Ooh err Missus!
It has been a wee while since I have awarded my prestigious, and internationally renowned, "Prats of The Week" Award.
This week it is a double award, going to Bexley Borough Council and Bexley Police.
Hoorah!
For why?
Well, my old muckers, as we know Nanny and her minions have something of a bee in their collective bonnets over booze.
Aside from the usual rules and regulations that Nanny imposes on us, and attempts to enforce, allegedly designed to make us drink less there is also the time honoured rule that publicans ought not to serve people who are clearly "out of their box".
Break this rule, and the hapless publican will be fined £80 on the spot and possibly another £1000.
So, guess what Bexley Borough Council and Bexley Police did?
They hired two sober actors (a rarity) to visit 10 pubs in Bexley. They ordered drinks whilst swaying and announcing to bar staff in a slurred voice "I'm hammered", reeking of alcohol, slurring their words, fumbling their change and shoving other customers on their way to the bar.
They were served in every pub.
The actors then gave a repeat performance at a conference for local publicans, and bar managers who stated that they would be refused service and asked to leave.
Hah!
Nanny had them at her mercy, the police proudly stood up and said:
"You've already served them."
Hah!
I bet that gave the police a real "rush", you can almost see them drooling in anticipation before they made that announcement.
Clive Cain, head of public protection (what the fark is "public protection" by the way?) at Bexley Council, said:
"Whilst it is illegal to serve a drunk, the law does not define when someone is drunk. This pioneering initiative has demonstrated the ease with which drunks can be served. It has highlighted the urgent need for improvements in training, advice and managerial support for bar staff."
Ah so there we see the problem that Nanny needs to overcome, when is a drunk a drunk?
Under normal circumstances this judgement would be left to the commonsense of the publican. However, as we know, Nanny has banned commonsense.
A couple of rather obvious points re this particular case, that Nanny might like to remember:
1 The police are not allowed to use entrapment to obtain a conviction.
2 The actors were not actually drunk, therefore no crime has actually been committed.
Maybe the publicans could hire actors to pretend to be publicans, whilst serving pretend drunks, and the police could pretend to arrest them etc?
Needless to say, Bexley Police are planning to step up their undercover initiative for the World Cup.
Can the police charge the police with wasting police time?
Bexley Borough Council and Bexley Police, well deserving "Prats of The Week".
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No doubt they were served because, thanks no doubt to appalling acting, the landlords merely thought the poor fellas were "mentally challenged" rather than drunk...
ReplyDeleteWhat really worries me, is that we are paying for some hi-viz clad muppet to think this type of thing up.
ReplyDeleteHere's a novel idea for the police; How about getting out of your police station and arresting more criminals....You can't manage to police the crimes we already have happening, let alone creating new ones with actors.
Both parties, well deserving prats of the week.
I think it is an excellent idea that could be expanded.
ReplyDeletePerhaps some of the general public could go out and rob homes and mug people to see how well the police do their job.
Er.....No, wait a minute........
My auntie Doris slurred her words, fumbled with her change and would frequently bump into people but that was because she had had two strokes. If refusing to serve someone is based on just those traits she would have never had her nightly tot of Sherry at the pub ever again.
ReplyDelete"The actors were not actually drunk, therefore no crime has actually been committed."
ReplyDeleteSee the "may have threatened to contravene" quote in the Dwile Flonking thread...
Nanny can't miss the opportunity to justify her existence.
I agree with you, Tonk: as I have also observed before, if the police were to put as much time and effort into dealing with real crime, instead of engaging in this kind of nonsense, the country would be a lot safer place to live.
ReplyDeleteOh, and Ken, the award to Bexley Borough Council and Bexley police is well-justified!
I have encountered this before working in pubs (Darwen and Blackburn).
ReplyDeleteThe obvious downfall is that the actors are not drunk so no crime is comitted and people with certain disabilities can look exactly like they are drunk. (I know others have said this above). This was the arguement that local landlords used to tell the police to go fornicate. The scheme never took off over here.
In defence of the landlords who did serve these actors, they have proved that they are very good at their job. They have spotted that these people are not drunk, even though they look it, and served them. Quite well done.
I have the 'pleasure' of living in Bexley borough and also have had the 'pleasure' of working with a number of the senior officers from Bexley police, so it comes as no surprise to me that this is the sort of thing they would come up with. It would be interesting to know how much this farce cost.
ReplyDeleteEasily done, Ashtrayhead. The Freedom of Information Act is your friend. Go ahead and ask them how much this farce cost!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Yourrightsandresponsibilities/DG_4003239
Farkin' eck. Never mind the police charging the police with wasting police time, t'would be nice if the public (at whose expense these games are played) could bring charges against the police for wasting police time.
ReplyDelete