Man arrested for spray painting post box gold in honour of Ben Ainslie

[Brennan]

Police have arrested a man for spray painting a Royal Mail post box gold in honour of Olympic sailor Ben Ainslie.

Rob Smith, 51 painted the post box in Lymington High Street where the gold medallist lives.

He said: "When they said they weren't going to paint anything in Lymington, I just thought this is madness."

The father-of-three was arrested at the scene on suspicion of criminal damage, held in a police cell in Lyndhurst overnight and later released on bail.

Mr Smith, who runs a bar and restaurant in the town, said locals were outraged when they heard a post box would be painted in the sailor's honour in Cornwall, where Ainslie grew up.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-19223242

It's the being held overnight in a cell part that really gets me.

 

[Phyllis Stein]

It's the being held overnight in a cell part that really gets me.

You were expecting 334?

 

[bluejock]

Sounds about right.

Inept, pencil pushing, common sense ignoring [Poor language removed].

 

[Brennan]

They've already screwed up once by painting the wrong post box for one of the athletes. Who are they to decide what town an Olympian has the biggest allegiance to ?

It was a stupid idea to begin with.

 

[BlueLlama]

Ridiculously OTT.

Probably shouldnt have been arrested but if he was nicked at 1.30 am - presumably drunk as a monkey - then he would have to be kept in until sober for interview.

 

[Cena]

Got what he deserved, disgrace this, you can't just go around doing what you like.

Will teach him a lesson, he won't do that again.

 

[tsubaki]

Ridiculously OTT.

Probably shouldnt have been arrested but if he was nicked at 1.30 am - presumably drunk as a monkey - then he would have to be kept in until sober for interview.

there is a reason that llama wool is the best wool

 

[tonka1878]

They've already screwed up once by painting the wrong post box for one of the athletes. Who are they to decide what town an Olympian has the biggest allegiance to ?

It was a stupid idea to begin with.

I agree with the first part but not the second.
Some of these athletes come from areas where there is no-one to be proud of. Imagine a young kid who's gonna either join a sports club or a gang, if they see a Gold post box at the end of their street it may just inspire them to take up athletics and do something with their lives.
Or they could do what I did and stand around on street corners getting stoned.

 

[davek]

Got what he deserved, disgrace this, you can't just go around doing what you like.

Will teach him a lesson, he won't do that again.

This.

There's a post box already been painted where the feller grew up, not where he dosses down.

That arrested man was taking the piss and got a night in the jug for his efforts. Good.

 

[tonka1878]

This.

There's a post box already been painted where the feller grew up, not where he dosses down.

That arrested man was taking the piss and got a night in the jug for his efforts. Good.

I don't know you and you might be a nice fella, but could you join him?

 

[Pblueman]

if its not authorised by royal mail then its defacement, simple.

 

[tommye]

they all need painting gold or something. Red is a cnut of a colour. Well done drunken monkey man.

 

[Kurt.]

If this was done by a teenager the old biddy's would be up in arms bemoaning the youth of today... should be sent down for 2 years, you can't just do what you want cos you feel like it .

 

[bluejock]

Hanging is too good for him

 

[Reidy's Bottle Of Grecian]

Where's he from ffs ? Can we not deport him back to where he came from ?

In cases like this one can only say, "Feck his human rights"