Government Declared Pantomime Props that Look Like Weapons Dangerous and Must be Kept Under Lock and Key. The World is Safe Again!



Pantomime props that look like weapons are dangerous. In fact they’re so dangerous, says Britain’s Health and Safety Executive, that they have to be locked up:

Pantomime troupe has been ordered to keep its toy weapons under lock and key – because of health and safety rules.

The amateur dramatics society imagined its plastic cutlasses, wooden swords and gun that fires a ‘Bang’ flag were harmless enough for a production of Robinson Crusoe.

However, it was a case of ‘Health and safety officers are behind you’ when they were told to call in police to ensure every ‘weapon’ was safe. The toy gun must now be kept in a safe box in a locked room when not in use.

A named individual has had to be put in charge of the other weapons – pretend swords and cutlasses, which also have to be locked up.

Link - via bog-brush


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Posted on January 22, 2008 at 4:20 am by Alex
Category: Politics, Toy & Video Games



14 Comments to "Government Declared Pantomime Props that Look Like Weapons Dangerous and Must be Kept Under Lock and Key. The World is Safe Again!"

  • Daniel Kim
    January 22nd, 2008 at 8:30 am

    Hmmm . . . “Locked up” comes to mind quite a lot when I read this, but I don’t mean it for the props!

  • Sid Morrison
    January 22nd, 2008 at 8:37 am

    That is the fruitest thing I ever heard. Queen Victoria is turning in her grave seeing how low her nation has sunk from its powerful past. First the banning of schoolyard conkers games and now this. Please someone stop the pansifying of Britain.

  • Justin
    January 22nd, 2008 at 8:52 am

    Close call! Thanks Big Brother!

  • ted
    January 22nd, 2008 at 9:50 am

    Sure, you laugh now, but when some poor child is rushed to the hospital with a “Bang!” sign related injury, you won’t be so quick to judge.

  • A Safety Consultant
    January 22nd, 2008 at 10:22 am

    I’m involved in the industry and even I can’t believe this. There must be some kind of misreporting going on.

  • C. J. Anderson
    January 22nd, 2008 at 11:03 am

    Actually, the HES document in reference states, at the bottom: “This document contains notes on good practice which are not compulsory but which you may find helpful in considering what you need to do.” Why the fuss, then? You may find the regulations helpful and you may not. What kind of regulations are these exactly? Why not call them “Official Government Suggestions?”

  • Vako
    January 22nd, 2008 at 12:21 pm

    The phrase that stuck out to me in that thing was “a named individual”.

    What?

  • heather
    January 22nd, 2008 at 3:06 pm

    Curses! My nefarious plot to overthrow the government using hollow plastic samurai swords and cap guns has been foiled! I shall have my REVENGE!!

  • Christophe
    January 22nd, 2008 at 3:23 pm

    They should tax all those dangerous plastic and weapons.

  • Thomas
    January 22nd, 2008 at 3:41 pm

    Never again will we get murder mystery stories where prop weapons are replaced by the real thing, only to kill some unsuspecting actor. The world weeps for the genre.

  • Denita TwoDragons
    January 22nd, 2008 at 10:34 pm

    When pantomime swords are outlawed, only pantomime outlaws will have pantomime swords…

    –TwoDragons

  • Alex
    January 23rd, 2008 at 6:58 am

    @CJ Anderson: “Official Government Suggestions” - didn’t we use to call this common sense?

  • MoonCake
    January 23rd, 2008 at 8:02 am

    yet, when a child hits another child with a stick in the backyard, it’s called “playing.” but when it is plastic and strategically formed into the shape of a weapon and used in a “play,” it becomes a possible threat? ridiculous.

  • Skipweasel
    January 23rd, 2008 at 6:05 pm

    During the summer my son was walking home from school wearing a large oaken sword, an oak dagger and a very nice curved laminated shield with a dragon on it. There were a couple of coppers on the street corner and they were most impressed and showed no interest in “control” - just pleased to see a small boy with things he’d made.

    You’ll find this is a local bit of silliness and unlikely to be repeated elsewhere.

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