Sobriety Tests In Brum - A Follow-Up

Well, big hat-tip to Liberal Democrat councillor Martin Mullaney, who has come straight back to me after I e-mailed him yesterday to see if he could shed light on the police-inspired sobriety tests at the Prince of Wales in Moseley, Birmingham.

Cllr Mullaney says that "the sobriety test mentioned by the Sunday Mercury was actually conducted by Keith Marsden, the licensee, in the beer garden. He did this to prove to the police that the three members of the public were in fact sober". I guess that changes things slightly; it wasn't a case of the police forcing people to walk down a line. What isn't clear, though, is why the the licensee felt compelled to prove to the police that his customers weren't drunk.

Cllr Mullaney sent a letter of complaint to the Police, a copy of which he has kindly forwarded to me. In it he emphatically refutes the Police's claim that people in the pub were drunk and out of control. He sent his letter on 7th October, and is still awaiting a reply.