Hippies charged with stealing food from a skip

chopper6 · 29-01-2014 11:19AM #1

A man will stand trial next month after being caught taking some tomatoes, mushrooms and cheese from the dustbins behind a branch of Iceland.
It is expected Paul May, a freelance web designer, will argue that he was taking the food because he needed it to eat and does not consider he has done anything illegal or dishonest in removing food destined for landfill from a skip.
The case will require magistrates to scrutinise the phenomenon of "skipping" – taking discarded supermarket waste to cook and eat, and will highlight the issue of how much supermarket food is discarded, despite long campaigns to reduce the waste. It will also focus attention on a group of people taking radical steps to feed themselves as they struggle with the rising cost of living in London.
May, 35, along with Jason Chan and William James, all residents of a squat in north London, were arrested on 25 October, just before midnight, after a member of the public called the police to report three men climbing over a wall at the back of Iceland in Kentish Town .
Police arrested the men as they left the area with a holdall and trolley containing food. The total value of the items taken allegedly amounted to £33 and they were of low value, consisting of tomatoes, mushrooms, cheese and Mr Kipling cakes.
Initially arrested for burglary, the three men were charged under an obscure section of the 1824 Vagrancy Act, after being discovered in "an enclosed area, namely Iceland, for an unlawful purpose, namely stealing food".
Police returned the items to the Iceland store. The men were held in a police cell for 19 hours before being released, May said.
Lawyers for the three men have asked the Crown Prosecution Service to consider dropping the case, but the CPS responded this month that the case would go ahead, because "we feel there is significant public interest in prosecuting these three individuals".

Some people have no dignity...i hope the law deals with them and others of thier ilk top prevent this "freegan" freeloading.

mathie · 29-01-2014 11:20AM

If people are throwing it away then whats the problem (despite trespassing?)

BillyMitchel · 29-01-2014 11:21AM

chopper6 wrote: »

Some people have no dignity...i hope the law deals with them and others of thier ilk top prevent this "freegan" freeloading.

So he's a hippy? Not some desperate man looking for food?

Wibbs · 29-01-2014 11:22AM

I can't abide hippies. Like Cartman level 10. However taking food that's been thrown away is hardly stealing FFS. If you're at the level where you need to do this I say the law should leave you the fuq alone. That's before we get into the subject of the huge waste of food in the west, when half the worlds population go hungry of a night.

sbsquarepants · 29-01-2014 11:22AM

chopper6 wrote: »

Some people have no dignity...i hope the law deals with them and others of thier ilk top prevent this "freegan" freeloading.

How is it freeloading - the food was being thrown out. It's completely wrong to destroy good food when people are hungry.
I also don't particularly like this new breed of soap dodging hippies, but the food was being thrown out - if he wants it let him have it, it harms no one.

chopper6 · 29-01-2014 11:22AM

BillyMitchel wrote: »

So he's a hippy? Not some desperate man looking for food?

It is expected Paul May, a freelance web designer

Web designers arent usually starving to death.

pickarooney · 29-01-2014 11:23AM

How can they put an exact monetary value on refuse? If anything it could constitute a tiny saving on waste disposal.

Legs.Eleven · 29-01-2014 11:23AM

chopper6 wrote: »

Some people have no dignity...i hope the law deals with them and others of thier ilk top prevent this "freegan" freeloading.

Seriously?

chopper6 · 29-01-2014 11:23AM

sbsquarepants wrote: »

How is it freeloading - the food was being thrown out. It's completely wrong to destroy good food when people are hungry.

Tell that to Iceland and to the Police...they dont seem to agree.

BillyMitchel · 29-01-2014 11:25AM

chopper6 wrote: »

Web designers arent usually starving to death.

Freelance. Look the word up. Doesn't mean he's working. Still don't see how it makes him a hippy.

Wibbs · 29-01-2014 11:25AM

"freelance web designer". Translation; "haven't had a paying job in six months and that was for a mate and well a bit got lost in translation and I only got half". IME freelance web designer is up there with actor in between jobs as far as earnings go for the vast majority.

anncoates · 29-01-2014 11:25AM

mathie wrote: »

If people are throwing it away then whats the problem (despite trespassing?)

I think they can't give away out of date food for health and safety reasons (don't know why: presumably somebody could sue them if they got food poisoning maybe).

I remember working in a restaurant years ago and it was heartbreaking seeing unused food being thrown out (into a caged bin) at the end of the night when there were no doubt people in shelters or on the streets that could have eaten it.

Gran Hermano · 29-01-2014 11:26AM

Likely skip owner is concerned that if he was to get food poisoning from the food in the skip the could sue the the store.

Menas · 29-01-2014 11:26AM

Seems to me that they were arrested for stealing the food in 'an enclosed area'. ie, they had to trespass to get to the skip.
If the skip had been in a public area then there would be no offence.

sav1980 · 29-01-2014 11:27AM

So waste of food and waste of police time!

Wibbs · 29-01-2014 11:28AM

chopper6 wrote: »

Tell that to Iceland and to the Police...they dont seem to agree.

Iceland are throwing out apparently edible food when that food could go to charities to distribute. It's hardly a once off either, they and others are throwing tons of still edible food out. Objectively speaking what's the bigger crime and moral issue here? The cops are just following the letter of the law here. I'll bet most cops who spotted someone stealing food from bins would turn a blind eye and think there but for the grace of god...

sbsquarepants · 29-01-2014 11:28AM

chopper6 wrote: »

Tell that to Iceland and to the Police...they dont seem to agree.

They don't agree with me, I don't agree with them - funny old world innit!

Annasopra · 29-01-2014 11:30AM

chopper6 wrote: »

Tell that to Iceland and to the Police...they dont seem to agree.

How is that answering the question you were asked?

Lapin · 29-01-2014 11:32AM

Iceland should be prosecuted for throwing out perfectly edible food rather than giving
it to any number of homeless shelters or soup kitchens who would be glad of it.

But unfortunately there's no law against that.

Whats the source of this article OP?

Annasopra · 29-01-2014 11:33AM

chopper6 wrote: »

Some people have no dignity...i hope the law deals with them and others of thier ilk top prevent this "freegan" freeloading.

Your concern for starving people is quite charming.

Cee-Jay-Cee · 29-01-2014 11:36AM

He's been prosecuted for trespassing with intent to steal NOT for stealing food from a skip. The title is misleading.

BillyMitchel · 29-01-2014 11:36AM

This belongs in the failed threads in 5 4 3 2...

29-01-2014 11:39AM

chopper6 wrote: »

Some people have no dignity...i hope the law deals with them and others of thier ilk top prevent this "freegan" freeloading.

I don't think your definition of dignified behaviour matters to someone who is hungry.

Menas · 29-01-2014 11:39AM

Lapin wrote: »

Whats the source of this article OP?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/men-charged-with-stealing-food-from-iceland-supermarket-bins-9091967.html

Lapin · 29-01-2014 11:48AM

Trigger Happy wrote: »

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/men-charged-with-stealing-food-from-iceland-supermarket-bins-9091967.html

Cheers Trigger.

OP, the headline in that article actually reads "Men charged with stealing food from Iceland supermarket bins".'

Nowhere is the word 'hippy' mentioned in the piece. Your decision to twist someone elses work and misquote them without acknowledging them as a source only highlights your own prejiducial views right from the start and therefore renders you as someone not worth having any form of meaningful discussion with.

Oranage2 · 29-01-2014 12:03PM

It's Iceland's food they can do What they want with it. The guys should have asked first. They broke the law now Face the consequences.

Frank Black · 29-01-2014 12:04PM

Lapin wrote: »

Iceland should be prosecuted for throwing out perfectly edible food rather than giving
it to any number of homeless shelters or soup kitchens who would be glad of it.

But unfortunately there's no law against that.

Whats the source of this article OP?

How do you know the food being thrown out is 'perfectly edible'? - what information do you have on the food and how did you come by it?

Who would be to blame if Iceland gave out of date food to a homeless shelter and a large number of people suffered food poisoning due to it?

And the reason there's no law against throwing out food which is past its sell by date is because such a law would be, ****ing ridiculous.

29-01-2014 12:08PM

At what point does it stop becoming Iceland's food? When it reaches the dump? The only thing the guy did wrong was trespass, he most certainly did not steal. If you've worked in any sort of retail or service industry, then you know the crazy amount of waste that goes on - things that are perfectly OK, but are still thrown away regardless.

Oranage2 · 29-01-2014 12:14PM

Deleted User wrote: »

At what point does it stop becoming Iceland's food? When it reahes the dump? The only thing the guy did wrong was trespass, he most certainly did not steal. If you've worked in any sort of retail or service industry, then you know the crazy amount of waste that goes on - things that are perfectly OK, but are still thrown away regardless.

I use to do returns and waste in a supermarket, Yes a lot is thrown away, would it be Okay for me to place that food in a bag and take it home?

chopper6 · 29-01-2014 12:15PM

When i worked in Dunnes there was a rule that any unsold food *if not returned to the supplier* had to be destryoyed.

The reason for this was the company had paid the supplier and if unsold stuff was to somehow make it's way back onto the market it would a)make suplier liable for health and safety concerns and b) possibley be sold at a price that would undercut the customer.

Also...refuse skips at the back of supermarkets etc are off limits for good reason...they are used by heavy traffic such as trucks and forklifts,many of which are reversing into loading bays blind.

Goods inwards and outwards bays are often in the same area and it's perefectly possible to pilfer from storerooms when in an unauthorised zone.

There are also bailing machines and crushers and in some cases furnaces...loading bays are dangerous places and if a Hippy(for example) was to get injured whilst scavenging for food who would he sue??thats correct,the supermarket.

Legs.Eleven · 29-01-2014 12:15PM

Frank Black wrote: »

How do you know the food being thrown out is 'perfectly edible'? - what information do you have on the food and how did you come by it?

Who would be to blame if Iceland gave out of date food to a homeless shelter and a large number of people suffered food poisoning due to it?

And the reason there's no law against throwing out food which is past its sell by date is because such a law would be, ****ing ridiculous.

I've 2 good friends in London who live off food they find at the back of supermarkets and they generally eat stuff that's obviously not gone off like canned food, fruit and veg in decent nick etc. Often stuff is thrown out because the wrapping is torn but the contents are in date. I stayed with one of them a few years ago and was surprised by the stuff they found. All of it in perfect condition.

Boxes of frozen food could well be dodgy though and risky to eat but declaring that they've no dignity or are free-loading is a load of bollocks; the food was going to be thrown out anyway.

In this case it's probably risky as Iceland sells mostly frozen food (correct me if I'm wrong here) but morally, I can't see anything wrong with it all.

Hippies charged with stealing food from a skip

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