Brits Break The Law At Least Once a Day, New Survey Reveals

by Jon Azpiri | September 22, 2008 at 09:43 am

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A new survey has revealed that Britons break the law on a daily basis. The website onepoll.com interviewd more than 5,000 Brits and found they regularly flouted minor laws such as speeding, littering, downloading copyrighted from the internet, and talking on the cel phone while driving.

John Sewell, spokesman for www.onepoll.com, which carried out the survey, said: 'It's worrying to think that so many people are breaking the law on a daily basis.

'And it's an even bigger concern that many aren't at all bothered about it.

'But these so-called minor crimes are committed so regularly they have almost become legal, which seems to be the reason so many people aren't fazed when they do break the law.'

Of course, it could also be argued that Brits often ignore the rule of the law because there are so many unnecessary laws on the books. Consider the case of Gordon MacKillop, an Englishman who faces possible jail time because he has refused to remove a garden gnome from his front lawn.

He was woken in the night by two police officers who warned him that the solar-powered gnome, dressed in full police uniform, was offensive to his neighbours.

They served him with a notice under the Protection From Harassment Act 1997 for "placing a garden gnome with intent to cause harassment to Mr John McLean".

But, Mr MacKillop said he had bought the offending object at a supermarket in a bid to deter criminals after his motorcycle was stolen from his drive.

"I happened to be walking through a local superstore. It was the only type of solar-powered gnome and it just happened that it had a police uniform on," added Mr MacKillop.

"I'm not having the police telling me what type of garden gnome I can have in my garden. It's all very stupid but the sinister side is that it says on the form should this type of behaviour reoccur I will be liable for arrest and prosecution.