A VISIONARY volunteer programme to teach young people fishing and outdoor sports has been put on hold amid allegations of obstruction by Enfield Council staff.

Dave Gibson began setting up the Trent Park Outdoor Pursuits scheme (Tops) around 18 months ago, with a vision of drawing thousands of young people from all backgrounds to the park to enjoy what it has to offer.

But the 46-year-old has temporarily walked away from the project, saying he is “disgusted” with the actions and attitudes he has faced from council staff who work in the park.

He said: “I am so annoyed, disappointed, and disgusted how the staff are treating me.

“Well, I've had enough, I'm not having it anymore – the project is finished until I have had an official investigation and things have changed.

“The council staff are set in their ways and they just don't like me because they are off in their own little world.”

Mr Gibson alleges his phone calls are ignored by staff, he has been denied access to equipment to help run the project, and his work has been systematically disrupted by equipment going missing.

Despite having permission to borrow tools and equipment, he says time after time he has been blocked from getting to them which has forced him to send young people away disappointed.

He also says park staff have told him upfront they do not want some of the young people involved coming to the park.

He said: “Some small-minded people don't want young people from deprived areas coming to Trent Park because they don't want the park to be 'overrun'.

“Well, shame on them. They have said they don't want anything to do with me, and I have have tried to get them involved but they don't want to, I think, because I am showing them up.

“Some big organisations have been offering me money, which is amazing, and perhaps I have put some people's noses out of joint.

“But what they are doing is affecting the kids, and stopping people coming to enjoy the park.”

The council has launched an official investigation into Mr Gibson's allegations, and did not want to comment on the matter at this stage.

However, in a statement, it added: “We would like to say how impressed we are with Mr Gibson's programme and commitment to helping young people and as such the council has supported the project with funding, equipment and officer time.

“We hope a satisfactory and amicable resolution will be achieved shortly."

At the official launch of the Tops fishing scheme in February this year, the then-parks and estates unit manager for the council James Downing described it as a “very exciting project for Enfield”, and added: “There's nothing like this in north London at all. And the great thing about this is it is not just for fishermen, this project improves the parks for everybody.”

Mr Gibson has attracted attention and potential funding stretching to tens of thousands of pounds from bodies like the London Development Agency, and Business Link.

During the summer, many young people helped to get the project going and children from Chase Farm Hospital and Southgate College have joined in activities that have been put on.

Mr Gibson, who was left unable to work after a bike accident in 2006, has been hailed as an example to others of someone who has used volunteering to change not just his own life but also lives of the young people involved, and has been invited to give talks around the country about what he is doing.

Bounds Green resident Tina Flynn took her two sons, aged 11 and 14, to the park throughout the summer, and also took other teenagers along to get involved with the Tops project.

She said: “I think it would be a real shame if it finished, my kids went over there having never held a fishing rod before, and they have learnt a lot from Dave.

“It is quite difficult to get kids involved in anything you don't plug in, but the first time my 11-year-old went he said it was better than playing PlayStation.

“I've seen some of the things going on, and it just seems very petty and vindictive, like they don't want to encourage young people to use the park.”