Teh One Who Knocks
06-08-2018, 11:53 AM
By Thomas Brown - The Scottish Sun
https://i.imgur.com/arqxmUo.jpg
A PIPER was cuffed by cops in front of shocked tourists after playing too loudly.
Busker John McDonald was arrested on the Royal Mile during a police crackdown on noisy street performers.
Officers had given him a ‘yellow card’ warning over the sound levels then hauled him away when he refused to hand over his details.
Cops claim they are reacting to complaints from fed-up neighbours in Edinburgh — but admitted none had been made on the day they nicked John.
Fellow piper Thomas Wilson, 28, who saw the musician get lifted on Sunday, said: “None of us want hassle from the police. To get arrested for playing the pipes is disgraceful.
“The piper had stopped playing and then he started speaking to the police.”
He continued: “When they asked him for his details he refused — rightly in my opinion as he had done nothing wrong.
“Buskers on the Royal Mile know neighbours don’t always appreciate it so we try to keep the level below 80 decibels.
“We all play with bagpipes that output at half level — that’s the noise of an ambient street. We are trying to respect the local businesses.”
A source close to John added: “It’s ridiculous. No one else had a problem with the noise. It’s the Royal Mile, people expect noise and entertainment, it’s what makes it special.”
Council chiefs and cops launched the yellow card scheme last year to dish out warnings to anti-social businesses.
Police confirmed the pipe had been hit with one of the notices over his “clearly excessive” noise levels.
A spokeswoman said: “The busker concerned was told stop playing and issued with a ‘yellow card’ warning.
“Once a recorded warning has been issued, officers are required to record the busker’s details. The busker refused to comply with this and was arrested. He was released later in the day.”
A council spokesperson said: “We welcome responsible buskers, who brighten up the city. However, we expect individuals to be considerate of those living and working nearby.”
https://i.imgur.com/arqxmUo.jpg
A PIPER was cuffed by cops in front of shocked tourists after playing too loudly.
Busker John McDonald was arrested on the Royal Mile during a police crackdown on noisy street performers.
Officers had given him a ‘yellow card’ warning over the sound levels then hauled him away when he refused to hand over his details.
Cops claim they are reacting to complaints from fed-up neighbours in Edinburgh — but admitted none had been made on the day they nicked John.
Fellow piper Thomas Wilson, 28, who saw the musician get lifted on Sunday, said: “None of us want hassle from the police. To get arrested for playing the pipes is disgraceful.
“The piper had stopped playing and then he started speaking to the police.”
He continued: “When they asked him for his details he refused — rightly in my opinion as he had done nothing wrong.
“Buskers on the Royal Mile know neighbours don’t always appreciate it so we try to keep the level below 80 decibels.
“We all play with bagpipes that output at half level — that’s the noise of an ambient street. We are trying to respect the local businesses.”
A source close to John added: “It’s ridiculous. No one else had a problem with the noise. It’s the Royal Mile, people expect noise and entertainment, it’s what makes it special.”
Council chiefs and cops launched the yellow card scheme last year to dish out warnings to anti-social businesses.
Police confirmed the pipe had been hit with one of the notices over his “clearly excessive” noise levels.
A spokeswoman said: “The busker concerned was told stop playing and issued with a ‘yellow card’ warning.
“Once a recorded warning has been issued, officers are required to record the busker’s details. The busker refused to comply with this and was arrested. He was released later in the day.”
A council spokesperson said: “We welcome responsible buskers, who brighten up the city. However, we expect individuals to be considerate of those living and working nearby.”