Thanks again to Ron for sharing his ‘bits’ with us, keeping us up to date with the loony goings on back in the asylum, particularly when it comes local authorities and Health and Safety, two areas where lunacy currently appears to be rampant and out of control.
A shopkeeper in Muswell Hill was fined 300 pounds and threatened with criminal proceedings for…..putting out rubbish in the wrong colour bag.
Trade waste in Muswell Hill is supposed to be placed in grey bin bags, supplied by the local authority, in an effort to combat fly-tipping. The shop owner had requested a new supply of grey bags on July 1st, but by the 17th nothing had arrived.
Desperate to get rid of the rotting rubbish and avoid any pest problem, the staff decided to put the rubbish out in four black bags. Upon arriving at work the next morning, they found the rubbish strewn all over the place and thought foxes had been at it overnight.
Not foxes, but officials. Into the shop marched two men who informed the owner that a criminal offence had been committed and that the staff faced prosecution and, as a result, would have a criminal record.
Good news, however, on this one. The Council has investigated the case and, although they confirm that the fly-tipping patrol acted perfectly correctly in the situation and followed proper procedures, they are going to nevertheless cancel the enforcement order.
Continuing on the rubbish theme for a moment, staff at the Nuffield Household Waste and Recycling Centre in Poole are to wear head cameras so they can record the behaviour of the general public. There has, apparently, been the odd incident of abusive behaviour by people using the centre.
There are those of us, unfortunately, who still smoke, often despite repeated attempts to give up, price hikes and smoking bans here there and everywhere.
Gordon Williams, a painter and decorator by trade, had just finished work for the day and was driving to the shops in his unmarked blue van to get some teabags when he was stopped by Council officials. He was given a 30 pound on-the-spot fine. For smoking in the workplace!
Mr Williams pointed out that the van was unmarked, was only insured for private use to get him to and from work and his occupation was ‘decorating houses, not vans’. The officials were having none of it, declaring his vehicle to be a ‘place of work’, Mr Williams was duly relieved of 30 pounds….