What do we know about "UK Uncut"? Their web page carries reports of other anti-cuts organisations but what do THEY do? They sem to concentrate on doing the dirty for the Inland Revenue, concentrating on Tax avoiding companies and banks while leaving actual demonstrations against cuts to other organisations. They seem remarkably well informed about the tax and accounting history of their victims.....hmmmmm

Organise a meeting of local people and invite the local councillors Tell them you will stand a candidate in the next election purely on the issue of this camp-site. Do a freedom of information request to obtain any and all documents on the council's decision. There MUST have been a planning meeting to decide to build a camo-site. You WILL be accused of anti-Roma racism. If that does happen you have nothing to lose so REALLY put the frighteners on the council...invite the BNP to the meeting!! Remember, it's your home you are fighting for!

This may sound petty but it really annoys me. I bought an EPSON DX4400 printer. I decided to buy some generic ink cartridges for it, about half the price of EPSON cartridges. They worked ok. But now I come to change them the new ones do not work. The computer does not recognise them! At the risk of being paranoid is it possible that an on-line update has been downloaded to my EPSON drivers or printer to disable these generic cartridges? Is this legal (monopoly etc). Suggestions welcomed!!

Ho hum. Another Millenium Bug, Nostradamus, meteor / comet strike! Also....Global warming, Carbon footprint, Oil running out, Global terrorism????

I don't know if this will help, but I have found it useful. VOA Rating Manual Volume 4 VOA - Council Tax Homepage

"Gypsy rose Lee" probably isn't a Gypsy and no one really believes tea leaves tell the future. The leaflet I saw brought to mind similar leaflets I saw in South Africa where killing for body parts or the looting of hospital mortuaries is not unknown....then there is the London case. CNN.com - Muti medicine: Herbs and murder - April 19, 2002 muti [email protected] WorldWide Religious News-Exposed: witch-doctors

I totally agree with your opinion slick. I have already 'phoned my Trading Standards people with full details. Sorry, I wrote "consumer protection" in error.

I AM STEELING MYSELF FOR THE HOOTS OF DERISION FOR BEING OUT OF DATE WITH MY INFO, BUT HERE GOES. I refer to the OP. I was given to believe by a HGV driver friend that though the buildings on a motorway service station are privately owned the car park is owned by the government / highways agency and is there specifically for tired drivers to rest. He claims that he parked for some time on one park and was told to "move or pay up". (This is some years ago). He refused either option and when the police arrived he politely informed them that "I am tired and consider myself not safe to drive. Are you ordering me to drive off officer?" The police officer simply walked away. Is this still the case?

Not yet, only got it yesterday.

This week my neighbourhood was leafleted by a person offering help in removing curses, combating black magic and evil spirits, bringing luck and success etc etc. He offered help in English and French. I have lived and worked in Africa and this sort of thing is no joke. (I am assuming the "French" offer is due to a number of refugees etc from Zaire / Congo in the area) I reported it to the consumer protection (??!!) office but I was wondering is there a national reporting centre / office who deal with this sort of thing? As I said, this smacks of African muti and is a damn sight less cosy than Gypsey Rose Lee reading tea-leaves in a fairground tent.

I recall a story from Scotland (different law?) some time ago. A family had no TV but were being pursued by the TVL. Eventually they turned up with a warrent for entry and the family refused them entry. Court case ensued at which the family counter charged the TVL with purjury on the grounds that since they did not have a TV set the TVL had knowingly or recklessly made a false statement that they did have a set. The TVL claimed to have seen the "flickering light" of a TV....it was a computer monitor. The family won.

We were discussing introducing new school uniforms...with the attendant costs...at a governors meeting once. I suggested that if it was evidently considered such a good idea why didn't the teachers wear it?

I get worried when Government want us all to be healthy. Social welfare was introduced in this country after the Boer War (1899 to 1902) because there were so many unfit young men who could not fight. With "4 million heavily armed Germans" on the horizon (to quote Blackadder) something had to be done. Ok, the above is a bit of a distraction but I become suspicious when schools start ANY sort of policy unconnected with education. I am an ex-governor of a school and my mother is a retired teacher and both of us are of the opinion that at a school where attendance is compulsory, as opposed to say a fee paying private school, much of school regulations are bluff and unenforcable.

Excelent move! I am a firm believer in going directly to those in authority, with the vital questions.

So where does the authority come from then?

1) Correct, agree. 2) Nope. 3) But is sometimes. I apologise for repeating myself but I cannot understand why any landowner would employ a firm to keep "illegal" parkers off their land when it is in fact in the interests of that firm to have "illegal" parkers to prey on! Given this fact you WILL have problems. Let us consider the damage done to a busness when a "legal" parker, say a valued customer, parks his BMW over the white bay markings because the bay is too small, or the clamper thinks he is not a bona fide customer. I am not refering to a shop or store but a "small business". Remember the type of person who tends to run or own these companies. It is significant that when the government started to licence clampers they gave the job to the organisation which licenced "bouncers". Get a barrier!

Ten years ago I was in Cape Town during a spate of bomb attacks, including car bombs. There was security around the Parliament building including NO PARKING orders. A car was parked in contravention of these orders. IT WAS CLAMPED...think about it. Knee-jerk response? Even more years ago I used to enforce The Shops Act. If illegal sales took place on a Sunday by someone hiring a pub or hotel WE ALSO WENT AFTER THE LANDOWNER for aiding and abetting. (I am NOT a lawyer) It will occur soon with a rogue clamper should they pick the wrong person to clamp. I still cannot comprehend why a landowner thinks clamping will solve their problem when it is in the financial interest of the clamper for the problem to continue? Given the posibility of a rogue clamper being prosecuted with the landowner also for aiding and abetting it makes sense to fit a barrier.

Thank you for that pdyke. In which case it IS in the interests of the clamper to have continued "illegal" parking, hence the complaints about "wrong" clamping, tickets etc. The Landowner effectively gives the private company a licence to print money. I think a token and barrier system, like the one operated by my local NHS hospital would be best, at least the landowner would get some cash

I am a member of a club which has a private car park, we are considering how to keep it available so the members can use it when they want it. Conclusion:- we shall invest in a post and chain. Then cut a key for each member. It is clear from all the people clamped THAT CLAMPING DOESN'T WORK. May I ask a question and I apologise if I appear obtuse, but do landowners get a cut of the takings from the clampers or is it all clampers' money? In which case, given that the clampers benefit from people parking " illegally " IT IS IN THE CLAMPERS' INTERESTS FOR PEOPLE TO CONTINUE PARKING "ILLEGALLY", if you see my arguement.

thanks for the link, cheers!

This is true, however, given the power of modern digi-cams in respect of their zoom and magnification capabilities it would be possible in many circumstances to photograph signs from the public highway. In this case the owner of the signs would have no authority to prevent photographs being taken.

I am not a lawyer but I have used the Data Protection Act several times. Basically the above advice, comments on photography in a public place are accurate, but it must be commented upon that there is a great deal of paranoia and ignorance surrounding photography these days. (On second thoughts, there always has been, it's just that there are more digi-cameras around these days). There are certain restricted buildings where photography is forbidden and these are usually signposted as such.

"Dodgy non pc"....it was RACIST. Period. You should make this the subject of another complaint, pile on the agony. Try a Freedom of Information Act request to see if there have been other complaints against the operator. If you can't get them one way, get them another.

TROLL

It appears that the virtual monoply position of the PRS and similar societies is not approved of by the EU. Check:- EC wants to provide freedom for the authors from collecting societies | EDRI Publications - Articles: CISAC squares up to commission's investigation of licensing agreements The following may be useful:- "If a music user is forced to pay a licence fee which they consider to be far in excess of the fee hitherto negotiated or if onerous terms are imposed as a condition of granting the licence there is no other recourse than applying to the Copyright Tribunal in order to try to lessen the financial obligation or ameliorate the conditions of the licence" Source:- http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmdius/245/245.pdf