As reported by the Essex Chronicle, The Telegraph and Daily Mail (hmm..); A girl in Essex is facing court on the 16th after being threatened with the use of a battering ram at her house, being handcuffed and led away and having her house searched. Many of us are aware of the horrendous amount of food getting thrown away each day. Now is the time to speak up!
The story in question can be seen at the following links: 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1355525/Theft-finding-Woman-took-thrown-Tesco-waffles-charged-stealing.html , http://www.thisistotalessex.co.uk/news/Undefined-Headline/article-3197882-detail/article.html , http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/8315980/Woman-accused-of-theft-after-taking-Tesco-rubbish.html .
Having lived for several months without money myself, and as a continuing 'freegan', I am well aware of the incredible attitude of so many companies such as Tesco when it comes to food. I believe it's completely unacceptable for food to be intentionally turned into landfill, considering the incredible process it went through to get on the shelves, and when people are dying due to lack of it all over the world.
I'm not aware of any campaigns that have been started in response to this particular arrest, but as far as I'm aware this is the first case in the UK of a dumpster diver (although she wasn't even doing that) being taken to court. I believe now is the time to take it public, raise awareness and speak up! If Tesco wants to bring charges, they need to be exposed for the real criminals they are!
I would love to hear of any further info anyone has on this case. I personally will be emailing newspapers, as I'm not sure what else I can do, not being in Essex and not knowing more details. If you're freegan, this could be you next! This could be a landmark court case.
Happy Skipping
Less Waste, More Taste!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1355525/Theft-finding-Woman-took-thrown-Tesco-waffles-charged-stealing.html , http://www.thisistotalessex.co.uk/news/Undefined-Headline/article-3197882-detail/article.html , http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/8315980/Woman-accused-of-theft-after-taking-Tesco-rubbish.html . Having lived for several months without money myself, and as a continuing 'freegan', I am well aware of the incredible attitude of so many companies such as Tesco when it comes to food. I believe it's completely unacceptable for food to be intentionally turned into landfill, considering the incredible process it went through to get on the shelves, and when people are dying due to lack of it all over the world.
I'm not aware of any campaigns that have been started in response to this particular arrest, but as far as I'm aware this is the first case in the UK of a dumpster diver (although she wasn't even doing that) being taken to court. I believe now is the time to take it public, raise awareness and speak up! If Tesco wants to bring charges, they need to be exposed for the real criminals they are!
I would love to hear of any further info anyone has on this case. I personally will be emailing newspapers, as I'm not sure what else I can do, not being in Essex and not knowing more details. If you're freegan, this could be you next! This could be a landmark court case.
Happy Skipping
Less Waste, More Taste!
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Comments
Hide the following 16 comments
see also this article and comments
14.02.2011 22:34
freedom foodie
Surely Tesco's should be charged for attracting rodents & fly tipping, she did
14.02.2011 23:15
in my experience even courts now throw these cases out & getting fed up with stupid unfair politically biased prosecutions.
"Right, she's a politico is she, ok boys throw the book at her, urrr, "
james
go to the mirror with your story chuc& then buy some organic food or seeds
14.02.2011 23:16
james
Theft by finding
14.02.2011 23:34
Onlyme
Woman not girl
15.02.2011 09:00
The title has been edited to read woman.
IMCista
Replying
15.02.2011 09:45
AJ
language Timothy
15.02.2011 11:16
We've no idea what term she prefers, which is why you should by default use the more respectful one that relates to her age. Girls grow into women. Boys grow into men. I think it unlikely if she were male you'd call her a boy, unless she was the age of a boy.
It doesn't matter whether there are more important things (that's a good excuse I've heard in a variety of really fucked up situations!).
Daily Mail 1.
Indymedia 0
greenman
Human and animals suffer for tescos profit - almost nicked because of it.
15.02.2011 13:54
The bins were full of perfectly edible apples, bread, cow juice and other bits including pork chops that were still in date. We must of been spotted on a CCTV because a shop assistant came out and demanded we put the food back in the bin.
We walked off saying, 'No thanks'
Anyway we couldn't carry the milk first trip so my mate waited on round the corner while I popped back only to discover a cop besides the bin with his note book out taking details from the shop assistant.
So I left the milk.
Despite the obvious waste of food there's the effort and energy consumption transfering this food to a land fill. Then there's the use of police time in this unuseful way.
Plus it meant we had no need to shop lift so again saving tescos money.
But what really got me was those pork chops - still in date until the end of closing some 4 hours away still. They could of been sold for 10p. At least then that pig would not of suffered and died in vain.
Tescos is really fecked up.
Bristol freegan
not quite the first...
15.02.2011 17:30
skippy
Why don't you ask her?
15.02.2011 17:33
Womyn
It may well be the first case to go to court but...
15.02.2011 20:03
The way things are going with the benefits system, we can expect "skipping" to become a wider practice soon enough.
Adult Male Person
"Why don't you ask her?"
15.02.2011 21:57
"I am well aware of the incredible attitude of so many companies such as Tesco when it comes to food."
Whilst I think that the amount of food thrown away by all supermarkets is absurd we mustn't act like the bosses of Tesco and co like throwing stuff away. They would rather have a longer shelf life so they have more chance of selling it and don't have to pay to dispose of it. The use-by date is generally decided by the manufacturer, though certain foods, such as eggs and poultry, actually have their use-by dates regulated by government agencies. Lots of things get a use-by date added to them when they don't actually need one but as it is an offence to alter or remove a date mark if you are not the manufacturer, packer or EC seller originally responsible for marking the food (see FSA website on the subject) the supermarket can't do anything about that and is thus obliged to throw away the food when it reaches that date. If we want supermarkets to not throw as much away then it's the manufacturers and packers that need to be less pedantic about date marking things that don't need to be marked - that way the supermarket would buy less as it lasts longer and would have more chance of being sold, and less would be thrown away. Of course, this would also mean the manufacturer would sell less and make less money - anyway, what I'm saying is, you need to look at who benefits most from having people throw away food, it's not the supermarket, they've already paid for it, why would they want to throw it away?
Ae
Not strange
16.02.2011 17:12
However, for it to be theft at all you have to intend to permanently deprive the owner of it (Theft Act, 1968). Tescos had irresponsibly deprived themselves of this stuff by dumping it in the street, thus committing an offence. How strange that the cops were not interested in pursuing the offender, rather than someone who had ameliorated their offence by taking some of the dumped food away.
Anyone would think the police have a political bias in favour of offenders such as Tescos, but obviously that can't be right, can it?
Stroppyoldgit
la-la-land
16.02.2011 21:16
So if I start eating an apple, change my mind, and put it in the compost, I'm irresponsibly depriving myself of it and thus committing an offence?
No
Waste invaders
re:la-la-land
18.02.2011 12:20
No, troll, but if you dump it in the street you are littering, which is an offence. Also there are often by-laws about blocking the footpath with bags of rubbish.
Although to be fair in this case, judging by the photo in the Daily Mail, it wasn't dumped in the street but at the back of the shop on their own land.
anon
loadarubbish
18.02.2011 20:59
So, Anon, your comment is what is known in the waste disposal industry as 'crap'.
Waste invaders