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Goldfish row kicks up a stink
Thursday 21st May 2009, 5:00PM BST.
Seven-year-old Anup Grewal was delighted when he won a goldfish at a recent funfair in a Black Country park.
But he has unwittingly found himself at the centre of a council investigation into animal cruelty.
A photo of a delighted Anup at the recent Vaisakhi fun day, which featured in the Express & Star, was brandished at a Wolverhampton Council meeting.
The picture at West Park was shown as proof that welfare rules had not been followed.
The British tradition of giving away goldfish at funfairs is banned on council land, an investigation was today being launched by Civic Centre officers.
But the controversy has been branded “ludicrous” and the council has been urged to concentrate on more important matters.
Dr Sadhu Singh, the chairman of the Council of Sikh Gurdwaras, said: “Haven’t these people got anything better to do? It is only a goldfish.”
Former city mayor, Labour councillor John Rowley raised the issue at a meeting of the licensing committee, claiming “rules on animal welfare” were ignored.
He said: “On May 11, a number of pictures appeared in the Express & Star and one showed a child displaying a goldfish he was given as a prize at the funfair.”
“I have consulted the council’s animal welfare charter and section 3.6 clearly states that we will ‘not allow the giving of live animals as prizes at fun fairs on council owned or managed land’.
“So clearly, this is unacceptable. Given that this authority has a policy on animal welfare, we ought to stick to it.
“I’m not blaming the organisers, I’m blaming the council for not managing the event properly.”
The event, which was a celebration of the Sikh faith, attracted some 5,000 people.
Funfair organiser Harry Jones said: “The whole thing is ludicrous. I’ve been staging funfairs in Wolverhampton for years.”
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I guess this will go away due to “religious beliefs” sooner or later just like the council “forgetting” to send traffic wardens, sorry, officers out.
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Tut Tut no.1, this is a council policy issue if you read the story, not a religious issue.
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Giving out gold fish at fun fair is not a religious belief. I am a Sikh my self and condemn giving out any live animals at fairs as prizes. No it is not just a gold fish it is a living creature which will suffer if not cared for properly. Reader’s should not make this a religious issue this is just a violation of rules.
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interesting double standards yet again…
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It’s a goldfish, nothing more, nothing less. It seems as though some folk think goldfish have human feelings with human rights.
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save the goldfish!
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What a sad load of people these council staff are.
All the problems Wolverhampton has and they are concerned about a bloody goldfish.
Cruelty are they serious?
What about Halal meat Wolverhampton Council or doesn’t that matter because it is a religious ”thing”
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I take it yours is a bitter?! I watched the event and thought it was wonderfully colourful, and attended from what I could see by people from all backgrounds and faiths. In this multicultural society we should celebrate differences and so what if the council overlooked traffic wardens! Get a life and move with the times PW.
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haha, comment 1, how bitter do you sound?
in terms of the article, how petty that someone would find this worth arguing about. the boy is clearly thrilled to have won the fish and hence will probably do his utmost best to care for it, how ridiculous that the people find something to moan about in everything. get a life.
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My comment on another article will sit just as nicely on this one! ……… the mind Boggles! ……………………
We, who no longer reside in the UK most earnestly beg of you not complain too vigorously about these Comedy of Errors! ………. you have no idea how uplifting it is for us when our entertainment media gets to be a little mundane to read of these snippets of idiocy! …….. it can almost be compared with Monty Python and affords us much enjoyment through life’s deary hours! ………
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shouldnt win goldfish then!
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Premier Wolf – Get a life. It does not seem as though it will “go away due to religious beliefs” if the article states the picture was “brandished at a Wolverhampton Council meeting” this means there is some sort of investigation.It might go away if the council decide not to persue it further and waste taxt payers money unless you have proof the family took it home and used it for a fish supper.
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Well certain faiths can parade along the streets with drawn swords and have main roads blocked off, so what’s the problem with a goldfish?
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It’s only a goldfish?
What a stupid thing to say. A live animal is a live animal. It’s the principal but we know that those don’t always count for much where money is concerned
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Former city mayor, Labour councillor John Rowley – thereby by lies the rub – “former” – seems like he has an axe to grind -I bet, he knew about the rule, and has been lying in wait for such a day as this- it starts with goldfish and before you know it the very essence of life is turned around – what next ?
Wake up Wolverhampton, remember this at the next election :)
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As a council employee, I feel that I need to point out that it isn’t the council who are kicking up a stink here, It is a Labour Councillor who is trying to get his name and face in the paper as often as possible.
This is a desperate bid to try and save his sorry little backside when he comes up for re-election because the residents of Wolverhampton are aware how his party (Labour) have ripped the heart out of this (once great) city for the last 15 years.
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Mr Rowley is a Labour councillor – say no more…
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No. 16 – As a council employee I would expect you to know that Wolverhampton has not had a Labour administration for the last year.
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No16 when was Wolverhampton the glorified Town ever a great City? And do you think the Tories could do any better? It doesn’t look like it at the moment does it?
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What the hell, in my london council we have no such idoitic policies in place thank god. What on earth has it got to do with the council if a goldfish is given away at a funfair. It’s a fish for god’s sake it will die anyways in 1-2 weeks. These people who are in wolves council are sick, they need a reality check. Name and shame the people who kicked up this fess!
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