Barlow's brief

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Prosecuting residents for excess waste is now all too common.
Prosecuting residents for excess waste is now all too common.
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Zero tolerance ... but only for the law-abiding

Vic Barlow
5/ 3/2008

THE FRONT page of a national newspaper last week led with: ‘Tagging to replace jail for burglars and muggers’.

It went on to explain government plans to replace sentences of less than 12 months with restriction orders.

Page seven carried the headline: ‘Zero tolerance on waste’, declaring that residents overfilling their wheelie bins would be fined £100.

My own newspaper reported the "crackdown on parking" with councils planning a "blitz" on motorists.

I used to get a regular call from a very dear neighbour.

At 82 years of age, she made a trip by bus every day into Macclesfield town centre, always happy to pick up items of shopping for me.

My neighbour was a sweetheart; she knew all the bus drivers by name and gave them Christmas cards.

One day she was mugged in the Grosvenor Centre, the shock sent her into a downward spiral from which she never recovered.

Despite having eye-witnesses and sworn statements, the Crown Prosecution Service decreed that "it was not in the public interest to charge the culprit".

My friend died in hospital some months later.

If local authorities have the means and determination to declare a ‘blitz’ on motorists and ‘zero tolerance’ on residents, why not on criminals, drug dealers, yobs and violent offenders?

The answer is, of course, money.

It’s cheap, quick and profitable to take legal action against the law abiding, while prosecuting the lawless is a lengthy and expensive process.

Why spend £5,000 issuing an ASBO that’s certain to be ignored, when you can make £100,000 by simply slapping tickets on cars and dustbins?

Sadly, that’s the way it works.

The views expressed on this page are Vic Barlow's and not necessarily those of the Express


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Most recent 2 of 3 user comments

   That's the trouble Vic.All the Decent living people have either passed away,or moved away.What you are now left with is more and more trash growing up,or hugging the bar all day and every day.Darlings 4 p a pint rise will not make the slightest difference.They'll go and mug someone for the price of a pint.3rd world England.
midway, West Germany
13/03/2008 at 10:08
   Sad story Vic. Cant believe you had the 82yr old next door neighbour doing your shopping for you. Exploitation in my book. You should be relieved you werent hauled before the courts yourself.
The Satisfied Customer
7/03/2008 at 02:26
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