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it appears that the best one can hope for is to keep the problem
within reasonable bounds. This becomes all the more evident when
one encounters the attitude of certain sections of the public who
oppose the destruction of pigeons and moreover encourage infestations
by their regular feeding.
RIDING ESTABLISHMENTS ACTS. 1964 and 1970
The one riding establishment continued to operate and the staff
of the Corporation of London who administer the Act on our behalf were
satisfied with the manner in which it was run.
No complaints from residents were received during the year.
DISEASES OF ANIMALS ACT. 1950
The Corporation of London Officials deal with routine prevention
on behalf of the borough and, during the year, there were no contraventions
of the Act.
CHRISTMAS CRACKERS
A wholesaler in this Borough received a consignment of Christmas
Crackers which contained 'indoor fireworks' in tablet form. A complaint
was made to this department that a child of 4 years who attended a party
where the hosts provided these crackers, had eaten a tablet. Another
child had put one in her mouth but spat it out.
Both children were taken to hospital but after being examined
they were allowed home and asked to return the following day when
further examinations were carried out but the children had suffered
no ill-effects.
Investigations were carried out and the retailer and manufacturers
informed us that no further boxes of crackers were in stock.
The propriety of selling these fireworks was taken up with the
Home Office and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents were
informed of the incident.
DOMESTIC "FULLY-AUTOMATIC" WASHING MACHINE
An accident involving a child of age 23 months occurred in the
borough when the little girl opened the front loading door of the
machine while it was operating and full of boiling water. The boiling
water poured out causing second degree burns to the child's feet.
She was admitted to hospital.
The machine, which was of foreign make, was examined and it was
found that no safety device was fitted which would prevent the loading
door from being opened during any part of the washing operation. It
was found that the manufacturers had, at one time, fitted locks to the
door handles but this practice had been discontinued.
The facts were reported to the Home Office who took up
investigations. It seems this was the second such accident reported to
them.