Aviva hits digger protester with injunction

Aviva has taken out an injunction against a customer who staged a one-man protest with his digger at its office near York.

Armed police attended the Monks Cross offices last spring when self-employed plant hire operator Paul Parvin blocked the barriers to the site where 180 employees worked.

Parvin, who was angry over the way his claim had been handled by Aviva since an articulated lorry hit and severely damaged his digger in January 2008, had previously protested by sitting in a deckchair with a placard for several hours near the entrance to another Aviva building in York city centre.

Aviva has confirmed that, “regrettably,” it had had to take the step of obtaining an injunction against him “to avoid further business disruption,” according to the York Press.

“Despite the FOS – Financial Ombudsman Services – backing our decision in relation to his case, Mr Parvin continued to protest at our premises in York and while we respect the right of individuals to protest peacefully, Mr Parvin’s protests were becoming increasingly disruptive to our business and employees,” a spokesman told the paper.

“We have to put the welfare of our staff first and while we have made every effort to bring this to an amicable conclusion, regrettably we have now had to take the step of obtaining an injunction against Mr Parvin to avoid further business disruption.”

The High Court injunction prevents Parvin from going on the company’s property.

He claimed his digger protest had never stopped anyone entering or leaving the offices.