Late last night on my way to bed I routinely check for emails and flick the headlines.
I saw an article, can’t remember which paper, that announced that the asylum seeking had started amongst the ‘athletes’ of the corporatefest. Amazement was being expressed that this individual had not even waited until after his race! (Apparently the only race that counted was to the benefit office!)
Evidently a middle distance runner (how apt!) from an unnamed East African country had gone from his training camp up North to the police and asked for asylum. They had called in Border Control who had removed him. He had not wanted to move into the ‘village’, presumably because of too tight supervision and the anticipation of being herded back onto the bus home? It was rumoured that another official from the same country intended doing likewise.
Subsequently this morning, all trace of the story has been removed, I cannot find reference to it anywhere. So there you go folks, another one on the gravy train. I doubt they had the sense to take him straight to Heathrow! Evidently this is quite usual but they generally have the grace to enter their event first! I wonder why the story has been censored?
And Janus wonders why we would rather not pay our taxes? Or our plumber’s taxes?
Equally I wonder why this ‘athlete’ actually wants to come to the UKSSR I can’t imagine that anywhere in East Africa has Zil lanes, wall to wall CCTV, child tax spies etc etc. But then they already have corrupt dictators, nepotism, croneyism and oligarchies there so I expect he will feel quite at home in Merry Olde England.
Perhaps Janus will send him his first month’s cheque!
Boadicea's Chariot 
One would have thought he would have waited, because he has now disqualified himself, but here is the story:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/9428041/Olympic-athlete-seeks-asylum-in-Britain.html
Quite right Christina, nor here, we also don’t do this (I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read it here)
“Balancing 20ft in the air, with one foot on a tree branch, a chainsaw in hand and no harness in sight, few could accuse gardener John Holland of not going the full distance for his job.
Sadly though for Mr Holland, his unusual technique for tree pruning appears to have been far more trouble than it was worth.
Mr Holland, 53, has been ordered to pay £6,000 by magistrates for the dangerous trick after a concerned neighbour took a picture and reported him and a colleague to authorities.”
No chance of that happening here.
Not on the main olympic page is it? It appears to have moved off into a sub directory pretty damned quickly.
Concerned neighbour my arse! People should mind their own business.
Should he fall and hurt himself he has probably paid enough in taxes to validate his time in hospital unlike the health tourists the NHS is so keen to treat for free.
For 6 grand if I were he I’d take a holiday courtesy of her majesty!
I have a friend who was a steeplejack, worked on the chimneys of the refineries in Pembrokeshire, usual capering without harnesses at 350′. He wouldn’t have even bothered with the ladder!
And been perfectly safe.
The UK has begun to seriously irritate me. After 35 years I am seriously beginning to consider changing my nationality.
Regarding change of nationality, Tina, go for it. I would never give up my British Passport, but it very odd that it’s so coveted by many and means so little to others.
I suppose it’s all relative.
You’re right, Christina. He should be on the first plane home – pour encourager les autres. Someone pointed out that this athlete probably had to have a visa to come here and that he has now broken the terms of that, so no reason not to chuck him straight out.
CO, rather than get involved in anything approaching charity, I’ll send you a copy of the Weslyan Hymnal in Welsh – so that you can brush up your Christian values.
They are the worst of the lot, most chapel people are the biggest hypocrites out!!
I’ve rather given up on Christian values ever since WASPS /CELTS have become hunted species in their own land. More like survival of the fittest.
What worried me most about Soutie’s tree article was that even the Daily Mail sided with Health and Safety. It just shows how far the ridiculous thought controls have penetrated our collective psyche.
What bollocks. That’s how I cut down a tree in my garden a few years ago.