Street poet acquitted of illegal street trading

Sun, 09 Mar 2008

Street poet acquitted of illegal street trading

LONDON (NNA) – The lyric poet Paul Ursell, who for eight years has recited his poetry at the South Bank in London under his artist’s name Joseph Marinus, has had charges against him of reciting poetry for commercial gain thrown out by a judge.

Ursell, whose work is influenced by the philosophy of Rudolf Steiner and who also wrote poems for anyone who came to him and asked for help and advice, had fallen foul of a zero tolerance policy which has made it increasingly difficult for street artists and buskers in London to perform their art.

After having been temporarily arrested in April last year by police for “illegal street trading” for performing his art without a street trading licence and having his handwritten poems and tools of his trade confiscated, friends of Ursell said a “helpful” judge acquitted him of all charges just before Christmas. His poems and materials had also been returned to him.

If the prosecution had been successful, all Ursell’s poems and materials would have been destroyed.

END/nna/cva

Item: 080309-01EN Date: 9 March 2008

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﻿Street poet acquitted of illegal street trading

Street poet acquitted of illegal street trading