readers commenting that he could have
“used a little discretion.” Ashford
Borough Council initially defended the
warden, insisting that rules had be
“consistent,” but then relented and
admitted a “mistake” when it was
discovered that there was a “long
standing agreement” to allow such
vehicles to park for regular sessions at
the Tenterden Leisure Centre. The
question now is to find out which
manager failed to tell the warden. worker in Erith who was issued with a
£60 (€68) fine after overstaying her time
in a car park for 11 minutes. Her appeal
for it to be quashed stated that she had
spent 20 minutes helping a member of
the public who had suffered an epileptic
fit. Not only that, when rejecting her
appeal, Smart Parking Ltd increased the
fine to £100 (€113.) Once again, following
publicity in the press, the company
cancelled the fine, “as an act of
goodwill.” Pity they didn’t accept her
own act of goodwill in the first place.
Similarly, Leicester City Council has
quashed a £70 (€79) penalty charge
issued to a man who parked in a bus lane
on Christmas Day. Initially, the Council
held its ground, but when the national
newspapers picked up the story,
suddenly there was a change of heart. It
turned out that the car driver had
stopped to help a homeless man sleeping
rough outside the city’s railway station,
by giving him warm clothing and a bag
of festive goodies. Despite the driver
pointing this out, the Council stood firm.
It was only when the story hit the
headlines, the Council applied “careful
consideration” and the fine was waived,
with the mayor commenting wisely,
“Common sense should prevail.” Toy Stories
Not so lucky, though, was an NHS
When is a toy a hate crime? When it’s
golliwog, apparently. And an Essex
landlord is determined to fight any
political correctness which has come to
be associated with the dolls. Over the last
three years, there have been 15 gollies
behind the bar of the White Hart pub in
Grays, Essex, all gifts from customers,
and landlord Chris Ryley says there have
only been two complaints: one from a
Canadian who pointed out they would
not be allowed in her country, and
another from an English woman who
insisted they were racist, “despite no-one
else in the pub agreeing with her,
including a black man who was drinking
in here at the time.” Chris suspects that a
Thorrock Council employee who
27
stopped for lunch contacted the council
and the police to report a “racially
aggravated crime.” He’s now afraid the
Council may try to take away his licence
but he is adamant that, “The golliwogs
are staying.” An investigation by Turrock
Council is underway.
And talking of toys, which remember we
were, council officers in London’s
Battersea Park reportedly left a three-
year-old boy in tears after stopping him
playing with a remote-controlled car. He
and his father were told that
“mechanically propelled vehicles” are
banned under park rules. (The toy car,
by the way, is “propelled” by two AA
batteries.)
They were given a warning and told that
if they continued, the father would be
cautioned. Wandsworth Council
commented, “Battersea Park is
extremely busy with people jogging and
cycling, and officers may have
considered the remote controls were
causing a nuisance to park users.”
The boy’s father later said they were not
causing a nuisance or annoying anyone,
adding, “Is this really the best use of
their time?”
Continued overleaf