DANGER signs proclaiming military training when it’s a civilian event?

Honestly? TAG have no idea.

So, we asked DIO directly for a comment.

DIO Speaks

We contacted MOD press office seeking an answer to the following questions:

• What qualifies a civilian orienteering event as military training requiring DANGER signs in place and what makes it inherently dangerous?
• How does 7.6hrs of use (October 2020 DIO records) justify 498hrs of DANGER signs and locked gates?
• How can objective policy – one of the standards in public life – be set using the best evidence if the land use records are deleted within 48hrs?
• How does the above help DIO meet its commitments and obligations under the Social Value Act 2020?

The Social Value Act 2020 is a relatively new piece of legislation – which is now law. DIO are keen to publish their successes and adherence to the new law elsewhere in the country and TAG have more than a few ideas for DIO SE to add massive value back to society for precisely zero cost to the public purse. TAG would really like them to get in touch.

TAG will be looking at the Act in more detail as DIO is a publicly funded body and for precisely zero cost or change in risk a few simple changes in attitude would deliver much for the local community and improve the MOD / public relationship.

What did MOD have to say?

Regrettably MOD press office failed to respond or comment ahead of publication.

Summary

Maybe the MOD press office realised they were trying to defend a big (dangerous) hole in the ground of DIO South East making and commenting would be the equivalent of reaching for a shovel? TAG is not surprised the request was ignored.

With respect to the orienteering event, we can conclude its hosted by the army but is conducted under civilian rules and is open to anyone.

If it quacks like a duck…the evidence does not support the claim on DIO South East DANGER signs.

As for being dangerous this is a no-brainer unless you are run over by an orienteer.

If it waddles like a duck…another failure to meet the DIO South East DANGER claim.

TAG really do object to being told something is dangerous when the evidence clearly informs anyone with half a brain cell the risks are lower than riding a bike on the road (watch Panorama in the link if you want more information).

If things were really risky as DIO claims, the 59,000 reported hours of recreation per week in the TAG survey of August 2019 should be resulting in daily A&E carnage and personal injury litigation. FOI responses inform us otherwise.

It gets worse. DIO South East remain unwilling to meet ministerial commitments, nor to deliver the April 2021 gates promised by Ranil Jayawardena MP.

Conclusion;

It waddles, swims and quacks.

The signs fail to publish useful or credible information and DIO are treating the community – the people who fund their existence – with contempt.

That sign was put up with public money. The gates are locked and leadership sets policy funded from our taxes. Someone spends time publishing an online calendar that is not matched by the signs. All of this activity costs and the main purpose has all the hallmarks of delivering inconvenience not public safety. TAG believe the primary purpose is protecting DIO liability. Liability that has delivered one claim in five years for injury related to a faulty manhole cover and in no way connected to military training or a civvy event. Skewed risk management?

Telling the truth and using evidence to set policy is well overdue. Everyone is being asked to pay more tax yet we get this service? For this level of contempt?

DIO could easily do better. With minimum cost changes Social Value Act brownie points are there for the taking. TAG would endorse a system of safety that serves everyone.

For now all of us are expected to be and remain DIO’s fools. Judging by the inaction the local politicians are comfortable to see the status quo continue.