Banning Easter eggs a step too far

[VivienScott]

I’ve just read that some officials are cracking down on shops selling Easter eggs as it’s non-essential. Isn’t this all going a bit far now? Easter eggs aren’t essential but a chocolate bar is? Feels like some people are letting a minuscule bit of power go straight to their heads.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52090441

FFS!

You would be stupid to go out just to buy an Easter egg.

However, if you needed bread, eggs, milk, cat food, soap etc and went out for that - what's wrong with sticking and Easter egg in your basket?

And if the shops are out of loo roll - why can't you console yourself with an Easter egg? Is binging on chocolate any worse than necking a bottle of vodka (which is, I understand, acceptable to buy)?

I think if this crisis has shown one thing, it's the power-hungry and authoritarian police that we have. Many are revelling in the chance to boss people about and over-reach their powers. It's certainly shown their constant cries about lack of resources to be nonsense.

I agree and I think a lot of goodwill towards the police has been lost in this affair. "Bored coppers with not enough to do" comes to mind.

But let's face it---law-abiding people are easier to police.

Some people, including on mumsnet , won’t be happy until we’re all existing on bread and water with nothing to do to keep us occupied. I bought 4 chocolate eggs for us all in Lidl the other day. It’s going to be a shite enough Easter, the very least we can have is a wee chocolate egg to keep us going

In supermarkets here some non-essential aisles have been closed off. One such aisle includes the stationery that DC now being home educated might need.

Wine / cigarettes?? No, they're essential.

@Chillicheese123, they are far too busy collecting fines and stopping vehicles to crack on with real crime!

I don't think it's real news TBH, I can understand not making more easter eggs but they should sell the ones already made - morale is important.

chocolate and wine are essential items in my book

Without I'm sure many of us and mental health would suffer.

yes agree about stationery. We need notebooks for home schooling too. none in shop

It's fascinating how consistently the police get their priorities wrong. The recent case involving non-crime "hate incidents" is still waiting final judgement but revealed that the police have been spending a massive amount of time investigating non-crimes, ie people saying what they consider to be mean things on the internet mostly. And now forbidden but not really Easter egg purchasing. But if your flat is robbed or you're raped then it's sorry, mate, we just don't have the resources?

They couldn't get it more wrong if they tried.

The people who keep banging on about how "We are at WAR with this virus, doncherknow" need to remember that successful armies (and successful wartime governments) actually put huge amounts of effort into ensuring morale. Making sure people feel hopeful and motivated and ensuring that they have the little things that keep them going are a huge deal in wartime.

I seriously doubt the uber Christians for whom Easter is the most important festival of the year are bothered about Easter Eggs!

Yes, let's ban everything that isn't cabbage and the national loaf.

"The police are now deciding what's essential shopping. "

The government rules have left a lot to common sense
Some police have decided people don't have any - difficult to argue with that, with all the shit they see

In Germany, where I live, federal and local state government (elected) have added a lot of specific rules, which I've viewed online.
So far, 95% agreement in opinion polls for these.

Probably that means the politicians made decisions, rather than individual police chiefs deciding

It's a question of who decides the details: police or politicians

• too many fuckwits to leave it all to the individual

If Easter eggs are banned for being "non essential" then surely almost everything in the supermarket could be deemed non essential
Off the top of my head:
Ice cream
Chocolate
Crisps
Condiments
Fizzy drinks
Make up
Hair products besides shampoo

Will they be limiting people only buy bread, milk, meat, fruit and veg?

The only logic I can see here is that maybe they dont want to encourage people to buy Easter eggs as they may then be planning to visit family to deliver the eggs? But seems a bit of a stretch...

Sour po-faced jobsworths, they sound like half of bloody Mumsnet, if MNers had a tiny bit of power . Honestly, some people won’t be happy until everyone is living on gruel and spending their days staring miserably at their own feet while they wait for death.

*I think if this crisis has shown one thing, it's the power-hungry and authoritarian police that we have. Many are revelling in the chance to boss people about and over-reach their powers.

It's certainly shown their constant cries about lack of resources to be nonsense*

This x a million.

If there is opposition - outside Mumsnet - then some politicians will soon take up the cause
and Boris will be under pressure to specifically allow more things, rather than let police interpret rules

Currently polls show 95% in agreement in the UK though

@RhymingRabbit3 Shampoo ? SHAMPOO? you could KILL HUNDREDS by buying shampoo. Just make do with greasy hair you absolute monster !

It's the police getting slightly authority-happy. Some of them seem to be really enjoying their new powers - especially now the new snitch line has been set up.

Starting to find it a tad concerning if I'm honest.

Well Easter eggs were made ages ago and are well sealed. All that has to be done is lightly disinfect the outer packaging and they should be fine, no different to anything else we eat which isn't in a tin.

I ordered mine a while back from Thornton's and haven't yet received, I hope I get them! Having said that a box has just arrived for me and I suppose it could be them. I haven't the energy to open at the moment but will do so later.

Cheese, unless someone doesn't like cheese, makes a good gift for any time. I bought four boxes of cheese selections with appropriate biscuits to give at Easter (I'd hoped - to accompany Easter eggs), they are in the fridge in the garage. They're nice, I'd be more than happy to receive one for Easter but I'm not a chocolate lover these days (used to be big time).

It seems stupid to ban Easter eggs if, indeed, that is the intention. I get what people are saying about unnecessary trips to shops but, also said, nobody is likely to go shopping just for Easter eggs these days.

Our local sweet shop is open.

@Chillicheese123
I know, I'm sorry, I will write 1000 lines as punishment this evening while dining on cold baked beans

Just to be clear, you can go out to buy ANY food or drink item .

So if you want to drive 20 miles to buy a single Freddo, that's perfectly legal, and the police have no power to fine you.

It might be wrong/immoral/blah blah blah, but the cops who are doing this are WRONG, and need better training.

What is NOT legal is leaving home without a good reason, so for example leaving your home to go to your parents' house for a birthday party is not legal and you can be fined. But if you go there to bring them essential items, then that is legal.

Downing Street have said that there is not a problem with citizens buying Easter eggs and that any shop which is allowed to open is allowed to sell any products that it stocks.

It is the police in certain areas that are being "over-zealous".

There is no list of essentials from government...so no police officer can currently look in ones shopping bag and tell you that you should of not got the wine or the chocolate bar with your weekly shop. Basically if a police officer tells you off for buying an Easter egg, you can happily tell them to fuck off.

If one is doing the weekly shop, why wouldn’t you throw in some treats. Your still only going to 1 shop

I can’t see our government banning us from buying certain items as more pressing things need there attention than Jane buying two galaxy eggs....