Cops target clubbers

Published: 2 July, 2010

• WITH regard to the alcohol control zone imposed in Clerkenwell, I now read with some considerable degree of incredulity that the very same Islington police who take 45 minutes to answer a call (and who are seemingly happy to allow thugs with attack dogs to run riot across the borough) are now targeting clubbers at Fabric.

Apparently, there has been the deployment of drug dogs on the queue and placement of plain-clothes officers inside the club. So picking on soft targets is to remain the order of the day.

It appears as if the debacle over the resignation of nearly the entire board of the Government’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs never happened.

Statistically, ecstasy use is safer than horse-riding and far less dangerous than the misuse of alcohol.

Are Islington police not aware that personal possession and use of recreational drugs have been effectively decriminalised in much of mainland Europe as well as Russia and parts of Australia?

Rather than trying to criminalise otherwise law-abiding clubbers and non-problematic recreational drug users for an activity that is perfectly legal in much of continental Europe, would Islington police now like to re-examine their priorities?

Don’t worry, I’m not holding my breath.

After all, soft targets don’t fight back.

Islington Council, you are brighter than this. Can you please tell them to back off and do something more socially useful?

JAMES BAINBRIDGE
Ockendon Road, N1