Welcome to Little Britain (2)
Friday, April 11, 2008 Another reader writes:
I work in Sheffield city centre and recently have noticed more and more "smoking police". These people are employed by the local authority as "City Centre Ambassadors" and are supposed to help/assist shoppers, give directions etc as well as issuing fixed penalty notices for littering.
However, I rarely see the City Centre Ambassadors helping anyone. Instead, they hang around watching people smoking outside the shops, restaurants etc hoping that they'll drop their cigarette end on the floor and pounce on them to issue an on-the-spot-fine. They even follow potential victims so that they can issue a ticket.
It seems to be the policy of Sheffield City Council to make the life of the smoker as hard as possible as there are very few bins around. Apparently private business have to apply for planning permission to put an ashtry up outside their business and more often than not Sheffield Council refuses the application on the grounds that it will encourage smoking!! They then have the "smoking police" to fine people. The smoking police don't even attempt to give warnings to people.
I'm all for a litter-free Britain but issuing very expensive fines is just a money making racket. I wonder whether they have targets or get paid based on the number of tickets issued. Why can't they just ask the person to pick up their cigarette end and put it in a bin?? Are they just power crazed individuals who have let their uniforms go to their heads? Or is it Sheffield City Council who wants to make lots of money out of issuing on-the-spot fines?
Reader Comments (5)
The number of litter police appears to be based on how anti-smoking the councils are. I understand that my local council only has one smoking detective, whereas other local councils have many.
This is just another ploy by the likes of these unelected outfits appointed by the govt such as ASH (and to make jobs for themselves)to divide and conquer while keeping our attention off the real issues like the encroachment of more eu diktat to soften us up for a yes vote for europe, by making us think that the eu couldnt be any worse. I make a point of stubbing my butt out on the pavement since the smoking ban as a silent protest and that goes for my paper wrappings too.
At the local elections vote for a candidate that smokes. He/She may help reduce the numbers of stormtoopers on our streets?
My understanding of British law is that you are ownly obliged to give your address to an officer of the law. I would simply decline and if they want to call the police I am very happy to go down the station and discuss the matter in hand, if needs be with the Chief Constable. The police and jobsworths might get the message.
I would throw the lit cigarette end, into a litter bin, if there wasnt a smokers bin provided. and if it catches fire, then i was only doing my duty to clean up a cigarette butt.
The cant complain you littered, your doing what they say.. unfortunatly it burns the bin down..
thats what i would do if i was evil.