FREE SPEECH SLICEDIt is well known that those moving at up to 88 ft/sec on our roads enclosed in metallic boxes with all round safety glass for protection tend to be more forthright with their language when observing others` shortcomings in their metal boxes than they would were they ambling down the road having similar inclinations. So it appears, do some of those who choose to communicate by Twitter a medium which this blogger eschews. They have a similar tendency to let the keyboard run ahead of their brain`s ability to control their fingers. Last week the High Court in its judgement showed a common sense others were lacking. But I suppose with millions of tweets/hour there are bound to be some which cause a slight legal flurry but surely tweeting failed [so far ] medal seeker Tom Daley ,”You let your dad down I hope you know that.” before apologising to the 18 year old diver does not require a comment from Dorset Police, “Regarding tweets to @tomdaley1994 – we are aware of the issue and we are actively looking into it”. Indeed they are. The suspected perpetrator was arrested earlier today on suspicion of malicious communications.

Notwithstanding some further exchanges re Tom Daley and his troll we are living in a state of fear that would do the Stasi proud. How did this country, home of Speakers` Corner and what once was termed free speech, reach this level of thought control? Because that is what it is coming to……..think it but don`t say it; it might cause offence. I was in Bulgaria well before 1988 and nobody was offended in that country in those days. I was in Franco`s Spain where once again nothing even approaching offence was taken or made. Portugal in the reign of Salazar was offence free but not free of fear. The salami slicing of our freedoms is alive and well. There is no longer freedom to offend.