Plod's New Line OF Enquiry ?

You know the feeling you get when you read a story and think to yourself, "No, that just cannot be true" ? Well, I've had it a few times since I started this blog, and I've just had it again.

So, let me be clear that I've not seen this story widely reported, which makes me suspicious. It was given some coverage in the Sunday Mercury, which I haven't heard of but appears to be a midlands-based paper. It's also appeared on a few blogs, as you'd expect. The story in the Sunday Mercury was very old when it was published. This incident allegedly took place in October, but wasn't reported until January, which seems very odd. It was also reported in The Sun, but, frankly, that doesn't mean a great deal.

Anyway, to cut to the chase...

Apparently drinkers in the Prince of Wales pub in Moseley, Birmingham, were forced by police to take a sobriety test. Officers from the Joint Licensing Task Force (which seems to be a truly frightening mix made up of people from Trading Standards, the police, Environmental Health and Licensing Enforcement) turned up and told the landlord that drunks in the pub were out of control, something the landlord denies. He claims that a policeman made him march his customers outside, draw a line on the ground in the beer garden, and make them walk up and down the line to prove their sobriety. The landlord was subsequently reported to Birmingham City Council (it's not clear what for) and the landlord has, in turn, made a complaint to West Midlands Police.

Interestingly, a local councillor, supposedly in the pub at the time, is quoted in the Sunday Mercury story, condemning the actions of the authorities. It's not much, but it's something to latch on to. Womble On Tour Detective Services has sent the councillor an email to try and find out more.

If this is true, then it's a terrifying example of the power of the State to interfere in our lives. It would appear that it's against the law to be drunk - otherwise why would a policeman demand that someone walk along a line to prove their sobriety ?

If I find out more, you'll hear it here first.