When you hear this: "A council has backtracked after ordering a tenant to remove two garden gnomes from outside her front door on health and safety grounds", Your first guess is always going to be Sandwell MBC, surely the barmiest council in the UK, which is going some because there's some tough competition out there. The gnomes were apparently judged to be a fire risk.
One of these days I'll compile a list of 'The People Who Ruined West Bromwich' and I have a strong suspicion that somewhere on it will be those who worry about gnomes whilst not noticing or caring that all housing within reasonable walking distance of the town centre has been flattened only to be replaced by a waste land of brick rubble and concrete slabs surrounding that enduring monument to their stupidity, The Public.
