Big Brother in publand

Pubs have long been places where you can take your troubles, gripes and deepest desires and express them in an atmosphere marked by understanding, empathy and wit, safely away from the prying noses of authorities, moralisers and other judgmentalists. The attempt by some police forces to make CCTV cameras mandatory in pubs poses a clear threat to this role of the pub as a sanctuary. Anyone concerned with cherishing the free-spirited character of the pub and confronted by CCTV cameras should, I'd argue, take the very simple, direct and effective step of going somewhere else. Like the Mitre in Paddington, say.