England Has Gone Mad. Post Your Examples

[taxexile]

Bungling handyman puts ladder against branch he is sawing off... then sues bosses after breaking his foot



By Liz Hull
Last updated at 9:39 PM on 14th April 2010 DAILY MAIL


As DIY disasters go, they don't come much dafter than sawing off a tree branch that you've just leaned your ladder against.

But when he was asked to prune a sycamore tree in the grounds of a luxury hotel, handyman Peter Aspinall propped his ladder against the branch he was removing instead of the tree trunk.

He sawed through the branch and it plummeted 14 feet to the ground. The ladder and Mr Aspinall quickly followed.

Bumbling: Egerton House hotel, Bolton, where handyman Peter Aspinall injured his foot after falling off a ladder which he placed against the branch he was sawing off

The 64-year-old broke his heel, damaged ligaments and spent ten days in hospital after the fall.

Yesterday it emerged that Mr Aspinall, who has been off sick since the accident 18 months ago, is suing Egerton House Hotel, near Bolton, for his injuries.

A court ordered the hotel to pay £2,015 after a health and safety investigation concluded that the owners had failed to carry out a 'risk assessment' on the dangers of sawing a tree branch with a ladder against it and should have trained Mr Aspinall and a colleague on where to place the ladder.
walkies'

The hotel's solicitor, David Walton, told magistrates: 'It is an unusual accident. Laurel and Hardy do that sort of thing.'

Speaking after the hearing, he added: 'The hotel was very disappointed that common sense did not prevail and that the case was brought against them.

'The prosecution case was that had there been a routine risk assessment for the gardening activity of pruning trees then it's unlikely that this accident would have happened.


'But, even if there had been a risk assessment done, no one would expect two experienced men to do such a thing.'

The court heard the accident happened on July 18, 2008, after Mr Aspinall, a part-time handyman who had worked at the hotel for only two weeks, was asked by gardener Alan Ashworth to help him prune a tree which was shading the lawn.
The two men placed a ladder against the branch which was to be cut but, as Mr Ashworth was left-handed, he felt it was too awkward for him to saw, so asked Mr Aspinall to cut it.

While Mr Ashworth held the bottom of the ladder, Mr Aspinall climbed up and began using a bow saw to remove the branch. When the branch broke, Mr Aspinall fell to the ground.

Mr Walton said hotel owner Janet Hampton was not on the premises at the time and, if she had been, would have ensured the task was carried out by specialist tree surgeons.


He added that Mr Ashworth was embarrassed and sorry about what had happened.

In a statement, Mrs Hampton, who has run the 29-bedroomed, 200-year-old hotel for four years, said: 'Naturally the hotel is concerned that the systems it had in place did not prevent the employees involved in this incident from attempting to cut the branch and that one of those employees should then fall and sustain injury.

'Action has been taken to ensure that this could not happen again.'
The hotel - which won Lancashire Life Hotel of the Year 2009-10 - pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety regulations by failing to undertake risk assessments for employees working in the hotel gardens.

It was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £1,000 council costs and a £15 victim surcharge by magistrates.
Mr Aspinall, who previously worked for British Aerospace for 24 years, could not be reached for comment.

[mr Fred]

Ye godz. What a thick bastard.

[jizzybloke]

Moron, being that stupid i'm surprised he has reached the age of 64!

[taxexile]

Sainsbury's butcher banned from using KNIVES to de-bone lamb... in case he 'cuts himself'


By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 9:42 PM on 14th April 2010 DAILY MAIL


A Sainsbury's customer was stunned when the store's butcher refused to de-bone a joint of lamb - in case he cut himself.

Businessman John Wilkinson was told: 'My bosses won't let me, in case I cut myself and I'm not insured.'

Mr Wilkinson, 41, bought a lamb joint for dinner at his local Sainsbury's and asked staff at the meat counter to remove the bone.

Banned: A butcher in Sainsbury's in Cardiff said he was not able to use knives, in case he cut himself - even though he has been a butcher for 30 years

But the red-faced butcher, who has been chopping meat for three decades, said he couldn't do it.

Mr Wilkinson said: 'I couldn't believe my ears. He's been doing it for 30 years and we were chatting about how he had been teaching all the young butchers how to cut the meat and joints.

'But when I asked him to de-bone the joint, he said he couldn't in case he cut himself with a knife and he would not be insured. He looked really embarrassed.'


Mr Wilkinson took the matter to the customer services counter at the large Sainsbury's store in Penylan, Cardiff, and staff confirmed that company policy deemed it to be 'not safe' for the butcher to use knives on a lamb joint.

Mr Wilkinson said: 'It was just hysterical. I went to the desk and the woman there said it was for the butcher's own safety.'

A spokesman for Sainsbury's said: 'Our colleagues who work on the meat counters are all trained to use knives, but some have not received all of the training to safely de-bone a lamb joint.

'We are sorry we could not help Mr Wilkinson, but hope he will shop with us in future.'

[Butterfly]

classic England, that's why we love you so much guys, make the Belgium seem almost logical

[dirtydog]

Mr Aspinall

Somchai Aspinall?

[taxexile]

Brain-damaged prisoner wins £4.7m compensation package to cover his rent

A prisoner who suffered brain damage after he suffered a seizure and fell from his bunk bed has been awarded a £4.7m compensation package.



By Richard Edwards, Crime Correspondent daily telegraph
Published: 2:28PM BST 14 Apr 2010



Ryan St George, 41, a convicted thief with a heroin addiction, has been left needing 24-hour care because of catastrophic "delays and deficiencies" on the part of prison staff when he suffered a fit.

A High Court judge yesterday made a unique order requiring the Home Office to compensate him with a lump sum – and pay for his annual rent at a new family home in north London.




St George was sent to London’s Brixton jail in October 1997 to serve a four-month sentence for theft.

He told authorities that he was an intravenous heroin user, a heavy drinker and had been having fits.

The following month he was moved from a bottom bunk to an upper bunk, from which he fell six feet on to a concrete floor during a seizure, and went into an epileptic fit lasting an hour and three quarters.

A High Court hearing was told that an ambulance was not called for almost 40 minutes, and when it arrived there was a further delay because one of the prison gates was "stuck".

In his ruling, Mr Justice Mackay said: "The two young female ambulance crew had to unload their equipment and continue their journey on foot.

"When they arrived, they found Mr St George, as they put it, in as bad a state as a person can be without being dead. The scene was chaotic. The only information the ambulance crew got was from the other inmates surrounding him."
The judge said the breaches of duty of care - the delay in Mr St George's treatment and the failure to maintain his airway and administer oxygen - caused him to suffer brain damage at a time when he was already suffering an epileptic seizure.

"Mr St George was an accident waiting to happen," he added.
In 2007, Mr Justice Mackay ruled the Home Office was 85 per cent to blame for Ryan St George's injuries.

The following year, the Court of Appeal allowed Mr St George's appeal against the finding of 15 per cent contributory negligence, which was made on the basis that his own "lifestyle choices" had contributed to his condition and caused the initial fit.

Mr Justice Mackay yesterday approved an agreed settlement which will pay for the fulltime care which St George will always need.

David Pittaway QC, representing St George, said that his 77-year-old aunt Margaret had devotedly cared for him over the years in a small flat in Camden, north London, with just a few hours of help a day.

The combination of a lump sum and periodic payments would now fund commercial care and allow aunt and nephew to stay in the area but move into a bigger rented flat more suitable for Mr St George, who could no longer walk.
Jacqui Hayat, a solicitor who brought Ryan's case through his father, journalist David St George, said: "This is at last justice for Ryan who can now, after a very long haul, receive proper compensation for his devastating injuries.
"The case is thought to be groundbreaking in that annual periodical payments have been used to pay rent.

"This has many advantages as it means Ryan can rent near his devoted family and will continue to receive the rental payments for life, but is also a sensible arrangement for the defendant where life expectancy cannot be agreed, and is a solution expected to be followed in many cases where the life expectancy views of the parties are poles apart".

[taxexile]

A tale of two payouts: Now single mother who couldn't sort out childcare demands £1.1m - seven times more than Army offered hero who lost legs



By Michael Seamark
Last updated at 11:26 PM on 14th April 2010



One is a soldier who suffered 37 separate injuries in a landmine blast and was offered a paltry £152,000.

The other is a woman who won a controversial sex discrimination claim over Army childcare and now wants an extraordinary £1.14million in compensation.

Last night there was a storm of protest over the iniquity of the very different handling of their two cases. The amount being demanded by Tilern DeBique is seven times that originally offered to severely-wounded paratrooper Ben Parkinson.

Payout protest: Ben Parkinson, left, will need a lifetime of care and was offered £150,000, while Tilern DeBique, who couldn't find childcare, is claiming £1.1m

He lost both his legs and suffered severe brain injuries.



The full extent of Miss DeBique's claim emerged at an employment tribunal - after the single mother successfully argued she was forced to choose between a military career and caring for her four-year-old daughter.






The £1,142,257 total includes £473,535 for loss of earnings, £325,160 for loss of Army benefits, £315,562 for loss of pension rights, £18,000 for 'hurt feelings' and £10,000 in aggravated damages.


Mr Parkinson's mother, Diane Dernie, said: 'I was forced out of my job to look after my child and I got nothing.'


Her son was initially offered £152,000 but was eventually awarded £570,000 compensation - but only after the Goverment caved in to public outrage.


Mrs Dernie added: 'I can't see how Ben and all these other boys' lives are worth so much less. These soldiers have done their duty, they have done their job but their careers are over. This woman can get another job but for Ben, that's it - for life.'


Lord Guthrie, former Chief of Defence Staff, described Miss DeBique's compensation claim as a 'crazy and highly unrealistic amount of money'. He added: 'I think in comparison with soldiers who put their lives on the line, their widows and those who are wounded, it's indecent.'


General Sir Mike Jackson, former Chief of the General Staff and head of the Army during the Iraq invasion, called the amount 'an extraordinary figure'.


Miss DeBique, 28, who calls herself SexyT on her MySpace webpage, admits turning down a UK posting with childcare facilities and applying for civilian jobs in Afghanistan before leaving the Army.





She quit her job as a technician in the 10th Signal Regiment in April 2008 after being disciplined for failing to appear on parade because of childcare difficulties for her daughter Tahlia, now four.


Besides winning her landmark sex discrimination case Miss DeBique also won a claim for race discrimination because Army chiefs did not let her bring her half-sister from the Caribbean - where she was recruited - to look after her child.

Her victory left senior officers facing the nightmare task of having to consider soldiers' childcare problems before giving them orders.


She is claiming over £;1.14million because she argues that she would have stayed in the Army until 2023, instead of being forced to quit her £30,341-a-year job after seven years of service.


The MoD's barrister Keith Morton branded her compensation claim ' perverse' and said it was 'unreasonable' for Miss DeBique to have turned down a posting that offered childcare while applying for lucrative civilian jobs in Afghanistan.

She was offered a 'unique' five-year non-deployable posting to Blandford Army garrison in Dorset, which had childcare facilities, in 2007.

Miss DeBique says she felt unable to accept the posting because she only had four days to make a decision and because of the Army's previous failure to address her childcare needs and instead, handed in her year's notice in April 2007.


Miss Debique, who lives in Tooting, South West London, quit when she was disciplined for failing to be available for duty around the clock. Her commanding officer told her the Army was 'unsuitable for a single mother who couldn't sort out her childcare arrangements'.


The Central London Employment Tribunal panel is due to announce its compensation award tomorrow.

[panama hat]

The £1,142,257 total includes £473,535 for loss of earnings, £325,160 for loss of Army benefits, £315,562 for loss of pension rights, £18,000 for 'hurt feelings' and £10,000 in aggravated damages.

Ridiculous . . . 'hurt feelings' should be stricken from the demands

[thalassa]

too expensive

[BobR]

The original idea of workman's compensation laws were good; the system was designed to protect the income of workers so you received benefits quickly and irregardless of fault, but you also lost the right to sue your employer for anything more, all you could get was that which was specifically provided under the workers compensation system.

[Wallalai]

Give Your Vote is a campaign for democracy in a global world.

It’s simple: you give your vote to someone in Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Ghana. They use it to be part of the debate on decisions that affect them by casting a real vote in the 2010 UK election.

Shake Up Democracy | Give Your Vote

That's crazy.

[Fuzzy Bob]

[quote=Wallalai;1392075]

That's crazy.

That's left wing/liberal/commie/socialist/anarchist and illegal BS

[klong toey]

This one left me speechless.
Rapist facing deportation allowed to stay in UK to get married | Mail Online

[ItsRobsLife]

A thread of Daily Mail stories... oh shit TD has turned into TV again.

[klong toey]

A thread of Daily Mail stories... oh shit TD has turned into TV again.

For the conservative voters amongst us.

Rapist who dumped victim can stay in UK to marry - Times Online

[SiLeakHunt]

I remember Egerton House I used to go there for Sunday lunch with my mum and dad it was ace, the owners had a daughter who used to sunbath topless in a private bit of the garden that you could sneak a peak at if you knew where to go.

In terms of UK stupidity the list is endless !

[buriramboy]

Guess i must be lucky in the office i work, none of this PC bollox, in fact 2 of the women there have got the dirtiest mouths i've ever come across, i love it. And to boot there is a fit as fok Polish bird in the office who likes to get stuck in aswell.

[crippen]

Caravanner, 61, prosecuted for having Swiss Army knife in his glove box... to cut up fruit on picnics
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 12:53 PM on 15th April 2010



'Stupid law': Rodney Knowles, who walks with the aid of a stick, poses with the penknife found in his glove compartment
A disabled caravanner who kept a penknife in his glove compartment to use on picnics has blasted the authorities after being dragged through court for possessing an offensive weapon.
Rodney Knowles, 61, walks with the aid of a stick and had used the Swiss Army knife to cut up fruit on picnics with his wife.
Knowles yesterday admitted possessing an offensive weapon at Torquay Magistrates Court. He was given a conditional discharge.
But speaking after the hearing, he said: 'It's a stupid law. Now I have a criminal record.'
Prosecutor Philip Sewell told the court that Knowles was stopped by police when he left a pub on February 24.
He was arrested for suspected drink-driving but a breath test showed he was under the legal limit, the court was told.
But Knowles was charged with possession of the knife, which was found in its pouch in the car glove compartment.
Mr Sewell told the court: 'He told officers that he had the knife for caravanning. He is not working and had no malicious reason for carrying the blade'
Defence solicitor Jolyon Tuck said Knowles, who is a carer for his wife, had used the knife to cut up fruit on picnics with his wife.
'He accepts it was in his car and the law is very clear,' he said. He admits possession of it and he had no good reason for having it.'
Chairman of the bench Robert Horne ordered forfeiture of the knife and £40 costs to be paid.
He said: 'There is no previous conviction history whatsoever and it was not in his possession and was in the car glove compartment in a pouch.'
The retired maintenance engineer, from Buckland, Devon, had no criminal record before the case.
He said: 'The tool was in my glove box in a pouch, along with a torch, first aid kit and waterproofs.
'It is everything I need for the maintenance of my car or if I break down.
'Now I have a criminal record for the first time in my life. I am upset by that.'



Read more: Disabled caravanner prosecuted for keeping penknife in his car to use on picnics | Mail Online

[Wallalai]

Lab technician kills himself after complaint over his joke that black friend 'should hide from immigration officers'

It is understood that the man was a close friend of Mr Amor and was not offended. However, it was overheard by someone else who lodged a formal complaint.

Read more: Man kills himself after row at work over non-PC joke | Mail Online

[bangkokbonecollector]

Enough said !

[DJ Pat]

I had an argument in the street with someone and the police got called. I was threatened with arrest for 'verbal assault' on the guy.

[josepy wallace]

Thick fuxks all of them

[bangkokbonecollector]

Allowing this man to coach any football team, what a goat !

[Fuzzy Bob]

^ 0-1 Everton; Arteta (pen) 4