To the anonymous GUEST who posted at 12.10am:

If children's CDs etc are confiscated, that's because they've broken school rules. However, busking is not against the law (in this country, at least). So I'm not at all with you when you say "he should have read it". The laws a busker has to beware of are (1) begging - on no account must he/she ask for money; (2) causing an obstruction (e.g. if he/she is blocking the pavement, or if a large crowd gathers round and blocks the pavement); (3) causing a public nuisance (if someone complains, rightly or wrongly, about the performer/performance to the authorities); (4) selling tapes/CDs/anything else without a hawker's licence. But busking per se is NOT illegal.

Brian Bruno's girlfriend, in her letter, does not mention any of the above - and if, as she states, Brian has been a professional busker for 20 years, he will know what's what, and what to avoid doing. Normally, if a busker falls foul of the authorities, he/she will be warned or asked to move on, and only if he/she carries on being a nuisance will action be taken. It is the seemingly draconian treatment of this council in confiscating equipment without any prior warning which has raised hackles here.

I would be very interested to hear the council's side of the story, and to know whether the equipment can be returned. The Daily Mail has not yet printed any follow-up, hopefully they are investigating.

Joan