Holy Smoke!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/6271300.stm

A vicar who lit his pipe in a Kent police station as a protest against the smoking ban has failed in his attempt to get himself arrested.
The Reverend Anthony Carr, of East Peckham, walked into the station in Tonbridge, asked to report a crime and then started smoking.

He said he flouted the ban to protest against the erosion of civil liberties.

The rest of the article is worth a read.

[phaze9]

"Those in charge of the premises would be fools to let you get away with it, especially considering that they could face a £2,500 fine if they fail to stop you. They could also be charged on-the-spot fines of £200 if they fail to display no-smoking signs, with the penalty increasing to £1,000 if the issue goes to court."
from this web site http://www.thesite.org/drinkanddrugs...ing/smokingban

So according to this article the officer in charge of the station is ignoring the ban and is liable to a £2500 fine

I realise that it is the local councils that enforce it but this seems to me that the officers in charge of the station don't care if people smoke in pubs and clubs

Originally Posted by phaze9

"Those in charge of the premises would be fools to let you get away with it, especially considering that they could face a £2,500 fine if they fail to stop you. They could also be charged on-the-spot fines of £200 if they fail to display no-smoking signs, with the penalty increasing to £1,000 if the issue goes to court."
from this web site http://www.thesite.org/drinkanddrugs...ing/smokingban

So according to this article the officer in charge of the station is ignoring the ban and is liable to a £2500 fine

I realise that it is the local councils that enforce it but this seems to me that the officers in charge of the station don't care if people smoke in pubs and clubs

Maybe they are just as confused as everyone else...Frankly I think that they have enough on their plates without having to arrest someone for smoking in the wrong place.In fact I'm not sure it is an arrestable offence as such.

[Gareth]

Originally Posted by BBC

A spokesman for the Bishop of Rochester said: "We regard this as a personal matter - the church would not wish to comment on the incident.

"Officially, the church doesn't condone breaking the law."

Unofficially, however, the church says go for it

[Ramrod]

Why did he go as far as Tonbridge? He could have simply gone up the road to Paddock Wood police station; it's a lot closer and they are a lot less busy and would have had the time to arrest him

[Derek]

Nice to know he has so much time on his hands

Still with a few witnesses they could just slap a fine on him now. Not sure about the legislation in England but I'm pretty sure the fine doesn't have to be handed out at the exact time of the offence.

Good on him I think. He is perfectly within his rights to make a protest. Just confused like most that he thinks it’s an arrestable offence.

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by NEONKNIGHT

Good on him I think. He is perfectly within his rights to make a protest. Just confused like most that he thinks it’s an arrestable offence.

You should protest within the law or risk damaging your argument imo, btw this chap was arrested and put in a cell for repeatedly flouting the law, drunk and disorderly I believe

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007300887,00.html

[Taf]

I read that MPs are lighting up in the toilets of the Palace of Westminster... the building WAS exempt from the smoking ban, but they applied it themselves...

[DocDutch]

I really dont understand how the MPs can get away with this.... its a workplace so they shouldnt be allowed to smoke in the building and have to be 10ft away from outside doors :P

[Shaun]

What a pillock!

[Tezcatlipoca]

Originally Posted by NEONKNIGHT

Good on him I think. He is perfectly within his rights to make a protest. Just confused like most that he thinks it’s an arrestable offence.

All offences are now arrestable AFAIK... recent change by Labour in one of their many crime bills.

[Derek]

Originally Posted by Matt D

All offences are now arrestable AFAIK... recent change by Labour in one of their many crime bills.

In Scotland they always have been (in certain circumstances) I think England & Wales were changed a few years back.

Originally Posted by TheDaddy

You should protest within the law or risk damaging your argument imo, btw this chap was arrested and put in a cell for repeatedly flouting the law, drunk and disorderly I believe

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007300887,00.html

You can hardly protest against a law without breaking the law but its in the manner of how you protest that counts imo.

The guy in your story was right to be arrested for d&d, the fact he was smoking in this case is irrelevant, alcohol was the culprit.

---------- Post added at 21:54 ---------- Previous post was at 21:50 ----------

Originally Posted by Matt D

All offences are now arrestable AFAIK... recent change by Labour in one of their many crime bills.

That's why the prisons are overflowing then, mainly with debtors who really shouldn't be there and OAP's protesting about the lack of help with council tax bills etc etc etc and now with possibly someone who has been caught smoking a fag! Lock em up and throw the key away?

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by NEONKNIGHT

You can hardly protest against a law without breaking the law but its in the manner of how you protest that counts imo.

Of course you can, you can gather public support, lobby your MP, take court action, organise rallies and all manner of things whilst remaining inside the law, a good example of this is Fathers for Justice, a worthy cause in the eyes of the public until there antics became a nuisance at best