Cause for offence

A British woman called the police to report that her scarecrow had been stolen, only to discover that the scarecrow had in fact been taken into custody by the police. The offending scarecrow had been placed outside a village dressed in a high visibility jacket and a police uniform, to highlight a scarecrow festival in the village.
March 1, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
A British woman called the police to report that her scarecrow had been stolen, only to discover that the scarecrow had in fact been taken into custody by the police. The offending scarecrow had been placed outside a village dressed in a high visibility jacket and a police uniform, to highlight a scarecrow festival in the village. The local police had been informed that this would take place and had given their approval. However when police drove past they spotted that the scarecrow also sported a fake radar detector made of cardboard. Realising that the fake cardboard radar gun posed a safety potential hazard and could have caused passing drivers to become alarmed, the police rushed the offending scarecrow into a police vehicle and took it to the local police station. A spokesperson explained that impersonating a police officer is an offence and added that the scarecrow sent an inappropriate message to motorists. The scarecrow maker commented that the fake radar gun was actually intended to encourage motorists to slow down.

Related Content

  • Workzones benefit from new mobile speed enforcement technology
    April 11, 2012
    A variety of new technology for temporary speed zones during major highway projects across the globe is about to hit the market, while other proven systems remain in demand. Guy Woodford reports The D-Cam P is one of four new mobile speed reading products for temporary speed zones being launched this month by Truvelo. Deployable solely as a speed camera or at a red light intersection to monitor red light offences, the D-Cam P can also act as a speed camera on the green and amber light phases. The machin
    Read More
  • Bus stopped
    February 22, 2012
    Police in China have had to tackle a bizarre threat from over 100 fake monks, who had earlier attacked a toll booth and then fled on a double decker bus. Following the incident, police gave chase and managed to stop the bus using a road block. A fight ensued with the fake monks using metal bars and knives to attack the police. While 31 of the monks were arrested at the road block, the others then managed to escape the police in the bus.
    Read More
  • Research reveals UK drug driving risk
    August 13, 2013
    Research carried out on behalf of an insurance firm reveals a worryingly high level of drug use amongst the UK’s drivers. The study was carried out for the insurance company Confused.com and shows that up to 20% of British drivers admit to using drugs while at the wheel. This contrasts strongly with official police data for drivers caught under the influence of drugs in 2012. This information shows that only 1,132 people were caught drug driving in 2012, down by 12.5% from the 1,294 in 2011. The data reveal
    Read More
  • Family fun
    December 13, 2012
    A British mother and daughter both lost their driving licences after French police decided the pair were rather too enthusastic about driving at high speeds. The French police were monitoring traffic along a stretch of the A7 Autoroute when two cars roared past at 180km/h. One car, a Ferarri 599 GTB was driven by the mother while the other car, an Aston Martin, was driven by the daughter. Both women had their licenses taken away immediately by traffic officers and the speed-crazed pair were also given on-th
    Read More

Highlighted Content