The police have very little idea as to the various intricacies of busking in the UK.
The reality is that there is no law in the UK that makes busking illegal, there are bylaws which prevent busking in certain places, but these are few and far between and only affect that particular piece of land. Interestingly, this type of bylaw also includes those preventing market research surveying, and leafleting in the same areas, but nobody believes that these activities are illegal.
EG:Gray versus the chief constable of Greater Manchester in 1983,
Gray, "A street musician who played the guitar in a passageway and was given coins by passers-by, was held to be not guilty of the offence of placing himself in a public place to beg or gather alms created by Vagrancy Act 1824 s 3. His conduct did not fall within the section because (i) he gave value for money, and (ii) passers-by were not forced to deal with his activities".
This was also quoted in the law report in 1983.
(I'm not a busker, this was a quick Google search.)
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waz4444 Escorts, bescorts - Come in if you're saucy., Fri 24 Aug 2012, 7:21,
Reply)
Why are Chuggers, Scientologists and Jehovah's Witnesses not classed as buskers?
I get stopped constantly by them asking me to give them something, i wish the police would stop them. This guy may be making a bit of a racket but it's not like he's trying to force people to stop and listen to him.
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Dawn Of The Bread $$$$ E-THUG 4 LIFE - THAT'S HOW I SCROLL $$$$, Fri 24 Aug 2012, 8:01,
Reply)
I wonder...Scientologists, Jehovas Witnesses, charity collectors...
Are they doing something wrong under the Vagrancy Act 1824 waz4444's talking about above?
Now that would be a fun conversation if you had the balls.
(, Fri 24 Aug 2012, 8:34, Reply)
where is it filmed?
does the local council have its own byelaws against busking or having a large speaker in public?
Has a member of the public or the station staff made a complaint and asked him to be moved along?
All manner of reasons why the police could be asking him to move along legitimately.
But with the gawping bystanders, the cameras in everyones faces, the shouting drunks, it's easy to see how a very simple conversation becomes a little strained.
Out of curiosity (do we have any police b3tans?) how many criminal laws are there that the average policeman needs to know before walking the streets?
And I don't mean how many do the public expect them to know.
Surely in this day and age a simple reference tool on a smart phone could be deployed for occurances such as this, for a quick reminder on the specifics of dubious activity that they are approaching.
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HappyToast Groat froth, Fri 24 Aug 2012, 8:05,
Reply)
Just checked Hammersmith and Fulham website, if there are restrictions its almost impossible to find them!
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HappyToast Groat froth, Fri 24 Aug 2012, 8:21,
Reply)
I'll admit by bias as I have police in the family.
But I think if a police officer knew the full intricacies of the law they'ld be Lawyers.
Earning 10 times as much, in the dry, without daily abuse and threat to life.
Yes the'res bad ones, incompetent ones. Same with every profession.
I don't see nurses getting a hard time from the general public because of the few
that end up being a bit mental and start killing their patients.
[edit]
There' some L.U street furniture around there so it may be L.U land.
In which case he would need a license and most likely Tube staff that called the police.
Also he's a bit shit.
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Cerebus Sticky! Sticky! Stick! Stick!, Fri 24 Aug 2012, 8:22,
Reply)
ahh, good point LU definitely hand out busking licenses
they were probably protecting their own "talent"
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HappyToast Groat froth, Fri 24 Aug 2012, 8:49,
Reply)
Private land?
I suspect the land either belongs to TfL or Westfield (the mahoosive shopping centre behind the transport interchange). Either way, it doesn't seem like something the Met Police need to get involved in.
(, Fri 24 Aug 2012, 11:32, Reply)
Er.... what?
When did I say private?
I said "L.U" as in London Underground.
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Cerebus Sticky! Sticky! Stick! Stick!, Fri 24 Aug 2012, 11:37,
Reply)
you're right there
I had a job once teaching police trainees the intricacies of different laws and powers of arrest. there's a fair bit to learn, and it's quickly forgotten when and if they pass
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cumquat may will not be commenting further on the allegations, Fri 24 Aug 2012, 12:38,
Reply)
Earning ten times as much?
Without daily abuse?
I think a lot of publicly funded lawyers would laugh at this statement.
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WormuIus, Fri 24 Aug 2012, 14:53,
Reply)
He's making 35 grand from busking?
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Cerebus Sticky! Sticky! Stick! Stick!, Fri 24 Aug 2012, 10:22,
Reply)
I think he was good..
Made some mad noises and had an audience.
Maybe the police enjoyed the rest of their grey day.
(, Fri 24 Aug 2012, 9:43, Reply)
"Are you telling me you know the law better than us?"
"We are the police. WE ARE THE LAW"
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Moon Girl Technologies horrendous beanbag, Fri 24 Aug 2012, 11:42,
Reply)
In the end the Policeman does ask him to find a busking area or busk in the park, so they were being reasonable.
Obviously the area where he chose was illegal to busk, at first he tried to claim he wasn't busking, so why did he put his hat down and why was he even there performing - was he doing it for the love of sharing? Not likely. So while it initially looks like the Police were being heavy handed, in fact they were being perfectly reasonable in asking him to move on, to an area where busking was permitted. The rights or wrong of making certain areas for busking illegal are not for debate the Police were just doing their job.
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maiden is filmed before a live studio audience, Fri 24 Aug 2012, 12:02,
Reply)
What a knob.
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Blackdogmanguitar is out with Fat Larry's Jazz Band on, Fri 24 Aug 2012, 12:53,
Reply)