The ignorance of the many changes resulting from the new legislation was as usual, pretty staggering and at one point both the officer and the councillor were urging me to just go ahead with organising a session in a pub without licensing permission as I would not be the one subject to prosecution............

I hope you got that down in writing! Suggest to them that they do so!!

But I also wonder if they are dropping a gentle hint that they think this act is as stupid as you or I and countless others do - and they will not look to prosecute where there is no complaint and someone is clearly not organising a rave.

Certainly I get an instinctive feeling that that is happening. And as we gradually build up cases where councils have declined to prosecute, any council deciding to prosecute - for singing carols for example - or cabinet moinisters in parks, will find it in a dodgy legal position. Will they really spend money on prosecuting people when the outcome is not sure.

I doubt it.