A DAD has scaled the roof of Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg’s constituency office to protest about fathers’ rights.

Roger Crawford, of Shefford Road in Meppershall, was one of four members of campaign group New Fathers 4 Justice who took part in a three-hour rooftop demonstration in Sheffield yesterday (Monday).

The 63-year-old has not seen his daughter, Heather, for 17 years.

He said he fought for visiting rights in the family courts but had “a torrid time”.

“I found them adversarial rather than helpful and that’s why I joined Fathers 4 Justice and then New Fathers 4 Justice,” he explained.

He said that, due to “parental alienation, with her mother having a great deal of influence”, his daughter, who is now 19, has said she does not want to see him.

Holding banners, the protesters refused to come down from the roof until Mr Clegg’s office staff agreed to a meeting.

Mr Crawford said: “They promised to relay our questions to Nick Clegg, but whether he will reply we don’t know.

“How come I can see any child in the world except my own?

“And why can anyone see my child except me?

“I’m not holding my breath that he will respond, but we got a lot of support from people because he’s very unpopular up there.”

He continued: “Nick Clegg said fathers are important in a child’s life, so what about giving good, loving fathers an automatic presumption of equal status of contact on separation or divorce so they have a decent chance to be a role model in their child’s life?”

Mr Crawford is no stranger to rooftop demonstrations. In July he scaled the roof of Prime Minister David Cameron’s constituency office with two other members of New Fathers 4 Justice.