Nanny's lackeys in Conwy council achieved something of a double whammy the other day. They managed to slap a fine on a guy not just for smoking in his lorry cab, but also for littering.Result!
Not only that, but the council lackey that reported the hapless driver was in fact a council dog warden.
What an effective and clever use of resources!
Leonard King was the hapless victim of Nanny's spy culture that has now firmly taken root in our unloved and untrusted local councils. Mr King was having a fag in the cab of his lorry (parked I would hasten to add), which carried a no smoking sign, unfortunately one of Nanny's paid spies (a dog warden) was watching him.
Mr King was in breach of Nanny's recent rules about smoking in an enclosed space that others workmates use. Quite how some stale fag fumes in a cab will harm the next driver is somewhat medically suspect, in my humble view. However, Nanny does not worry about medical facts. Having been spotted smoking, Mr King then compounded his offence against the state by flicking some ash and the fag butt out of the window.
The dog warden immediately noted that down as well, as a littering offence.
Mr King was issued with fixed penalties for smoking illegally in his cab and for littering. Llandudno magistrates fined him £75 and imposed additional charges of £30 for investigative costs, £65 for legal costs and a £15 victim (what victim?) surcharge.
The £75 litter penalty, which he had already paid, took the final bill to £260.
A spokesman for the council in Conwy said its three dog wardens were spearheading the enforcement of smoking laws, and had issued four fixed-penalty notices.
I am sure they must feel very proud of themselves!
Errmm...aren't these guys meant to be dealing with dog related issues?
Doesn't this kind of prove what people have long suspected, namely that council employees are being used to spy on the local population?
The good news is that Conwy will soon give police community support officers the job of chasing smokers, so that's alright then.
Be careful what you do and what you say, the person next to you may work for the local council!
Can I suggest the best way of dealing with such prodnoses is to do what in the old days was called 'sending to Coventry'. Don't talk to them. Don't serve them in shops. Don't, in fact, treat them like social beings. You can't spy on your fellow citizens and also expect to be treated as one of them.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure there's a problem with this so long as they're not bothering the rest of us. I'm quite happy for council workers to go round fining other council workers - it helps to keep the council tax down!
ReplyDeleteI don't think he was a council worker?
ReplyDeleteAh, the good old "victim surcharge" where offenders have to pay £15 towards a fund for victims of domestic violence.
ReplyDeleteI still can't get my brain round the fact that perpetrators of said violence don't have to pay it!!!
>> I don't think he was a council worker?
ReplyDeleteMy mistake, my incredulity must have caused me to misinterpret the story.
I will therefore amend my comments to the simple statement of "TWATS".
;;A spokesman for the council in Conwy said its three dog wardens were spearheading the enforcement of smoking laws, and had issued four fixed-penalty notices.
ReplyDeleteI am sure they must feel very proud of themselves!
Errmm...aren't these guys meant to be dealing with dog related issues?''
Keep your hair on Ken ... I understand that these dog wardens also raided the local health research laboratories and charged 15 beagles and 24 rabbits with smoking in an enclosed space. ;o) skydog