Goldfish row kicks up a stink
Seven-year-old Anup Grewal was delighted when he won a goldfish at a recent funfair in a Black Country park.
But he has unwittingly found himself at the centre of a council investigation into animal cruelty.
A photo of a delighted Anup at the recent Vaisakhi fun day, which featured in the Express & Star, was brandished at a Wolverhampton Council meeting.
The picture at West Park was shown as proof that welfare rules had not been followed.
The British tradition of giving away goldfish at funfairs is banned on council land, an investigation was today being launched by Civic Centre officers.
But the controversy has been branded "ludicrous" and the council has been urged to concentrate on more important matters.
Dr Sadhu Singh, the chairman of the Council of Sikh Gurdwaras, said: "Haven't these people got anything better to do? It is only a goldfish."
Former city mayor, Labour councillor John Rowley raised the issue at a meeting of the licensing committee, claiming "rules on animal welfare" were ignored.
He said: "On May 11, a number of pictures appeared in the Express & Star and one showed a child displaying a goldfish he was given as a prize at the funfair."
"I have consulted the council's animal welfare charter and section 3.6 clearly states that we will 'not allow the giving of live animals as prizes at fun fairs on council owned or managed land'.
"So clearly, this is unacceptable. Given that this authority has a policy on animal welfare, we ought to stick to it.
"I'm not blaming the organisers, I'm blaming the council for not managing the event properly."
The event, which was a celebration of the Sikh faith, attracted some 5,000 people.
Funfair organiser Harry Jones said: "The whole thing is ludicrous. I've been staging funfairs in Wolverhampton for years."
