Father put in cells for smacking
A father was arrested by police and locked in a cell overnight after smacking his son's bottom.
Mark Frearson's young son had wandered off alone after dark while they were at a Plymouth shopping centre together.
Mr Frearson, who is separated from the boy's mother, found his son in a
park 10 minutes later and smacked him once.
But a passer-by reported it to Plymouth police and four officers arrived
at his house, took him away and locked him in a cell awaiting
questioning.
Mr Frearson, 47, a director at a parcel company, was released the next
day at 1000 GMT, after the witness who had reported the smacking was
interviewed and withdrew their accusation.
Mr Frearson has now made a formal complaint to the Independent Police
Complaints Commission.
He said the police reaction was "massively over-the-top" and the
experience was traumatic for his son.
'Angry and bewildered'
He said: "I find it shocking how easy it is to have someone arrested. To
think that all this happened on the back of one allegation.
"I appreciate the police's concern but I don't understand why they felt
it necessary to arrest me and lock me up before interviewing me or the
witness.
"I am still angry and bewildered at the events of that night."
The incident happened last Tuesday at about 1800 GMT at a shopping
centre in Plymouth.
Mr Frearson had told his son to stay with him, but when he realised he
had left the shop there was a search and he was found outside.
He said he smacked his son and the two returned home.
At about 2100 GMT police arrived saying a witness had reported Mr
Frearson for assault.
The officers then took the boy to his mother's home and Mr Frearson was
arrested and taken to the police station.
A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall police said that because a formal complaint had been made they could not comment on the incident.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news. bbc.co.uk/ go/pr/fr/ -/1/hi/england/ devon/7732954. stm
Published: 2008/11/17 11:30:47 GMT
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Residents told welcome mats are health and safety risk
Residents have been told they cannot have welcome mats outside their
homes because they are a health and safety risk.
Last Updated: 1:10PM GMT 17 Nov 2008
Council bureaucrats said the mats posed a hazard and have ordered them to be removed.
They have even threatened to take residents to court - with the threat of eviction - if their demands aren't met.
Letters, signed by housing officer Elspeth White, were sent out after a
council surveyor visited the flats.
Three residents in Revenge House, at The Anchorage, Gosport, Hants, have
now been told to remove the rubber-backed mats.
They have been warned that people could trip on them, particularly if
they needed to leave in an emergency.
The council says the health risk is made worse because the corridors in
the building are narrow.
Resident Ingrid Buckland, 62, has removed her mat for fear of the
council taking action.
She said: "'I just can't understand all the fuss over these mats - it
seems so futile.
"It's just such a petty little thing and it has got out of hand. I don't
know why the council is saying it might take action over a 99p door mat,
it just seems so over the top.
"I should think the council would have bigger things to worry about than
three door mats but I've moved mine because I don't want to cause any
trouble, it's just not worth it."
Gosport Borough Council says if the mats aren't removed the tenants
would be breaking the terms of their lease, which states no objects
should be placed in communal areas.
Officers will be returning to the block later this month to check
whether the mats have gone.
But the head of the council's own housing board thinks it is over the top.
Cllr Keith Gill said: "I would be very opposed to any kind of legal
action taking place over this. I think that would be heavy handed.
"This is really sending out the wrong message and there are more
important things that the council should be worrying about."
Tom Mullarkey, chief executive of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, was also against the mat ban.
He said: "The application of common sense and balance is much more reasonable than the seeking of mindless increments towards absolute safety."
Other council tenants in the borough could be sent letters in the coming months if their mats are deemed to be dangerous.
But the council has not enforced a blanket ban, saying it would assess each mat on an individual basis.
Council spokeswoman Brenda Brooker said: "We, as a local authority and landlord, have a duty of care to all persons entering our communal areas.
"These should be free from any hazards or obstructions, likely to cause health and safety issues or prevent evacuation of persons in a fire situation.
"We would consider the health and safety risk that the particular
problem presents and then would consider appropriate action, possibly involving legal action."
http://www.telegrap h.co.uk/news/ newstopics/ politics/ lawandorder/ 3471686/
Residents-told- welcome-mats- are-health- and-safety- risk.html
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