"But it happens all the time - we had to fake this one just to prove it..." A case of #BlackLiesMatter? - sorry.

If anyone's interested, I've just sent the following through their online form at http://www.roh.org.uk/contact/index.aspx : After this[1] particularly galling behaviour on behalf of someone at the Royal Opera House, I would like nothing further to do with the ROH, and request that you remove all data you hold on me related to the email address I've entered into this form, since you no longer have any reason to hold said data under principles 3 and 5 of the List Of The Data Protection Principles. You may use this email address only to either clarify this request, or to confirm that you have received and processed this request. Any other use of this email address by yourselves, or anyone acting on behalf of yourselves, after 1800BST 10th September 2010, especially if used to send promotional material (the last received was 9th July) will be construed as a breach, by yourselves, of the Data Protect Act, and a complaint shall be made to the ICO under section 42 of the DPA.[3] [1] http://intermezzo.typepad.com/intermezzo/2010/09/without-prejudice-why-all-the-royal-opera-house-posts-have-disappeared.html [2] http://www.ico.gov.uk/for_organisations/data_protection_guide/list_of_the_data_protection_principles.aspx [3] http://www.ico.gov.uk/complaints/data_protection.aspx

"Ah huh, such a vitriolic response for those who are so wrapped up in themselves" I think you'll find it's the anti-smokers who are wrapped up in themselves. "These are young people who have yet to form coherent arguments, give them a break." We aren't the ones indoctrinating them, depriving them of the opportunity to form their own opinions - they'll never form coherent arguments if all they hear is pseudo-scientific arguments as to why they should believe what they're told to believe. It's not us who need to "open our minds" - it's those who are closing the minds of the young, who not only need to open theirs, but to allow the next generation to have to opportunity to open theirs also.

On the 'plus' side, however, an incident of citizen's arrest gone wrong(http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/news/Coroner-rules-death-car-thief-accident/article-2513733-detail/article.html) - those detaining the suspect were not charged with the death of the suspect.

@Alastair, while I applaud your opitmism, I fear that in practise you wouldn't succeed. I'm not attempting to critisise your opinion, but I'm sure any attempt at citizens arrest (at the moment) in the UK would initially result in a charge of assult, and any further attempts at dragging it through the courts would prove costly. And as pointed out above by Chris, I'm sure Citizens Arrest involves 'detaining until a police officer arrives' and certainly doesn't include 'transporting them to a police station.' I welcome anything that would disabuse me of the latter (or the former for that matter.) Without (deliberate) malice....

@alistair: "Worth pointing out, though, that if there is no expectation that a police officer will make an arrest, you can make one yourself, then hand the arrested suspect over to the police officers (or at the police station)." ..and then get arrested yourself for assault / deprivation of liberty / whatever they can pin on you. Do you really expect citizen's arrest to be valid these days? Your word against theirs, and since it's evident that you've committed a crime (by dragging them there) and it's not evident that the person you've dragged has committed a crime, you're the one going to be put in the cells.

Oh dear. Won't SOMEONE think of the cheeeldren? Except the priests of course.