Post Title Of The Month

Cunning linguist Petunia at 'Anna Raccoon' on the Gayle Newland case:

Quote Of The Month

Clarissa on the clamouring for more State power in the wake of the Paris attacks:

The brutal truth, although you might not like it very much, is that the price of living in a liberal democracy is that occasionally we will be the victims of an outrage such as we saw in Paris on Friday night. No, that doesn’t mean I want to see people murdered in cold blood. Nor does it mean that I disapprove of sensible precautionary measures that may prevent incidents (such as not allowing those with mental health issues to have access to firearms**). What it does mean is that I am an intelligent, grown-up human being who accepts the possibility of it occurring rather than someone who is so scared that something bad might happen to me that I wish to sacrifice my freedom in order to be swaddled in the dubious comfort blanket of the police state.

Post Of The Month

DumbJohn on Corbyn. Nailed it.

Why Is This Ignored By The MSM?

Two young men were believed to have been mown down in Charles Street, Ravensthorpe, last night after a man in a suspicious car was confronted by residents.

The man, at the wheel of a Vauxhall Insignia Estate, sped off down the narrow, one-way residential street, veering onto the pavement, striking two youths and smashing down the side of an Audi.

The driver then jumped out of the car and fled across the Ravensthorpe Gyratory and onto the Ravensthorpe Shopping Park.

Chased by a group of locals he sprinted into the Subway store and locked himself in the toilet.

Staff called police and three officers were left fearing for their own safety trying to keep an angry crowd at bay outside.

A baying mob? Vigilantes threatening police officers? Accusations that the police aren't doing their job, and residents are taking the law into their own hands?

This should be headlines, surely?

Why isn't it?

Residents told the Examiner that the Asian community felt under siege because of robbers targeting homes in Dewsbury, Savile Town and Batley.

Ah. OK. Never mind.

Aeronautical Design With The 'Telegraph'...

Lovely propeller on your 'jet', chum....

H/T: Stephen Brown via email

Ornithology With The 'Daily Mail'...

Oooh, what sort of pup? 

Wolf?

Seal?

*blinks*

Sunday Funnies...

One almost has to admire the 'work' ethic displayed here....

‘Racism’ Has Now Lost Its Meaning…

Afua Hirsch witters on with yet more inanities:

Ethnic minorities are under-represented in almost all professions – in the City, the media and FTSE 100 companies, and across the board at every management level. That’s compared, like for like, to white counterparts with the same level of education and attainment.

*yawns*

As Tim Worstall points out, this is one of the least racist countries of the world. What on earth are you whinging about?

That’s not to say there isn’t a growing ethnic minority workforce, and today a survey of over 24,000 people found that for them, racial bullying is on the rise. Some 30% of employees in the UK have witnessed or experienced racial harassment in the workplace firsthand in the last year.

No, they claim they have.

It certainly sounds right to me.

Of course it would, sweetie. Of course it would.

A Muslim friend was asked whether, since she was getting married, she was about to go all “whoo” (the person speaking then made a karate-like gesture in front of her eyes, as if to indicate a burkha). A British-born, British-raised, British-citizen-who-has-never-even-lived-abroad friend with dark skin was told that, no, she couldn’t be the face of video diary her company were commissioning, because they needed someone “more obviously British” . And every single non-white person I have talked to about this who has a job – any job – gets confused with other completely non-similar looking but also non-white colleagues, no matter how long we or our alleged doppelganger have been working there.

Those are ‘racism’? They seem mere rudeness or ignorance.

But of course, that’s indeed what they are, so the definition has to stretch a little.

It has to stretch, in fact, like Dawn French’s leggings on Christmas evening:

These may be anecdotal examples, but what’s most relevant about them is that they’re not the vile racist attacks usually associated with “racial discrimination”. Often they are said or done by generally well-meaning colleagues – something judges struggle with, dismissing claims because they didn’t think the perpetrator was a “racist”. But that’s not the point.

Of course not. Keeping the racism career carousel going for you and all the other race hustlers is the point.

“The Grammars Are Coming, The Grammars Are Coming..!”

Fiona Millar on the Tory plan to remove education from the one size fits all model of mediocrity destroy education:

It must be nice to have £200,000 of public money to play with. This is the generous contribution that the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is making to the development of a new grammar school in its area.

Hurrah!

Several more prospective grammar school plans have since emerged, convenient maybe for someone with a new-found ambition to be leader of the Conservative party but deeply disturbing to the rest of us.

Ah, that ‘Guardian’ Royal We again. I’m not ‘disturbed’.

Grammar schools are socially divisive and anti-aspiration.

*Yawns*

They don’t, and never have, done much for the majority of poor children.

Tell that to my mother, who passed her scholarship & went to a grammar, consequently being better equipped and educated than most of today’s modern offerings.

Even the government’s favourite thinktank, Policy Exchange, agrees and recently highlighted evidence showing that any benefit to children attending grammar schools is outweighed by the impact on those left behind.

What impact?

It is a dangerous moment, which is why a legal challenge to the Kent decision is now being seriously considered by the campaigning group Comprehensive Future (of which I am a member). We believe the new school, which this project clearly is, contravenes the last government’s own Academies Act, which states that any new academy must be an all-ability school.

Ah, of course. The ‘Guardian’s’ slide into becoming merely a piece of agitprop rather than a newspaper continues…

It’s Because You ‘Can’t Say No’, You Idiot…

…that there’s such a demand in the first place!

Government policies such as the welfare cap and benefit sanctions were to blame for the increased demand, Ms Koroma claimed, with up to 90 families a week now being referred to her.

She believed further cuts scheduled for next April would only make the situation worse.

She said: “We’re not getting any help. The numbers are getting higher, and they are just going to get even higher.

“Some clients we will see twice a week because of benefit sanctions. If they have kids, we can’t say no.

“When I first started this, there was only me. Now there are more than five food banks in Croydon.”

Gosh! I wonder why they've expanded..?

Fatima Koroma said a guaranteed source of funding was the only way to ensure the survival of the Croydon Food Store, after the number of referrals to the service doubled since its opening in 2012.

She said: “To satisfactorily maintain this while looking for other forms of funding, we need a minimum of £20,000 a year.

“Some of us get up at 6am to be at the supermarkets first thing. These are sometimes people with children. It’s a continuous chase for food.”

A clue as to just why food banks are so ‘necessary’ might just be found in the ‘Croydon Guardian’s’ rival paper:

Alisa Flemming, cabinet member for children, families and learning, told the meeting a single benefit payment was a "nice idea " but many people in Croydon lacked the "skills and capability" to make sure their "bills are paid and their children are fed".

She said the increasing numbers of families presenting themselves as homeless to the council was proof that people were not spending their money in the "right way", implying that they could not be trusted to spend a lump sum responsibly, particularly given the proliferation of bookmakers in the town.

Heh!

H/T: @fascistCOW via Twitter

Ah, The British Civil Service, Real Value For Money…

…and not a job creation scheme for the unemployable with an inflated sense of their own importance at all.

Heavens, no. Perish the thought…

So aren't gay men keen to see more gay role models?

And why the 'lesbians and gay women'? Isn't that a tautology?

The mind boggles!

Essex Police Try The Baby Seal Gambit…

A spike in the number of missing people reported to police in Southend is putting a huge strain on officers, a chief inspector has said.

Simon Anslow, Southend district commander, said his officers have received 53 missing person reports in the last two weeks – 37 of which were children. He has estimated that each missing person report costs, on average, around £2,000 of police effort to process, at a time when Essex Police are facing major budget constraints and cuts to staff.

Oh noes! If the Terrible Toree Cutz continue, then when granny falls into a ditch one night on her way home from bingo, who'll go looking for her?

Mr Anslow said as of yesterday (Tues) there were seven active missing people cases in Southend and that 50 of the 53 from the previous two weeks had been found.

Ah. We aren't talking dementia cases here, are we?

Police have their own missing person liaison officers who work with Southend’s Integrated Youth Support Service to identify reasons why young people go missing, and to reduce the risk of a repeat occurrence.

Each case is also reviewed by Mr Anslow and while most missing people cases are not crime-related and return home within 24 hours the borough’s top cop was keen for police to still be involved in searching.

He added: “We still have the power to impose protection orders and section people for their own safety, which other authorities do not have, so we still need to be involved.”

Really..? How many of those 50 cases noted above required the application of these powers, then? 10? 5? 1?

Or is it 'none'?

Poor DS Green Hasn’t Quite Figured Out Who He’s Dealing With…

Detective Superintendent Adrian Green said: "This is a sickening incident, an act of depravity which goes against every cultural and religious belief of decent people.

"We have a family who are distraught and in shock about this act of desecration, what these people have done is morally outrageous.”

They aren’t decent, and possess no recognisable morals.

I’m A Diner, Tim, And You Don’t Describe Me…

Tim Glover, co-founder and managing director of Fish2fork, added: “We believe the sector as a whole should be putting much more effort into sourcing practices and the information given to customers. Diners want to eat with a clear conscience, to know that their menu choices are not further damaging our hard-pressed seas.”

Do they? Do they really?

I suspect Virtue Signallers might, but everyone else just orders what they fancy and tucks in!

Seven of the chains failed to reach the basic level of sustainability on seafood that Fish2fork and MCS believe to be the minimum standard.

And should they meet it next time round, want to bet it'll ratchet up. and up?

“Working with Fish2fork, MCS aims to make the UK the first sustainable seafood nation in the world. MCS advice on seafood sustainability has already influenced major supermarkets to adopt sustainable sourcing policies and the restaurant sector needs to follow suit,” said Sam Fanshawe,

Really? Why?

Taking Us For Mugs (Again)

A mum-of-five says a frustrating 11-month wait for housing has "crippled" her physically and emotionally, leaving her unable to leave her sister's Swanley house.

An 11 month wait? That's not a lot.

Romany gypsy Michelle Heffernan, 44...

Ah. The penny drops!

...has rare skin disorder Pompholyx - a type of eczema which flares up when she is stressed.

*bites tongue*

Since November, Miss Heffernan has been sharing her pregnant sister's two-bedroom West Kent Housing association property on Hart Dyke Road. She claims eight people, including five children, are living under one roof - and her sister is now considering moving to a privately rented house.

Be afraid, Swanley landlords. Be very afraid!

Miss Heffernan currently splits her time between her sister's home and a friend's property on the same street.

Wait, I thought she was unable to leave her sister's house?

Miss Heffernan added: "I think people should hear about what they have done to my health, because it's not fair to my kids.

"I have got a phobia about going out.

Really? You seem to manage pretty well! In fact, you must be one of the most traveled 'travellers' the local area has seen!

"It's destroyed my whole f**king life really.

"I am now a cripple, because of it.

"I have got all drugged up just because they can't put a two-bedroomed roof over my head."

Newsflash, love. It's not the council's responsibility to do that, it's yours.

H/T: Wiggia via email

Stop Fining Them, Start Removing Licences!

Shammus Mohammed Afzal admitted breaching the Equality Act when he appeared before magistrates.

The court heard the 26-year-old had been called to pick-up a partially-sighted woman from Helen & Douglas House Hospice charity shop in Magdalen Road on June 17.

But when he arrived he refused to let the dog into his taxi with its owner because he claimed it was “dirty” .

And the punishment? Pretty pathetic. As always.

Afzal, of Clive Road, Cowley, appeared at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Monday where he was fined £500 – reduced from £1,000 because of his guilty plea.

He couldn’t very well deny it, could he?

He was also ordered to pay £300 court costs and £100 compensation.

That’s, what, a week’s work for a cabbie?

Vale legal democratic services leader councillor Sandy Lovatt branded Afzal’s excuse of the dog being dirty as “lame” and said he had a legal duty to pick up the animal and its owner.

He added: “The law is very clear. If someone requires a guide dog then it must be allowed to travel with them unless they have an exemption.

“In this case the driver made some fairly lame excuses. However, as pointed out by the magistrate, even if the dog had been dirty he would have still had a legal requirement to allow it in his vehicle and he should have been aware of that and had blankets available.”

Yes, he should. But they do it because the chances are they will get away with it, and when they don’t, the punishment is minimal.

Let’s start by removing their licences for a year.

Employing Ex-Cons Is All Very Noble, But…

Miss Nash, defending, told the court her client suffered from endometriosis, at a relatively early age, and had suffered a number of problems emotionally since then.

And…that has what to do with this?

One grieving widow told Lancashire Police how Samantha Dicicco had provided friendship and support after her husband’s death, Burnley Crown Court heard.

All the while, Dicicco had been systematically going through people’s letters, at the Forest of Pendle Leisure Park, and using their bank card details to order luxuries from Selfridge’s, Marks and Spencer, and River Island.

She even opened a credit card in the name of her worst victim, Marlene Freethy, who lost out in the sum of just under £4,900, the court was told.

She looks like the trustworthy type, too!

Jailing her, Judge Beverley Lunt said she had been trusted by the owners of the caravan park, and more importantly the residents, to manage their post.

If only they’d had a crystal ball, they…

Wait. What?

She has previous convictions for stealing using her grandmother’s catalogue account and thefts using her best friend’s identity to establish online shopping profiles.

/facepalm I’d use the term ‘fox in the henhouse’, but she’s clearly no fox.

Good Luck Trying To Blame Motorists This Time…

A cyclist is fighting for life in hospital after colliding with…

Car..? Bus…? Left-turning skip lorry..?

… another rider in south west London.

Whoops!

One of the cyclists, a man in his 60s, was taken to hospital with serious head injuries and remains in a critical condition.

The second cyclist, a 25-year-old man, stopped at the scene and sustained minor injuries.

He is said to be helping police with enquiries and no other vehicles are thought to have been involved.

Normally, the cyclopaths would be clamouring for arrests, so this must present them with quite a dilemma…

No arrests have been made.

One to watch!

Form Of Worship, I Suppose…

The government is facing defeat over its plans to liberalise Sunday trading laws in England and Wales after the SNP decided to vote against the measure.

And…why would they do this? Some ultra-religious sentiment?

The SNP, which rarely votes on matters at Westminster that are unrelated to Scotland, has decided to oppose the reforms on the grounds that they could drive down the wages of Scottish workers who enjoy a special Sunday premium.

Ah, I see. ‘Honour the Sabbath day, and keep it holy. Unless you slip us a big wedge, when we’ll totes man those tills!’.

"Professor Plum, In The Library, With The Candlestick.."

Wait. What?

The Irony Of This Headline About A Student Protest...

...won't be lost on any grammar pedants.

Sunday Funnies...

Frankly, the beliefs aren't as odd as the idea that these people are 'respected celebrities'...

I Think Shambling Horrors From The Outer Rim Are Preferable To SJWs, Frankly…

The World Fantasy award trophy will no longer be modelled on HP Lovecraft, it has been announced, following a campaign last year that called the author out as an “avowed racist” with “hideous opinions”.

Dear god, is there no area these ghastly little nonentities won’t seek to ruin?

…authors including Daniel José Older (Ed: who..?) have expressed delight at the news. “THEY JUST ANNOUNCED THE WORLD FANTASY AWARD WILL NO LONGER BE HP LOVECRAFT. WE DID IT. YOU DID IT. IT’S DONE. YESSSSSSSS,” tweeted Older.

The writer, who was nominated for best of editor of an anthology for Long Hidden: Speculative Fiction from the Margins of History, later told the Guardian by email: “If fantasy as a genre truly wants to embrace all of its fans, and I believe it does, we can’t keep lionising a man who used literature as a weapon against entire races. Writers of colour have always had to struggle with the question of how to love a genre that seems so intent on proving it doesn’t love us back. We raised our voices collectively, en masse, and the World Fantasy folks heard us. Today, fantasy is a better, more inclusive, and stronger genre because of it.”

Dream on!

It’s become another cesspool of politically-correct suckups who try to make a name for themselves not by writing stories that everyone actually wants to read, but by hurling themselves on every self-loathing bandwagon that hurtles into view. Good luck with that.

I fondly predict that in 20 years time, people will still be reading Lovecraft. You’ll probably be washing cars for a living. You certainly won't be a well-known author.

But you have just boosted Lovecraft's sales figures, because when I read this, I bought everything available on Kindle... :)

Tell Me Again How The Death Penalty Was 'Unjust'...

Kelly Pearce, 36, of North Avenue, Canvey, was taken to the Royal London Hospital with a serious neck injury and died soon after 7.30pm.

Detectives from Essex Police said they urgently need to speak to Anthony Ayres, 48, in connection with the investigation. He is described as around 5ft and of average build.

Just another domestic that couldn't be foreseen?

The Press Association understands Ayres was jailed for life at the Old Bailey in 1994 after being found guilty of killing his then partner Dawn Wisdom.

Secretary Ms Wisdom, 30, was strangled to death by Ayres, then aged 27, at her East London flat in September 1993 after she tried to end their relationship.

Hmmm....

Nick Alston, police and crime commissioner for Essex, said he was "appalled and deeply saddened" by the latest killing.

He added: "This tragedy must make us question and challenge the continuing prevalence of violence against women and girls in our society. Such horror and loss of life is intolerable.

"There are also profound questions for the entire criminal justice system about sentencing and the regulatory framework surrounding the management of dangerous offenders in our communities.

"I believe these questions must be urgently addressed at the national, as well as the local, level."

He said the case underlines the need for organisations like the police, probation service and NHS to share information about vulnerable people.

'Vulnerable people'?

Ms Pearce's family issued a statement saying they had lost a "loving mother and daughter who was big hearted and full of life".

They added: "Kelly was blessed with a loud and bubbly personality and she was often heard before she was seen.

"Although Kelly faced struggles in her tragically short life, we will choose to remember her the way that she was at her best - full of life and never afraid to show affection for the people that she loved."

Ah. I can read between those lines.

Well, If You’re Trying To Sell A House, You Don’t Show The Drains…

Boxpark is facing claims of racism after circulating an artist’s impression of its new south London mall that apparently shows no ethnic minorities.

I’m astonished they’d risk being sued under the Advertising Standards Authority legislation…

But a revised image on the designers’ website shows several black and Asian people added at a later stage.

Only ‘several’..?

Croydon Central MP Gavin Barwell told the Standard: “I think the fact Boxpark is coming to Croydon is really great, but quite often we get advertising that doesn’t reflect the reality that Croydon is one of the most diverse parts of the capital.

“That’s a shame and this isn’t the only example I’ve seen.” Mr Barwell, who at one time sat on the all-party parliamentary group on race, added:

“One of the real strengths of Croydon as a place is the incredible mix of people. People from all over the world live here.

“It would be great if they used the version that reflects that.”

But then they might not get any visitors…

Oliver Richards’s post, shared hundreds of times, captions the picture: “According to this mock-up of the Croydon Boxpark, massive ethnic cleansing is going to take place before opening in 2016.”

Others labelled it “institutionalised racism” and observed: “NONE of these ‘what it might look like’ things ever seems to have a black person in them!”

Tatiana May commented: “How could they not have thought of this?”

Chris O’Donnell added: “Not a true representation of Croydon, but a glimpse into its gentrification. Just like everywhere else the real people are being forced out by new developments and unaffordable housing.”

And Angela Keating wrote: “Seriously, where the blacks at?”

Indika Sarathchandra asked: “Are us ethnics going to be served eviction notices?”

Interesting that only ethnic minorities are considered ‘real people’, eh?

The Excuses Are Getting Poorer…

Molly Watt, 21, has the genetic disorder Usher Syndrome, and is registered deafblind. She can hear with the assistance of a hearing aid, and has limited tunnel vision, so relies on her guide dog Unis.

Molly says her mum, Jane, rang Dot2Dot Taxis on Tuesday morning, asking for a car to take them to Heathrow Airport Terminal 5.

She said: "My mum asked for a taxi to T5 and said we would be travelling with a guide dog. "He then said 'we don't take guide dogs, never have'.

"Mum told him they were breaking the law to deny access and he said it isn't as Dot2Dot is a private chauffeuring company."

Molly says that, after her mum reaffirmed it was illegal to refuse to take a guide dog, she was put on to another person at Dot2Dot, who apologised for his colleague and offered a minicab.

In other words, they thought ‘Shit! We’ve been rumbled, she knows her stuff!’

Do we know why they would refuse a guide dog? Any clues?

Jane has sent a complaint to the Royal Borough's licensing department, which is investigating. In response, Shafiq Iqbal from Dot2Dot …

Aha!

… said his colleague, who Jane spoke to, said Jane did not specify that Unis was a guide dog.

He said: "She just said she had a dog, she didn't specify saying it's a guidedog." He added:

"We never say no to guide dogs but we do not accept normal pets."

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Pull the other one. It's laughable, no matter how many times we hear it:

Hoque claimed he had not heard Mr Dilly say he was blind or any mention of a guide dog.

Hailo sacked him. Good for them. Let's see more of these arrogant bastards lose their jobs, until they start learning that the law applies to them too.

Hurrah For ‘Treacles’!

If I’m ever in Winchmore Hill, I’ll definitely pop in:

The cafe’s Facebook page is littered with posts from mothers who say they felt unwelcome.

But owner Eileen Potter has defended her actions, saying the cafe “is not a family establishment”. Lidia Kettenis, 37, from Chingford, visited the cafe on Wednesday with her son Stefanos, three, and described her experience as “absolutely disgusting” .

According to Ms Kettenis, a full-time mother of three, Ms Potter ordered her son not to touch anything.

OH MY GOD! CUE THE OUTRAGE!!!

Ms Kettenis said: “It’s not a bar or a club - it’s a tea shop, for goodness’ sake! I felt so uncomfortable.

“I have been to many coffee shops in my time and never been treated this badly. She told me children are not welcome in the shop.”

Children whose mothers let them run riot while they gossip on their phones probably aren’t, no.

Good luck to ‘em!

Ms Potter said she had spoken to Stefanos in a reasonable way. “I asked him not to dismantle our letterbox or the salt and pepper on the glass table-top,” she said. “I asked him very nicely.”

If only his mother did the same, and gave the sticky-fingered little urchin a clip round the ear when he disobeyed…

But Anne, Why Would I Want To Raise A Child To Be…

This is a very rough paraphrase of what they say next: “Isis is a group of people like that. It says it’s attacking France in retaliation for its part in bombing Isis strongholds in Iraq and Syria. Everyone’s talking about it because that’s what people do when they are shocked. It’s natural. The French government wants to keep people safe, so for a few days, it wants to encourage people to stay at home and not go to school or the library. Some people will claim that all Muslims are bad but of course that is not true. Everyone wants to remember the people who died, hence the minute’s silence, and perhaps to light a candle in their memory. But [note this comes at the end, after plenty of opportunity to absorb the facts about what’s happening], attacks like this are very rare. The terrorists want to frighten people into changing the way we live and the best way to fight them is to behave normally. That includes being frightened.”

…a typical milquetoast Western value loathing ‘Guardian’ reader?

Someone whose first impulse on hearing of barbaric savagery is ‘Oooh, what did we do to provoke this’?

So, be accepting of fear: we all have to live with it. But encourage your children to develop a sense of proportion, to think about the nature of risk. More important, encourage them to think about what is being claimed, how they would argue against it, and what they think they could do to help resolve the problems as they understand them – and what the government could do too. Is bombing the answer? Is violence ever the answer? And then go for hugs, teddy and the Paddington DVD.

I think violence and bombing will solve this issue a lot more decisively than hashtag campaigns, moral relativity and appeasement.

If Only We Had A Prime Minister Like John Key…

…and not a wet PC-appeasing dishrag like Cameron:

Key went on a tirade after being questioned by Labour leader Andrew Little, telling Little “you back the rapists” , before being cut off by the Speaker, David Carter.

“Some of the [detainees] are rapists, some of them are child molesters, and some of them are murderers,” Key said. “These are the people that the Labour party are saying are more important to support than New Zealanders who deserve protecting when they come back here.”

Key told Labour MP Kelvin Davis, who has said the detentions make a mockery” of the Anzac relationship: “If you want to put yourself on the side of sex offenders, go ahead my son, but we’ll defend New Zealanders.”

Isn’t it great to have someone who stands up for women’s and children’s rights, ladies?

Ladies..?

On Wednesday, Green party co-leader Metiria Turei told the Speaker that as a survivor of sexual violence she was deeply offended by Key’s remarks: “As the victim of a sexual assault, I take personal offence at the prime minister’s comments, and ask that you require him to withdraw and apologise.”

I…

I … ummm… what?

Her comments were echoed by Green MP Catherine Delahunty, who was told by the Speaker to stop and sit back down. When other female MPS, including Labour’s Nanaia Mahuta, Clare Curran and Megan Woods, along with Green MP Marama Davidson repeated the call for Key to apologise with reference to their own assaults, Carter ordered them to stop, saying they were “flouting the rules” by claiming to make points of order.

And so light the blue touchpaper and stand well back, Mr Speaker!

Despite the warning, MPs continued to stand to urge the Speaker to take action. Green MP Marama Davidson was then thrown out of the House, followed by Poto Williams. At least eight others then chose to leave the debating chamber. They were joined by four male MPs, including Greens co-leader James Shaw, and are demanding Key apologise for his comments.

What on earth was this all about?

Delahunty said the MPs had walked out on behalf of women around New Zealand.

Really? What, the women of New Zealand just can’t wait to have all these rapists & child molesters back?

Really?

“We’ve walked out because every woman in this country needs to know that women parliamentarians will not put up with this,” she said. “We will not stand by and allow this to be bandied around parliament – this kind of abuse of people and way of approaching rape is simply unacceptable, and the prime minister has to be held to account.”

Gosh! I thought the best ‘way of approaching rape’ was to lock up rapists. But what do I know..?

Yes, The Police Are Terribly Overstretched…

A vegetarian claims she had a bucket of coins thrown at her after asking a cafe to remove chicken from her halloumi sandwich.

Shana Stuart, 19, from Hove went into Fine Eat in Western Road and asked for her cheese sandwich not to be cooked with the meat.

But when she found there was chicken in her sandwich and returned to the cafe, she claims she was abused by cafe staff.

*yawns*

Miss Stuart admits she tossed the meat-tainted sandwich back to staff - but says in return a tips bucket full of coins was thrown at her, striking her at the back of the head and neck

Oh, grow up!

Sussex Police said it was investigating the incident.

Really? I mean, really..?

Yet More Pointless Gestures...

"Within the speed limit my son was killed, that’s what’s hard to understand.

"At a lower speed my son would have lived. My son dreamed of being a footballer but with his death his dream died and mine did too.

“It would be his birthday next month. It is going to be one of the hardest days of my life and I don’t know how I will get through it.

"But if we can be celebrating a change that could save other children that would be something.”

Oh dear, so let me get this straight, a non-speeding bus killed this kid? How'd that happen?

Bus driver Sandra Thomas told the inquest she saw David just a fraction of a second before he crossed her path, and tried to brake and swerve to avoid him.

Ah. I see.

...road traffic collision investigator Pc Adrian Vanlancker told an inquest at Barnet coroner’s court that a 20mph limit in Fore Street would be “unmanageable.”

Well, d'uh! Though in rush hour, it might seem dizzyingly fast...

Mike Weston, TfL’s director of buses, said: “Any injury or fatality involving our buses is one too many. We are strong supporters of 20mph zones.”

*sighs*

Congratulations, Progressives, You Got One Of Your Favoured Class Killed...

Mr Ebrahimi had previously been visited by PC Winter and PC Harris after calling police on July 11, 2013, to report that James had beaten him up over the false belief he was a paedophile.

When the experienced officers arrived, one noted James was so angry he was 'foaming at the mouth' and bragged he would 'do time' to protect his children, the court heard.

The 26-year-old father mistakenly thought that Mr Ebrahimi, an immigrant, was filming children for sexual reasons - but actually he was gathering evidence of alleged antisocial behaviour.

Despite viewing footage of James barging in Mr Ebrahimi's flat, the two officers arrested the victim in front of a 'vigilante crowd', it was said.

Mr Ebrahimi was released without charge on the morning of July 12 and driven home by PC Henrietta Staveley-Brown.

It seems 'paedophile type behaviour' trumps even 'immigrant' in the police playbook, no matter what the actual events. Because who does anything other than arrest and sort it out later (if the victim is still alive) any more?

Who inculcated that belief? It wasn't 'the right', was it?

And hardly surprising that Nick Gargan's police farce was riddled with incompetence. A fish rots from the head, after all...

All Eyes Turn To Sumte…

Sumte seems to epitomise the challenges thrown up by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s “open-door” policy in Europe’s deepening refugee crisis. The village has just taken in the first of more than 750 asylum-seekers and new arrivals will soon outnumber its inhabitants by seven-to-one.

Yet despite the copious accommodation, large canteen and Arab-speaking security guards laid on for the first 229 Syrians and asylum-seekers from 18 other countries who arrived in the village this week, Sumte poses major problems for its new population – starting with the absence of mobile-phone reception.

“Give me your tired, your poor, 
Your huddled masses yearning to play ‘Candy Crush’, 
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. 
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, 
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Despite protests from Sumte’s residents’ about the size of the refugee contingent assigned to the village, the regional government of Lower Saxony, where the hamlet is located, agreed only to reduce the number of new arrivals from the 1,000 initially planned to 750 this year.

“There has been no date set for the refugees’ departure. Any asylum-seekers who move to others part of Germany will be replaced by new arrivals,” said Jens Meier of Germany’s Samaritans association, which runs the refugee centre.

They are here to stay. Or to move freely about, once through the door on Fortress EU, to wind up in Bethnal Green and Leicester.

Ain’t the EU great?

The residents’ reaction has been mixed. Reinhold Schlemmer, a 72-year-old former Communist who was mayor while the village was part of the former East Germany, said he was delighted it could play a significant role in alleviating the suffering of refugees.

“At least we can give them safety, food and a roof over their heads; for these people it means a great deal,” he told The Independent.

But not as much as wireless 3G, clearly…

On the outside of a neat modern red-brick bungalow not far from the refugee camp, Sumte resident Christian Schreiber had just installed a series of heat-operated searchlights designed to illuminate his front garden as soon as a person neared the property.

“This is just a precaution in view of what is happening in Sumte. I did this mainly because my wife was worried,” he said. In a sign that Sumte’s residents may be concerned about preserving the village’s Teutonic character, a German flag was flying in the front garden of a timbered farmhouse.

A woman in her fifties appeared on the village’s otherwise empty street. She didn’t want to be named.

“I don’t see why we should have to take in these numbers. It won’t work. There is nothing for them here,” she insisted.

Better not say this on Facebook, Frau Anon.

However, unlike other parts of former Communist East Germany, Sumte has no xenophobic Pegida movement and support for the anti-foreigner Alternative for Germany party is no higher than the national average. Mr Niemann says his attempts to generate opposition to the refugee population have yet to bear much fruit.

Wait until it starts to look a lot more like downtown Oslo, and the no-go areas start appearing. Or wait until it looks like Paris did on Friday...

UK Police: "Sorry, Madam, We Can't Attend Your Burglary..."

"....it's those terrible Tory cuts, you see."

"What's that? You've seen something offensive to Muslims on social media? Well, why didn't you say so in the first place?"

Police arrested the woman from Bicester, Oxfordshire, after people took to social media to complain about the comments.

A Thames Valley Police spokeswoman said: "We have arrested a 43-year-old woman in Bicester today after a number of complaints about a racially abusive post on social media.

"The woman was arrested under section 19 of the Public Order Act which relates to the display of written material which is threatening, abusive or insulting with the intention of stirring up racial hatred, and for producing malicious communications.

"We take all such complaints seriously and will investigate.

"If you suspect that racially aggravated crimes are being committed please report them to Thames Valley Police on 101."

French police ran towards the sound of gunfire. Ours run towards the sound of a Victimhood Poker card being laid on the table...

Stand With France...

Probably the only time I'll fly these colours, but today wasn't a day for humour, somehow. Normal irreverent Sunday service will resume next week.

Should you be so inclined, other blogs on this theme are below:

NickM at 'Counting Cats...'

Petunia Winegum at 'Anna Raccoon'

Fahrenheit211

Longrider

Bill Sticker

David Duff at 'Duff and Nonsense'

James Higham at 'Orphans...'

And I am mighty sick and tired of seeing this meme all over social media:

Here's a thought: since vast numbers of them are fit young men of fighting age, rather than women & children, the elderly and infirm, how about they stop running away?

How about they start fighting for the society they want, rather than fleeing to someone else's (and then whinging about the hospitality)?

You face a barbaric enemy bent on total subjugation? Yup. So did we, once. Our men took up arms, drove tanks, flew Spitfires, rather than run to safe territories, leaving the women and children behind.

9/11, 11/3, 7/7, Now 13/11...

...the list of dates for Islamic terrorist atrocities rolls on and on and on.

In an effort to escape the charityfest of 'Children In Need' last night, I watched 'American Sniper', an excellent Clint Eastwood-directed biopic of US Navy Seal sniper Chris Kyle.

The film ended, I turned to Twitter to see what was news, and found the initial reports of the latest outbreak of savagery from an alien imported culture.

I knew it wouldn't take long for the apologists for Muslim atrocity to start up, and I was right:

The resentment of disaffected young men and women from a disadvantaged community frequently discriminated against in education, employment and housing has been further fuelled by largely symbolic measures they feel have been taken against Islam under France’s strong secular tradition, such as the 2010 ban on wearing full-face veils in public.

I knew that it wouldn't take long for professional racehustlers to start trying to deflect blame, and I was right:

I also knew that the first thoughts of some would be how they could turn this situation to their own political advantage before the fucking bodies had even reached room temperature!, and I was (sadly) right yet again:

I'm tired of being right.

Tired of being right about the threat Islam poses to our civilisation, tired of watching politicians blindly carry on down the paths of appeasement of a monster that they know has been tried (and failed) before and tired of watching those who loathe their country and all that it has given them scramble for approbation and a seat at the table by refusing to name the monster for what it really is...

No other posts today. JeSuisParisienne.

Looks Like Judge Jamie Tabor Has Lost It Again...

... and he was doing so well:

Judge Jamie Tabor QC allowed the world class fighter to continue his training for next year's Rio Olympics by giving him a suspended jail term for the brutal assault.

A brutal assault on...whom?

Evans, of Oaktree Stables, Tyla Lane, Cardiff, had pleaded guilty to unlawfully wounding a fellow member of the 'travelling community' Michael Wilson, of Ledbury, Hfds, by punching him when they were out together at a pub in Redmarley, nr Newent, Glos.

Oh. Now I'm conflicted!

Imposing a two year jail term suspended for two years Judge Tabor said the assault last October at The Inn, Redmarley, was an 'enigma.'

"Why on earth you lost your self control and punched your good friend, breaking his jaw, seems impossible to unravel," said the judge,

"There must have been an undercurrent in your relationship with Michael Wilson which you and he are not saying anything about."

Quite!

H/T: anon via email

I Don’t Think The Job Of ‘GMP Spokesman’ Is Filled By The Best & The Brightest, Somehow…

Greater Manchester:

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: “A man was walking his dog near Mutual Mills. Another dog ran over to them and the man then picked up his dog.

“The other dog then bit him in the leg and another person approached. The victim then called the police.”

*yawns* Sorry, think I fell asleep there…

Eastbourne:

PC Tom Thorpe said: "This was a nasty attack that left the victim, and his dog, both with nasty cuts. The woman is described as white, slim and wearing a jacket and fitted trousers. Her dog was described as a white staffie type dog with brown patches.

"We are keen to trace this woman and her dog as we need to speak to them about what happened. Anyone with information is asked to contact on 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk quoting serial 817 of 07/10."

Now, that’s more like it!

I Want Some Of What She's Smoking!

Oh dear, just a 'minor error', you say?

Oh, well, that's good, at least we...

Wait. What?

Black box says 72mph in a 60mph limit on a bend at night in horrendous weather; how much more reckless can you get?

H/T: The Jannie via email

Please Don’t Leave Us All In Suspense!

A jealous husband and his wife are still together after he appeared in court for throwing the dog’s shaving kit at her and she told police he punched and kicked her.

*blinks*

Let me just read this again, because I clearly didn't read it right…

Freddie Hance admitted assaulting his wife when he threw a bag containing the dog’s shaving kit at her which cut her breast.

Oh. OK…

Sentencing, chairman of the bench Mr Bardon said: “Clearly this is a domestic assault which took place in a domestic context, which makes it worse.

“You have taken steps to deal with your issues and it’s very important that you keep that arrangement as it will be beneficial in the relationship with your wife.

“It’s clearly what your partner wanted [to seek help] and it’s a big step you have made.

“Unfortunately, courts cost money and it costs money for you to appear in court.”

He then ordered Mr Hance to pay an £85 fine to the Crown Prosecution Service, criminal court costs of £150 and a victim surcharge of £15.

It was agreed no compensation was to be paid as Mr Hance would effectively be paying himself as he and his wife are still together.

From the dock, the 60-year-old said: “It won’t happen again. Ever.”

So I guess we’ll never get the answer to the burning question: Gillette, or Wilkinson Sword?

Gaming 2009: "The Hunter" (Dell Gaming PC)

I have played my fair share of hunting games, it’s fair to say. It’s one of my favourite genres, which made me pretty unique (at least, I always thought so!) in the UK.

‘Rocky Mountain Trophy Hunter’, ‘Deer Hunter 1-5’, ‘Field & Stream Trophy Hunter’, ‘Cabela’s’, I managed to source them all – no mean feat, given their relative unpopularity at PC game shops – and play them all too.

But until ‘The Hunter’ (originally ‘The Hunter Online’) by a US/Swedish team now called 'Expansive Worlds' came along, I thought I was alone in liking this genre of games.



Oh, they were very popular in America, where I often had to import them from, or buy them while on holiday, but still nowhere near the popularity of other games. But this game (and the emerging trend for downloadable content) soon changed all that.

Superb graphics, immersive gameplay, constant attention from developers with new reserves and species added every few months (Alaska and bison being the latest, with three new duck species in testing for the wingshooters) has really paid off, and a great online community has made 'The Hunter' one of my favourite games of all time.

Long may it continue!

Overwhelming Sense Of Entitlement You Say..?

Surely not!

Parents with blue badges claim they find it "frightening" to park at Fern Hill Primary School following the start of a car park share with the borough’s new free secondary school.

Disabled bay use is reportedly being abused by parents dropping children to school or not entitled to priority parking, some blue badge holders from the Richmond Road school have said.

Well, I’m shocked! What is the world coming to?

Another parent, Jenny Souter, whose daughter is a blue badge holder, said: "It has become an almost daily routine now to ask parents who are parked illegally in the disable bays to move on.

"Many have asked me why I am parked in the disabled bay when I am obviously not disabled.

"There are times when it is too emotional to explain to them about my daughter, but a lot of the times even when I do explain they simply couldn't care less and remain parked saying they won't be long and continue to park illegally the next day."

And while there are no sanctions, they’ll continue to do it because they can.

There’s no more selfish person in the world than a parent that believes that the simple act of giving birth entitles them to skip ahead of every queue and monopolise every advantage there is.

The problems are said to have escalated since Kingston Academy opened in the same road.

Lovely example to set your children.

The 'Guardian's' Approach To The Work Ethic....

...is always a little, ummm, well.

“I’m Sorry, Sir, But Your Disability Card Is Not Valid For This Service…”

A Welling father and his disabled daughter were left outraged after allegedly buying an-out-of date drink - with mould and rot floating inside - from a Bexleyheath supermarket.

Cue outrage, with added OUTRAGE! on top for good measure.

Mr Kibble said: "There was sediment at the bottom and mildew floating at the top of the drink itself.

"It is absolutely outrageous.

"To sell out of date drinks is disgraceful.

"It’s horrible."

Yeah, yeah, we get the message. Collect your £10 voucher and sod off back to ‘Jeremy Kyle’ like the…

Wait. What?

The loving father, who has shopped at the store for ten years, requested the company pay for his £36 shopping bill as a form of compensation.

They refused and instead, Mr Kibble was offered a £10 voucher.

It’s not often that I’m rendered speechless by the sheer greed of the benefit classes, but…now I am!

He added: "The senior management did not seem to care.

"Head office did not seem to care.

"It was incredibly upsetting for my family and to come away empty handed makes it even harder to swallow."

From the look of you, it’s the only thing you find hard to swallow…

But Maybe You’re Paid What You’re Worth…

Essex's Police and Crime Commissioner wants to raise an extra 50p a week from every household to fund 300 more officers.

Does he indeed? But it seems he can't:

… but to increase the police council tax precept by more than two per cent, the police and crime commissioner is required under Government rules to call a public vote.

So, call one! What have you got to lose?

“To go above the Government cap, I would have to have a referendum and that it almost guaranteed to fail.

“It’s very expensive and I would not be allowed to explain why. The way the question would be framed is ‘Would you be prepared to agree a 20 per cent increase?’ with just a yes or no answer.

“All the advice I have been given is that it is highly unlikely that people will say yes.

Ahahahahahahahahaha!

“I am writing to the Home Secretary to see if the rules can be changed so PCCs are allowed to do what they think is right with the precept.”

Because the Home Secretary is well known for giving police everything they demand? Good luck, chum!

“I think if I had the chance to explain, people would be willing. Very rarely are they opposed to it when I speak about it.”

Maybe it's down to the people you are speaking to? Talk about salting the mine!

Mr Alston added: “In Essex we pay less than any other county except one. We would still be paying less than average if we increased it by 50 pence a week. I think that is wrong and I think we need to be bolder.

“I would be really disappointed if people in Essex felt it was the wrong thing to do. Three hundred officers would make a tangible difference.”

Yes, they could investigate more politically correct nonsense while avoiding any real hard work, couldn't they?

Breathtaking Chutzpah!

A police officer who was driving the car which hit tragic schoolboy Harry Kirkham told an inquest he did not see the teenager before the fatal accident.

PC Lee Monk said the 15-year-old and another boy “came out of nowhere” while he was travelling along Sutton New Road, Erdington.

An inquest previously heard Harry, who suffered a severe head injury and died the following day, had been “free running” when the collision occurred near Erdington police station.

In other words, he’s a candidate for Midlands Darwin Awards (Youth Category) 2015.

…to keep his memory alive, the family has set up a dedicated Facebook site, “Remember Harry-James Kirkham” .

So far £4,650 has been pledged and on it, Mrs Kirkham explains why they have set up a fund-raising appeal.

“It’s awful to lose a child and then have to try and find thousands to pay for a funeral that parents don’t save for or even get help from the government,” she said.

“Not only are we grieving, but also getting into thousands of pounds worth of debt.

“It costs £3,000 alone for a grave, and anything from £1,500 to £2,000 for a headstone, this may explain a little as to reasons I opened the Go Fund Me account.”

*speechless*

The Benefits Of Diversity…

Mark Patten, 30, of Galpins Road, beat Menelaos Aligizakis to the floor before stamping on his head while "screaming hysterically" just moments after meeting him in Waterloo in the early hours of January 3.

Mr Aligizakis, 43, a Greek academic, classical pianist and former teacher at Wimbledon schools, died of head injuries at the scene of the attack.

Patten was jailed today for a minimum of 17 years today at Inner London Crown Court, where he was found guilty of murder on Thursday last week.

So....why did he launch this attack?

He has never explained why he killed Mr Aligzakis, who taught at Wimbledon College and Ursuline School in Merton and was described by his parents "a heart-warming soul to all the darkness in the world".

Hmmmm....

Mr Aligizakis, who lived in Athens and was visiting friends in London for the Christmas holidays, spent the hours before his death in the same club as his killer but the two did not meet inside. CCTV footage played during his trial showed Patten arriving at the club moments after his victim at 12.30am and leaving with a friend three minutes before him at 2.29am. The three met as they walked along Waterloo Road towards Waterloo station and engaged in friendly conversation before Patten launched his assault.

It sounds to me as if he should be in Broadmoor.

We Will Remember Them...

They come crowding in around me

those faces of the bold,

and my strength and resolution are fortified untold.

The spirit that’s within me,

lifts my head in silent pride

recalling days behind me and the men I’ve marched beside.

Anon

I'm Glad I Didn't Do Jury Service In Cambridge...

A father was murdered on New Year's Day after a dispute over a hare coursing bet between two traveller families, a court heard.

Such lovely folks. It's good that we don't tolerate these practices, though, and that the forces of law and order stand ready to...

Ah.

There was "pandemonium" outside Cambridge Crown Court this afternoon after bare-chested fighting broke out.

Police said the disorder involved 30 people – but witnesses claimed there were many more gathered on either side of East Road.

One witness told the News the incident began when one group dashed across the road and damaged a van parked outside the Grafton Centre car park.

"They were running between the cars after each other – it was horrendous," they said.

"There was shouting, yelling and scuffles all over the place. It's fair to say it was pandemonium."

People were also locked inside the court building while the trouble was dispersed.

The News reporter covering the case also reported that police had batons drawn, although they were not used.

Of course not! Not with Professional Standards ready at their desks to receive a phone call....

Mark Mosley, 43, was today found guilty of the murder of father-of-four Jessie Smith, 36, on New Year's Day at a travellers' site in First Drove in Burwell.

Mosley killed Mr Smith with a shotgun blast, delivered at close range, to his back.

Absolute scum. No-one could possibly find anything to commend in such a...

Wait. What?

Detective Inspector Al Page, from the Bedfordshire Cambridgeshire Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, who led the investigation, said: "The actions of Mark Mosley mean that four children will now have to grow up without their father and nothing can bring him back. However, I hope the result today provides Jessie's family with some comfort and allows them to continue re-building their lives.

"This has been a very difficult trial as Mosley broke every rule of traveller culture, in which disputes are resolved by a fair fight between individuals, without resorting to the use of weapons.

"He armed himself with a sawn-off shotgun and started firing it at members of the Smith group indiscriminately. We are extremely lucky his actions did not lead to the death of more than one person."

 Are we, DI Page? Are we really?

H/T: CJ Nerd via email

Professional Liberal Progressives Rejecting Abortion?

What gives..?

He adds: “We don’t judge people who have an abortion, but I’d very much like people to know that there are an awful lot of positives to be had.”

The midwife told her that, in the previous year, only two people she had seen had carried on with their pregnancies after the diagnosis. “People clearly don’t feel supported from the outset. There must be so many people who are unsure and not given any information. All we were given was a phone number.”

“You think you’re writing into a void, but along will come an email from someone on a maternity ward, saying, ‘My baby’s next to me, I’ve just had a diagnosis and I’ve found your blog – thank you, thank you, thank you.’ Or someone says, ‘I’ve decided to keep my baby after seeing Natty.’ And then I think, I’ve got to keep going.”

Emma says, “If someone asks me, I’ll tell them what happened and why I did it – I did what’s right for me. It’s unbelievably sensitive and no one should push their opinions on other people. I feel I’m up for extreme scrutiny and judgment, yet those people haven’t been in my shoes.”

Wonder no more.

Jane Fisher of Arc says that for women who speak up about terminating a Down’s pregnancy, “the vitriol and hate mail are mind-boggling”.

*rolls eyes*

Never Look At What They Say – Look At What They Do…

Govanhill’s new top cop has warned online trolls to stop scapegoating ethnic minorities over crime.

So there’s no crime and it’s all in people’s imagination?

The 52-year-old who was “born and brought up in the south side” became the area commander last month.

His tenure began a week before Police Scotland parachuted in an additional 21 officers from its Force Flexible Policing Unit (FFPU), an offshoot of the Violence Reduction Division.

In an exclusive interview with the Evening Times, CI McInarlin denied that the special measure was due to a spike in violent crime.

Oh. Right. Guess not, then. They just had 21 officers sitting around twiddling their thumbs?

CI McInarlin said: “The feeling that all this crime and disorder is caused by the influx in Roma into Govanhill just isn’t the case at all.

“We do record ethnicity by way of victims and accused persons and, despite the rumours and suspicion, we can’t point the finger at the Roma.

“You see them standing on the corner but they are not actually doing anything. I think the problem is that local people who have lived there all of their lives are threatened. “I think we really need to be careful and sensitive around that. The last thing we want to do is start a race or ethnicity war around about that.

“Some of these Facebook accounts are close to the bone and I think they need to be very careful about the language they are using.”

Sounds like they are, and you are frustrated that you can't arrest them as a result. But maybe your officers are too busy with real crime?

When asked to explain the “increased fear of crime” CI McInarlin brings up two high profile cases where pensioners were targeted.

The first was in July when a 73-year-old woman had her necklace ripped off as she walked along Alison Street.

Then, last month, a 76-year old man was assaulted and robbed of £40 in Govanhill Park.

Police are still hunting for the thugs who attacked both pensioners.

*sighs*

H/T: @Ricardo_Bald via Twitter

So Much For 'Community'...

"People pay council tax and they shouldn't have to do gritting and salting for the council," said Cllr Cromie, whose Queensbury ward is one of the highest in the county and often hit hard by wintry weather.

Once, this would have been something people did as a matter of course. Now, they have to be begged to do it?

A spokesman said: "In ice or light snow flurries, Bradford will grit a 720 mile route around the district with special attention paid to the highest and most treacherous areas.

"This does not include minor roads in estates, suburbs and villages, which will only get done in times of very severe weather when the main roads are clear and the weather improves."

Time, I think, for this video again:

 

Hmmm, I Can See Why ‘Comments Are Closed’, Frankly…

The Year Six pupil has been taken out of St Peter’s CE Primary School, Darwen, by her mum Johanne Elsworth after the incident.

Headteacher Victoria Weddle and Blackburn with Darwen Council have declined to comment on the matter.

But yesterday parents picking up their children said they were supportive of the school’s stance.

Hmmm, tell me more?

Ms Elsworth is now trying to find a place for her daughter at another school in the town after vowing not to return to St Peter’s.

She said: “She is not an angel by any means and I’m fine with her being punished but not like this.

“This is not appropriate at all and is nothing short of Dickensian.

“It has made me very angry and I just can’t believe that they made her do this.”

Ms Elsworth, who lives with her three children in Ratcliffe Street, said: “I did not believe her when she first told me.

“I think that she may have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder but her teachers do not think so. She has had behaviour problems before and I have no problem with her being punished by the school when she needs to be.

“But I do not think that children should be punished in this way.”

Ms Elsworth added: “I have never heard of a school taking this kind of action against children.

“We are both very upset about it all and I hope that this incident will make the school rethink it’s behaviour policy. I hope it never happens to anyone again.”

This awful, ‘Dickensian’ punishment? Scrubbing the pavement, would you believe…

According to the latest behaviour guidance from the Department for Education, headteachers must decide the standard of behaviour expected of pupils at the school. They must also determine the school rules and any disciplinary penalties for breaking the rules.

The document also lists the sanctions that schools can hand out if children are disruptive, which includes school-based community service or the imposition of a task such as picking up litter or weeding school grounds. The tasks also mentioned include tidying a classroom, helping clear up the dining hall after meal times or removing graffiti.

QED. Suck it up. Consider your daughter's early training as a scrubber as ... well ... ummm ....

Chalk Another Up To Darwin…

Mr Knight who grew up in Cambridge moved to Shoebury 18 months before his death, on November 24.

His 51-year-old father Ron, said: “Cambridge and Southend have lost one of their young princes.

“It is nearly the first anniversary and you do not really ever get over these things but we are moving on.

“He was hard working, industrious and considered by many to be a very good friend.

“We had a beautiful life together. He was a really good friend and an amazing grandson, my father doted on him.”

Oh dear! So how did this ‘young prince’ meet his untimely fate?

A toxicology report found that the cyclist, who had no brakes on his fixed-wheel bike, had a blood alcohol level of 107mg of alcohol, over the 80mg drink-driving limit, and traces of cannabis in his system.

*sighs*

Well, If You Can’t Abide By The Rules, Then Yes, Leave!

Born and bred Dovorian Angela Condon says she has owned four Border Collies and has walked pooches in the park since she was 10.

The 66-year-old, who suffers from epilepsy (Ed: relevance..? ), told the Express she now wants to leave town after the warden approached her and her nine-year-old Griff. The tearful Priory Hill resident said: "The warden said I'm not allowed to let my dog off its lead and I'll be fined £75 if I do it again.

"People know me in Dover for having Border Collies and they see me often playing with my dogs in Pencester.

"I first took my dog there when I was 10. I've never had any problems before. People have always been so nice to me and they love playing with Griff.

"The warden didn't even say she was sorry (Ed: What should she apologise for, doing her job?). She said, 'If I see you again with your dog off the lead, I'll fine you'."

Angela, who was born in Biggin Street and worked behind the counter of the post office for 20 years, added: "Griff has to be on a lead when walking through Pencester Gardens so now I can't play with him.

"I'm disabled so I can't drive. Now there is hardly anywhere I can take him to walk. I want to move from Dover."

Yes, I know, it would be nice if the wardens challenged Stabby McChav when he strolls out with his beloved Fang with bvigour, too, but laws are laws, and she can't say she wasn't aware...

Dovorians have been unable to walk their dogs off the lead in Pencester Gardens since June 27 this year. The Dover District Council ruling was introduced to "create a more comprehensive and consistent approach when dealing with issues such as dog fouling, keeping dogs on leads and excluding dogs from specified areas."

A council spokesman said: "This updated many existing bylaws requiring dogs to be kept on leads in specified areas.

"This included Pencester Gardens where prior to the introduction of the PSPO there was a 1978 bylaw requiring dogs to be kept on leads.

"The penalty for failing to keep a dog on a lead in this park is £75. Notices have gone up detailing the order and Environmental Enforcement Officers (EEOs) have been advising people of their responsibilities."

All people. No exemptions because 'you've liverd here for ages and always done it'. Nor because you wave the Disability Card, either.

YONA* No More...

Judge Zoe Smith QC today lifted the anonymity order that had protected the 17-year-old because of his young age. The four had been convicted of murder by an Old Bailey jury that had defied death threats from the public gallery.

Lovely!

William-Dawodu was ordered to serve a minimum of 18 and a half years for the murder and for another “wholly unprovoked” knife attack in the street.

He had been on bail for that attack when he carried out the murder despite being subject to a curfew that had banned him from entering Hackney.

Thus showing that the justice system isn't worth a candle...

H/T: Wiggia via email

*Youth of No Appearance

No Need....We All Know Why!

Thames Valley Police spokesman Gareth Ford-Lloyd said: “There has been a thorough investigation and police have concluded that no offence took place and the case is now closed.”

Police said no action would be taken against the alleged victim, but declined to say why she had not been prosecuted.

Don't we? And it's a bloody outrage.

"What? I Can't Dump My Kids At The State Baby-Minding Service Any More?"

OUTRAGE!!!

“I mean the thought of my little blonde blue-eyed girl waiting outside school until the clock strikes 8.40am makes me panic.

“The school needs to be reasonable and allow children to come in and enjoy their surroundings from 8.15am until registration starts.”

But wait, aren't their earlier starts in most schools now for..?

Why, yes, yes, there is:

A Trinity Church of England Primary School spokesman said: "School begins at 8.40 each morning with the early bell when children should be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult.

“Alternatively, we open our supervised breakfast club which begins at 7.30. Trinity Church of England Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children."

Aha! Someone doesn't want to pay....

The Real Threat, As Ever, Is Compensation Culture…

One Oxfordshire lock keeper, who didn't want to be named, said he had used his safety ladder three times already this year to rescue people who had fallen in the river.

He said: "This proposal is seriously dangerous, and the fact they haven't even asked us whether we can use our ladders is bizarre.

"You only need to Google 'carbon fibre ladders' and you can find lightweight ladders – there must be some reason behind this other than safety."

With regard to the proposed ban on fire extinguishers he said: "They have told us we should throw them a life ring, phone the fire brigade, then stand there and watch.

"Given how remote some of our sites are, it's just ridiculous – the fire service is under enough pressure."

Another Oxfordshire keeper said: "Every single lock keeper is up in arms about it. "What do they expect us to do, just stand there watching people drown?"

Well, public sector employees often have no problems with that…

But what’s prompted this move? Is it the ubiquitous ‘elf n’ safety?

… in a letter seen by the Oxford Mail, EA waterways manager Andrew Graham told lock keepers: "Our water training and rescue providers have recently reviewed our use of fire extinguishers at lock sites and have advised fire extinguishers should be present only if risk assessment requires it for staff to extinguish small fires or escape from buildings on the lock. "If the EA provides fire extinguishers for public to use on board boats in the lock, there is a duty of care and a liability issue, so would recommend they are removed from public areas. EA staff should not be fighting fires on boats in the lock."

Aha! No, it’s more the propensity of the increasingly bovine British public, goaded by ambulance-chasing shysters, to sue at the drop of a hat for the slightest little thing that they think they can claim is someone else’s fault.

The letter concluded: "Having extinguishers at lock sites would leave the temptation for our dedicated and committed staff to use them, despite not being trained to do so, in the process putting themselves at risk.

"It could also lead to a false sense of safety to boaters."

Doesn’t that apply to any public safety equipment, then?