Sunday, January 10, 2010

Only in Britain: Arrested in front of your family for an email you didn’t write, which contained a word that rhymed with another word that some that official thought was vaguely racist

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Paul Osmond, the offending eMail’s actual source
Paul Osmond, the “offensive” eMail’s actual source.

If you think that’s simultaneously the most convoluted and asinine title ever, well, good. Because it fits with this story perfectly. When you think the state of affairs in the U.S. is bad enough, look across the pond and breathe a sigh of relief in knowing how much more ridiculous it could get. Such as when you can be arrested and detained for a non-offense committed by someone else.

A wealthy businessman was arrested at home in front of his wife and young son over an email which council officials deemed ‘offensive’ to gipsies – but which he had not even written.

The email, concerning a planning appeal by a gipsy, included the phrase: ‘It’s the 'do as you likey' attitude that I am against.’

Council staff believed the email was offensive because ‘likey’ rhymes with the derogatory term ‘pikey’.

The 45-year-old IT boss was held in a police cell for four hours until it was established he had nothing to do with the email, which had been sent by one of his then workers, Paul Osmond.

But police had taken his DNA and later confirmed they would be holding it indefinitely.

The businessman, who has asked not to be named, was also fingerprinted in the police investigation estimated to have cost taxpayers up to £12,000.

He said two uniformed officers came to his house on a Sunday afternoon and said he would be handcuffed if he did not accompany them to the police station.

His computer and other internet equipment were also seized.

The email, from a computer at his company, was sent last August to a website at Rother District Council, in East Sussex, on which the public can comment on planning applications.

Hey, Brits? I hear America, Canada, France, Spain, Italy, Sweden and Russia (amongst a few others) are quite lovely this time of year.

You know, if you ever get the desire to get out of a country with such batshit-insanely sensitive officials.

(via Fark)