Council U-turn on the gnomes
A woman who was banned from displaying a pair of gnomes outside her home under strict health and safety rules will be allowed to keep them after council chiefs admitted they got it wrong.
Sandwell Homes staff "slightly misinterpreted" health and safety rules, according to borough housing chief councillor Mahboob Hussain, after 57-year-old Linda Langford was ordered to get rid of the two smiling gnomes and other ornaments from her doorstep over fears they were a fire hazard.
Housing chiefs have now issued an apology and insisted there is no blanket ban on gnomes or other ornaments left in communal areas outside flats.
Councillor Hussain said today: "Miss Langford's gnomes can stay and should have never been banned.
"A Sandwell Homes officer visited Miss Langford to discuss items in communal areas because we were reviewing our fire regulations in flats.
"Miss Langford wasn't in and the officer left a note, which incorrectly asked Miss Langford to remove the items from outside her flat.
"Sandwell Homes had slightly misinterpreted the policy on items in communal areas. It seems in this case that there has been a misunderstanding."Miss Langford, an assembler for Tipton manufacturer Simonswerk who lives in a flat in Sedgley Road West in the town said: "They are going straight back out.
"It was such a shame when they went because the little girl from downstairs used to love them. I think she thought it was some sort of fairy paradise. It was very sad when they went but this news is marvellous."
Miss Langford had also been told to remove her 'welcome' plaque and an ornamental tortoise on her window sill, but they have now been returned.
Councillor Hussain added that as long as there was not an excessive number, gnomes were welcome outside any Sandwell home.
He said: "Our aim here is to be using common sense.
"We also cannot allow an excessive number of items to clutter communal areas. If everyone had 25 gnomes outside their front door, we would have a problem."
