A WARLOCK arrested for carrying a knife in public has had a night-time curfew imposed except on evening when there is a full moon. I jest not.

The male witch in question, one Cerwyn Jones, 52, of Llangollen claimed the knife was used solely for Wicca rituals.

When arrested in a Bala pub he had only a soft drink in front of him which must have greatly disappointed any passing member of an alcohol misuse committee.

To disallow Mr Jones from being outdoors at times when his religion requires him to bay at the moon would of course, have breached his human rights and freedom to worship.

Is this the same Britain in which only last month a Christian couple were publicly castigated for refusing to welcome homosexuals to their bed-and-breakfast establishment and where Christian air hostesses are forbidden to wear discreet crucifixes?

It would be laughable were there not a serious point to be made.

It was once the law that a pub landlord could refuse to serve whomsoever he wished without giving a reason on the grounds that a pub was his home and tenure and he could invite or disallow who he liked.

Similarly, people offering bed-and-breakfast invited others into their homes on agreed terms.

Who therefore, has torn up the ancient understanding that a person's home is in a real sense their castle?

It is a rhetorical question of course.

Perceived rights one of which is the right not to be 'disrespected' or to have your religion or beliefs slighted or even mildly criticised now trump traditional freedoms.

Carwyn Jones has unleashed more mischief than even he could with a cauldron broiling over with bat's blood and toads eyes and the left hand of a gibbeted felon garnered at the crossroads at midnight.