A Manchester man named Samuel Rowe, a technical manager at a theatre, was arrested by armed police after being spotted with gardening tools upon returning from his garden plot. Rowe, 35, had a bag of vegetables and tools strapped to his belt, including a Japanese garden sickle he planned to use to trim his hedge. When police arrived, they ordered Rowe to drop the “knife” and arrested him on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon. Rowe explained the tools were for gardening, not weapons, but was questioned about his background and mental state. After several hours in custody, he accepted a conditional caution to be released. Rowe is now seeking legal representation to challenge the arrest and caution, which he fears could impact his future employment working with vulnerable adults. He believes the police overreacted and failed to listen to his explanations about the gardening tools. (Theguardian)
