Blacked-up morris dancers banned from traditional hometown performance over safety fears

19 Nov 2013 12:25The tradition is now set to end  - after the local council took covert photos from the last event showing spectators standing on roads

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Blooming barmy: Council forces couple to dig up flowerbed over health and safety rules

To me, this decision is quite literally blooming petty. There is no other way to describe it

William Geidt

Mrs Geidt, who is a full-time carer to her 91-year-old mother, said: "It seems petty and heavy handed and we feel like we're being singled out."

She said that they are in fear of cars crashing into their home and the flowers show a clear boundary in poor visibility.

"From our own experience we know it is difficult to see the edge of the road in snow and there is a real responsibility of a serious accident if drivers skid down the bank into our cottage.

"The flower bed helps to make it very obvious where the edge of the road is.

"We spend hours tending to the border and planting it each year, we spend money on buying the plants as well.

"It is tragic to think we might have to pull it all up and we are willing to compromise but a sensible compromise," she continued.

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'Banjo bobby' promotes safety through song

West Midlands Police Sergeant Giles Dean is hoping his George Formby-style "When I'm Burgling Houses" song will persuade people to keep their homes and cars secure. 3:41PM BST 19 Oct 2013

The policeman wrote the song, which he performs on a banjo-ukulele hybrid called a banjolele, to encourage people to be more careful with their possessions.

Lines from the tongue-and-cheek song include: "Now I go burgling houses to earn a dishonest bob, with all the help you give me it's a very easy job".

Mr Dean explained why the force had produced the song saying, "it was a new and different way to get the crime prevention message out".

"Every week I get across my desk offences, burglaries, thefts from motor vehicles, where people could easily prevent those offences," Mr Dean added.

The police officer, who learnt to play the ukulele five-years-ago, said it was a self-taught hobby which he had learnt mainly through watching videos on YouTube.

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