This refers specifically to accusing the authority of not being even-handed on how it deals with sessions ie stopping some and ignoring others. ie they will endeavour to PEL ALL the sessions.

I take the point but with what the officer has said above, that IS what is going to happen.

The current legislation is likely to remain in place for at least another fifteen months and possibly longer. The Council has a statutory duty to continue to enforce the provisions of the legislation.

Therefore, we must continue to deal with all premises on an equal basis and treat them in a fair and consistent manner, this would not be the case if we ignored other premises carrying out unlicensed activity or waited for new legislation to come in to force.

Whether these officers like being accused of not being even-handed, the evidence demonstrates that they have not been (for at least 3 years and before) and like everyone else, they will have to face the consequences of not following the law. Licensees and session participants do not like to be accused of being criminals very much either.

Officers are quick enough to quote the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982, when they consider folk to be in breach of it. I don't much care if they like being accused under the same Act. They should not ignore the parts of it that suit them, and just enforce the bits that do. Or indeed, make it up as they go along.

It is this attitude that has made a poor piece of legislation, into a damaging joke, if not a very funny one. Common sense could and should have prevailed long ago. If these officers are finally affected themselves by the problem, instead of just watching others suffer, we may obtain common sense at last.