Let there be light

From the department of 'you couldn't make it up', (and the pages of yesterday's Daily Mail,) comes a remarkable tale of a Norfolk church, which has fallen foul of EU regulations.

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St. Benet's Roman Catholic church, in Beccles, Norfolk, is over 100 years old, and the nave is quite high.

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Until recently, changing the light bulbs used to involve the local electrician and some very long ladders.

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The Priest in charge, Father Sutch was forced to look for a new electrician, as the firm he had previously used had gone out of business.

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The work usually took a couple of hours and the bill came in at around £200.

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However, thanks to new European Union (EU) Directive, which is automaticaly incorporated into UK law, regading light bulbs and the changing of, Father sutch is now looking at the prospect of paying out somewhere in the region of £1,300 for the same job.

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Thanks to Schedule Six of the EU Working At Height Directive ( which states: 'every employer shall ensure that a ladder is used for work at height only if a risk assessment has demonstrated that the use of more suitable work equipment is not justified because of the low risk') a risk assessment had to be undertaken, which ruled out using a ladder. Instead, scaffolding with a platform on top had to be erected to reach the bulbs which are 40ft above the ground. As a result, the job now takes at least two men two days, at a cost of £260 per bulb.

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The bewildered Priest went on to say "The cost is six times what it was and my collections are not growing that fast. I'm trying to concentrate on the things of God, but it's difficult with all these worries about money. People are dying from MRSA in hospitals - where is their health and safety?"

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Indeed.