Armed Police Shoot Sheep in Swindon

Nathaniel Catchpole · December-12th-2004, 09:15 AM

Dangerous animals, maybe we need stricter controls!

Quote:

Armed police shoot errant sheep
Sheep
The sheep was a "danger", say police
A sheep was shot by armed police on Saturday after wandering on to busy roads from a roundabout in Swindon.

The animal took up residence on the Commonhead roundabout near the Great Western Hospital at 9am, before being shot in a nearby field.

The owner could not be traced, despite the efforts of local farmers and vets, but the animal did not suffer unnecessarily, said police.

A Wiltshire police spokeswoman said the sheep was a danger to the public.

"It was standing on the roundabout and at times wandering into the carriageway," she said.

"A decision was made to deploy armed police officers to destroy the animal as an absolute last resort."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/w...re/4088497.stm

The thousands of sheep walking around on UK roads every year for hundreds of years appear not to have needed shooting, and now we need rapid response armed police to deal with them?

Gary Sisco · December-12th-2004, 10:50 AM

What other kind of cop besides an armed one could shoot a sheep? Editors? Art thou editing?

Nat -- Not far from the Freedom store is (or was, when I was in London, late 80s) a small sheep farm on what's left of what was once common land. I stumbled on it by accident while looking for a friend's address and had an interesting chat with the guy who was raising the sheep. Unless they've been shot, by now....

Richardo Caerleoni · December-12th-2004, 11:09 AM

Having once lived in Swindon (UK)..."the horror, the horror"!...I think the residents are more "Sheeplike" than any real Sheep...Hey, shoot them!!!

In Wales (where I was born) sheep are worshiped as Gods/Ex wives...they roamed all over the place...like ex wives...sorry Wales!

Madness! [The sheep will fight back...]

Rc.

Gary Sisco · December-12th-2004, 11:13 AM

Better not do any jaywalking, Nat.

Nathaniel Catchpole · December-12th-2004, 12:11 PM

Well yeah, there's a guy in a wheelchair in Hackney who plays chicken with cars sometimes (and bicycles as I've found out), wonder if they'll shoot him as well? I think he'd be harder to chase off than a sheep.

And weren't any of those vets or local farmers brought in before the sheep was killed? What about closing the road if it was so dangerous?

Deke · December-12th-2004, 09:45 PM

I knew it was a mistake to show that 'Aniversary of the Hungerford massacre' documentary.

Gary Sisco · December-13th-2004, 08:08 AM

Yeah, Nat. Everything for the fox. Bullets for the sheep. The island's always been a bit strange, let's face it.

A. Kingstone · December-13th-2004, 09:27 AM

.

There Will Never Be Another Yew.

Uli · December-13th-2004, 09:33 AM

Dr Dave · December-13th-2004, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A. Kingstone

.

There Will Never Be Another Yew.

Ewe. There Will Never Be Another Ewe.

A yew is a tree.

Gary Sisco · December-13th-2004, 10:25 AM

What are ya, an English teacher?

Oh, sorry. I forgot....

Bluebrew · December-13th-2004, 10:46 AM

well I guess all the nuts are not in the US. This is on a par with the Miami scissors incedent.

Gary Sisco · December-13th-2004, 10:50 AM

?

A. Kingstone · December-13th-2004, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr Dave

Ewe. There Will Never Be Another Ewe.

A yew is a tree.

Ewe got me babe!

Phil_Meloy · December-13th-2004, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary Sisco

?

I've only heard of the Philadelphia "scissors incident"....

Girl, 10, Cuffed for Scissors in School

Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA - A 10-year-old girl was placed in handcuffs and taken to a police station because she took a pair of scissors to her elementary school.

School district officials said the fourth-grade student did not threaten anyone with the 8-inch shears, but violated a rule that considers scissors to be potential weapons.

Administrators said they were following state law when they called police Thursday, and police said they were following department rules when they handcuffed Porsche Brown and took her away in a patrol wagon.

"My daughter cried and cried," said her mother, Rose Jackson. "She had no idea what she did was wrong. I think that was way too harsh."

Police officers decided the girl hadn't committed a crime and let her go.

However, school officials suspended her for five days. Administrators will decide at a hearing whether she may return to class, or be expelled to a special disciplinary school.

The scissors were discovered while students' belongings were being searched for property missing from a teacher's desk.

School district officials have promised a crackdown on unruly students this year, and new policies give administrators the power to expel students for infractions as minor as violating the dress code, chronic tardiness or habitual swearing.

Administrators say the steps are needed to regain control over a notoriously unruly school system, but some parents have complained that discipline has been overly harsh and that school officials have been too quick to call police about minor problems.

A. Kingstone · December-13th-2004, 12:44 PM

Brotherly love indeed.

Bluebrew · December-13th-2004, 01:48 PM

I thought it was in Miami.

Monte Smith · December-15th-2004, 03:41 PM

I don't know about Swindon livestock, but I was watching Prime Minister's Question Time at the House of Commons on C-Span a few days ago and there was a rather ludicrous exchange. A Labour MP brought up the matter of shooting that occurred in his constituency in which a police woman had been killed. It turned out that the ammunition that killed the cop had been "home made" with machinery legally, indeed easily, available for purchase in the UK. "Would the Right Honourable Gentleman agree with me that it is long past time that such dangerous manufacturing equipment was kept out of the hands of the public."

Hear, hear. Tony said he was looking into the matter.

But are things really coming to this pass in Britain? Are they really going to look into banning not just arms, and ammunition, but also the early Industrial Age manufacturing equipment necessary to make the same?

I mean, I guess the sheep in Swindon will sleep easier....

Nathaniel Catchpole · December-15th-2004, 06:27 PM

They're banning fucking everything, except gambling.

Uli, please don't post pictures like that, gave me a headache.

Gary Sisco · December-16th-2004, 07:58 AM

They'll be confiscating all of those swords and battleaxes from the old manor houses, next.

Monte Smith · December-17th-2004, 04:37 PM

I almost forgot! In the same session of Question Time at HP that included the inquiry about homemade ammunition, there was another humorous exchange.

Mr. Win Griffiths, Labour MP from Bridgend, asked the Prime Minister what plans he has to visit Indonesia in the next three months to meet President Bambang Susilo Yudhoyono to discuss British support for, and co-operation with, Indonesia in the campaign against the threat of terrorism.

At the mention of the name "Bambang Susilo Yudhoyono," the House erupted into titters. One wag of an MP shouted, "Welsh, is he?"

Good times.

The Prime Minister said he had no current plans to meet the President of Indonesia--without attempting to pronounce "Bambang Susilo Yudhoyono."

Gary Sisco · December-18th-2004, 08:33 AM

One thing I admire about the Brits is the very high level to which they've raised heckling -- a fine art dear to me 'eart.

Phil_Meloy · December-20th-2004, 06:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary Sisco

They'll be confiscating all of those swords and battleaxes from the old manor houses, next.

Don't worry Gary - it's OK - they're just fakes they put there so the tourists would have something to look at to take their minds off the weather.

Gary Sisco · December-20th-2004, 08:23 AM

Damn. I'd wondered how a grown man could fit into one of those suits of armor.