Caroline Lucas says she has returned Brighton pebble

3:10pm Saturday 22nd May 2010 in News By Andy Tate, Parliamentary Correspondent

Caroline Lucas says she has returned Brighton pebble Caroline Lucas says she has returned Brighton pebble

It was meant to be a touching tribute from Brighton’s first Green MP to her new constituents.

But Caroline Lucas’ decision to affirm her allegiance to the Queen clutching a pebble from Brighton beach brought her close to a brush with the law, The Argus can reveal.

Taking stones and shells, which form an integral part of the city’s sea defences, from the beach is illegal Brighton and Hove City Council has confirmed.

It means the Brighton Pavilion MP, she joined dozens of new MPs in fulfilling their legal requirement to swear oaths or affirm allegiances in the Commons chamber on Thursday, may have broken the law on her first day as a law maker.

Fortunately for Dr Lucas, who says she has since returned the pebble to its rightful place, the authorities are unlikely to pursue the matter.

A city council spokesman said: “Technically it’s illegal to remove pebbles from Brighton beach but while our seafront officers are instructed to report anyone taking large quantities of pebbles to the police they are unlikely to report visitors taking a single pebble home to remember their visit.”

In 2003 the council held an amnesty, promising not to prosecute anyone who returned stones, shells or larger items to Brighton beach.

The council spokesman added: “Visitors to Brighton and Hove will always want to take a memento home with them and for some this is a pebble or sea shell from the beach and on the face of it this seems relatively harmless. However the problem is that the city has a perpetual sea defence problem and pebbles play their part in protecting the seafront.”

Dr Lucas said yesterday: “During my affirmation I held the pebble to symbolise the fact that the concerns and interests of Brighton Pavilion will be my key priority. People can rest assured that I’ve since taken the pebble back so there is no need to worry.”

Comments(30)

Kevin1978 says...
3:17pm Sat 22 May 10

Since I was born here and come from generations of Brightonians I'll take from the beach anything I want, Lucas. Take that back to your London home sweetheart.

Report this post »

monty sidewinder says...
3:56pm Sat 22 May 10

''In 2003 the council held an amnesty, promising not to prosecute anyone who returned stones, shells or larger items to Brighton beach. '' like anybody really thought, oh, i'd better take those pebbles back that are on my bookshelf! only btn council could come up with a pebble amnesty! and what would you describe as a 'larger item from the beach? a bumber car? they've all dissapeared or maybe someone took home a whole breakwater and used it in thier garden as a retaining wall for a rockery!

Report this post »

yorkie44 says...
4:00pm Sat 22 May 10

It is the rubbish on the beach we should be concerned about - not pebbles!

Report this post »

The Brighton Bear says...
5:13pm Sat 22 May 10

Lock this criminal up!

Report this post »

Old Dog says...
5:15pm Sat 22 May 10

Own goal Brighton. You will elect the barmy!

Report this post »

iisasambo says...
5:45pm Sat 22 May 10

what an absolute dinlo.

Report this post »

Gaz the great says...
5:47pm Sat 22 May 10

Please lock this woman up for her and our peace of mind.

Report this post »

Angryoldman says...
5:58pm Sat 22 May 10

I must have broke the law too.
I found a small stone in the crack of my buttocks after swimming in the sea near Brighton Pier.
I do beleive the stolen item is somewhere in my home. I expect the police will storm my home in a dawn raid and arrest me under the terrorist act,
I wouldnt putit past them. It must be like a scene from the mad hatters tea party at Brighton Council meetings. In fact it is worse. Pathetic story! Will the pebble be given counselling as it may have developed abandonment issue's.

Report this post »

strange fish says...
8:27pm Sat 22 May 10

Angryoldman I wouldnt be suprised if Brighton and Hove council actualy planted them pebbles in your crack in an overt and blatant attempt at entrapment.
I think you should consider legal action.
Its an outrage.

Report this post »

gmgc81 says...
8:59pm Sat 22 May 10

They should arrest the English Channel next. It's going to pick up those pebbles and shift them to another beach along the coast. Larceny of the nth degree!

Report this post »

Living in the real world says...
10:03pm Sat 22 May 10

No one cares what this fringe nutter does or doesn't do whilst riding the gravy train, move on....

Report this post »

NotGreen says...
12:12am Sun 23 May 10

I wish Lucas would throw herself out to sea.

Report this post »

stan bailey says...
7:59am Sun 23 May 10

Does our green councillor colour her hair?

Report this post »

King from Hove says...
8:15am Sun 23 May 10

Tree hugging,car hating,save the planet,global warming middle class new age hippies have at long last taken over Brighton Pavillion ward.

Report this post »

Betty Blue says...
9:33am Sun 23 May 10

Who in their right mind voted for this woman?

Report this post »

stan bailey says...
10:07am Sun 23 May 10

King from Hove wrote:
Tree hugging,car hating,save the planet,global warming middle class new age hippies have at long last taken over Brighton Pavillion ward.
Yesterday I watched one of these hippies, with a not very eco friendly horse lorry , parked in the disused petrol station up from the Gyratory, lock the gates with a heavy chain and padlock. What is yours is mine and what is mine is mine approach

Report this post »

iisasambo says...
10:23am Sun 23 May 10

stan bailey wrote:
King from Hove wrote: Tree hugging,car hating,save the planet,global warming middle class new age hippies have at long last taken over Brighton Pavillion ward.
Yesterday I watched one of these hippies, with a not very eco friendly horse lorry , parked in the disused petrol station up from the Gyratory, lock the gates with a heavy chain and padlock. What is yours is mine and what is mine is mine approach
dem der hippies do love an old petrol station dont they, do you think its a fumes thing?

Report this post »

MarcoPolo says...
11:24am Sun 23 May 10

My MP swears allegiance to the Queen with a pebble in her hand, as Brighton is what really matters to her. Not the world's climate change problems, not, Europe, not the UK, not England, not even Sussex, just 'Brighton'. Half-baked, halfwit.

Report this post »

shrek's uglier brother says...
12:16pm Sun 23 May 10

Phew! Thank goodness for that. I was starting to worry because the Argus hasn't had an exclusive C Lucas story for over a week now. And there was I thinking that her PR people had run out of trite ideas and had maybe decided to join the real world.... Ignorance is surely bliss.

Report this post »

Thumper Hove says...
3:25pm Sun 23 May 10

Answer: no-one did. Only loonies in the centre of the city thinking they were being 'right-on'. I'm sick of the Argus giving this women regular publicity - how about the she actually talks about her 'policies' and achievements in the Argus? Like an MP should be doing

Report this post »

ArthurD says...
4:12pm Sun 23 May 10

Public sector staff with too much time and (our) money on their hands again.

The axe is coming (soon I hope).

Report this post »

UglyAmerican says...
4:16pm Sun 23 May 10

stan bailey wrote:
Does our green councillor colour her hair?
It seems likely. It also seems likely from the photo above that she does NOT believe in dental hygiene.....

Report this post »

Mr. Kipling says...
8:46pm Sun 23 May 10

Angryoldman wrote:
I must have broke the law too.
I found a small stone in the crack of my buttocks after swimming in the sea near Brighton Pier.
I do beleive the stolen item is somewhere in my home. I expect the police will storm my home in a dawn raid and arrest me under the terrorist act,
I wouldnt putit past them. It must be like a scene from the mad hatters tea party at Brighton Council meetings. In fact it is worse. Pathetic story! Will the pebble be given counselling as it may have developed abandonment issue's.
I hate to break it to you but that probably wasn't a pebble.

Report this post »

sussexone says...
9:31pm Sun 23 May 10

King from Hove wrote:
Tree hugging,car hating,save the planet,global warming middle class new age hippies have at long last taken over Brighton Pavillion ward.
Unfortunately it seems so, although I did have the great pleasure of telling her to "go away" (hahaha!) when she knocked on my front door during the election campaign. Bunch of loons with lunatic policies in my opinion.

How on earth she got to be an M.P., I will never know, did the people who voted for her actually read the Green manifesto? I did, and its a load of sh*t that would bankrupt the country! Cue angry Greens responses below... LOL!

Report this post »

Angryoldman says...
7:11am Mon 24 May 10

She seems like a lovely lady. Very inteligent too.

Report this post »

Andre Spooner says...
11:06am Mon 24 May 10

This is an outrage! I cannot believe that our elected representatives would steal stones from the beach! Why, just the other week I spotted former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott trying to make away with an umbrella from outside one of the cafes on the seafront. Shame on you, Prescott! Buy your own umbrella!

Report this post »

BriCo says...
3:16pm Mon 24 May 10

At least she turned up to this event. If she is really interested in the people of Brighton why didn't she turn up at the Elm Grove school controlled parking zone meeting a couple of weeks back?

Report this post »

BriCo says...
3:16pm Mon 24 May 10

At least she turned up to this event. If she is really interested in the people of Brighton why didn't she turn up at the Elm Grove school controlled parking zone meeting a couple of weeks back?

Report this post »

Patrick Mustard says...
3:42pm Tue 25 May 10

sussexone wrote:
King from Hove wrote: Tree hugging,car hating,save the planet,global warming middle class new age hippies have at long last taken over Brighton Pavillion ward.
Unfortunately it seems so, although I did have the great pleasure of telling her to "go away" (hahaha!) when she knocked on my front door during the election campaign. Bunch of loons with lunatic policies in my opinion. How on earth she got to be an M.P., I will never know, did the people who voted for her actually read the Green manifesto? I did, and its a load of sh*t that would bankrupt the country! Cue angry Greens responses below... LOL!
Of course they didn't read the manifesto. Why let policies get in the way of being able to put a smart green sticker in your window over the wheatgrass box to let the neighbours know how truly bohemian and cool you are?

Report this post »

tom servo says...
11:22am Wed 26 May 10

This woman is a joke.... shame on the people who voted for her.

Report this post »

click2find

About cookies

We want you to enjoy your visit to our website. That's why we use cookies to enhance your experience. By staying on our website you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more about the cookies we use.

I agree