About time

However such a response would miss a point. While some words considered to be profanities in the post-war years have become accepted parts of the English language, other phrases continue to cause great offence – particularly to senior citizens.

It is this subtle difference that South Yorkshire Police hopes to target by handing out £80 on-the-spot fines to those incapable of washing out their mouths.

The reason? The expletive-laden language used by gangs of youths is deterring some older people from using Barnsley’s town centre shops. And, unless the police are prepared to be at the forefront of a campaign to encourage a culture of respect and courtesy to become commonplace, how will acceptable standards of civility be maintained?

In the spirit of their well-meaning initiative, the police deserve to be congratulated with a commonly used three word phrase, well-used in these parts, that begins with ‘about’ and ends in ‘time’!