The private party, held in Hackney, north London, was organised by a group of friends dressed in white laboratory coats and wigs, who put on a display of theatrical 'experiments' to entertain guests.
But when police entered the building for a routine check in the early hours of Sunday morning, they discovered scientific debris and plastic skeletons and mistook it for terrorist paraphernalia or drug-making equipment.
Easy mistake to make! Everyone knows that all the
best Al-Qaeda hangouts aren't complete without one of
these!
Caretaker of the property, Richard Watson, 29, was arrested under The Anti-Terrorism Act and questioned while the entire area was evacuated and roads cordoned off with police tape.
He said: 'I was handcuffed and put in the back of the police van for over an hour while the bomb squad and drugs team came down.
'There was a ridiculous amount of police there. Every time I looked out of the van I could see a new group of them swarming around.'
Three fire engines and three ambulances were also called to the scene as Mr Watson was searched and interrogated.
Don't you feel safer now, citizen..?
Police later released Mr Watson without charge.
And without apology or embarassment, too, it seems:
Shanara Begum, 26, a spokesperson for Hackney Police said: 'A raid was conducted on the property and some paraphernalia was found. The London fire brigade and expo teams were also called to the scene.
'The expo teams deal with bomb threats and explosives but the scene was later declared non-suspicious and the case was handed over to Tower Hamlets our neighbouring borough.'
'The case'..?
What 'case'!
8 comments:
"What case?"
Disturbing the peace, being drunk and disorderly, resisting arrest, wasting police time, having a party without an entertainment licence, various breaches of Elfin Safety law, conspiracy.
Don't worry, they'll think of something.
See also.
Just to reassure us that there are members of the great British public who retain a naive belief in the good faith and common sense of the authorities, a Mr Carter commented on the Mail Online at 13:29 yesterday thus:
"At least the police are taking the terrorist threat seriously. I would rather they searched homes and got it wrong, than didn't search homes at all for fear of getting it wrong"
Surprisingly he omitted to add that "if you've done nothing wrong you've nothing to fear".
Although nothing is said in the report, I think we can safely assume that the innocent citizens arrested now have their fingerprints and DNA on the appropriate database.
when police entered the building for a routine check
Err ... pardon? Since when do the police get to enter a private house for a "routine check"??
"...the police entered the building for a routine check..."
wtf?
How often do the police enter private property for a "routine" check?
Perhaps it's different in London.
Or perhaps this week's Serious Organised Crime Act has introduced some things I haven't heard about yet.
Next up, routine road blocks?
Checkpoints on all main highways?
"...a Mr Carter commented on the Mail Online at 13:29 yesterday..."
*sigh* Whenever I see comments like that (and there always are some comments like that) I like to imagine them to be from No 10 apparatchiks, ordered to puff up their master's legislation.
The alternative is too horrible to contemplate...
"Or perhaps this week's Serious Organised Crime Act has introduced some things I haven't heard about yet."
Now, there's a happy thought...
The alternative is too horrible to contemplate...
Given the standards of education these days, the alternative is all too likely.
Sounds like Common Purpose police on the prowl: www.stopcp.com/cppolice.php
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