Bollocks to Blair… Illegal?

Courtesy of Samizdata, this little gem:

POLICE issued two stallholders at a farming show with £80 fines for displaying T-shirts bearing the slogan “Bollocks to Blair”. Officers questioned staff on two stands at the Royal Norfolk Show after receiving a complaint, subsequently issuing two fixed-penalty notices of £80 for the offending garments.

Apparently free speech is no longer allowed in the UK. That is; free speech that sensitive souls may find “offensive” or cause “harassment”, which pretty much covers everything, really. I mean, finding “bollocks” offensive, really!

From the Collins English Dictionary and Thesaurus:

bolIocks or balIocks Taboo sI. -pI. n.

I. another word for testicle. – interj.
2. an exclamation of annoyance, disbelief, etc.

So there you go; a colloquial English word that is used sufficiently for it to find its way into the dictionary. But, not according to the fuzz.

Last night Norfolk police defended the action. A spokesman said: “Officers from Norfolk Constabulary issued two fixed penalty notices, each with a value of £80, at the Royal Norfolk Show in relation to two trade stands displaying T-shirts emblazoned with offensive language. The notices were issued under Section 5 of the Public Order Act as the language was deemed to cause harassment, distress or alarm at an event, where a cross section of people were present including families and young children who may have found the displays offensive. Police did receive a complaint from a member of the public.

Harassment, distress or alarm… ’Pon my word, what sensitive souls there are about. I do hope this complainant doesn’t wander about too much in the big bad world, after all they may come across nubile young women wearing tee shirts with FUCK! emblazoned on them. Oh, I know, it’s actually written as FCUK! But you know and I know that they really mean FUCK! And, no it isn’t avant-guarde, it’s silly, but that’s fashion for you. Oh, and heaven forfend that we should risk offending the children.

Unless, of course, the sensitive soul was harassed, alarmed and offended by the work “Blair”. Hmm… hadn’t thought of that. Perhaps issuing penalty notices for clothing with Blair on it may be justified under the Public Order Act?

Upon insisting that the stallholders had, indeed, committed an offence under section 5 of the Public Order Act (as interpreted by the Norfolk police who clearly had little to occupy them that day), the officers then demanded national insurance numbers, eye colour and shoe sizes from the dangerous miscreants in case they offended again.

Of course, none of this has anything to do with David Milliband attending the show, does it?

Welcome to Britain in the 21st Century where the police stifle dissent on behalf of New Labour. I do hope that the stallholders will fight this penalty rather than just pay up.