Thursday, 9th October 2008

That old "health and safety" ogre stalking the land marches on in Worcestershire. Bromsgrove District Council has used it to force gardener Bill Malcolm to remove thief-deterring barbed wire from his council-owned allotment – in case the thieves hurt themselves.

Bill, 61, put up the waist-high single strand of wire after losing £300 worth of tools to intruders who also ruined his potato patch. The council told him it would not risk being sued by a would-be thief who injured himself on the wire.

A spokesperson said: "We are obliged to request its removal or remove it on health and safety grounds to the general public, as this is a liability issue. This is a requirement enforced by our health and safety department."

What can you say – that's printable?

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