Man fined for displaying 4ft stone phallus in shop window

Police swooped on a furniture store after shoppers reported a case of indecent exposure. Store owner Jason Hadlow was fined £80 for displaying a 4ft stone penis in his shop window.

A member of the public complained after spotting the offending appendage which was displayed in his shop, Simply Dutch, near Bedale, North Yorkshire. The firm, which bills itself as "the most interesting store in the North", recently stocked a new range of garden furniture, including the £200 hand-carved sandstone phallus.



Following the complaint, police removed the ornament and fined Mr Hadlow for "displaying an item liable to cause harassment, alarm and distress".



Mr Hadlow must pay the fine by Friday to release it from Northallerton police station, or face possible court action. Mr Hadlow said: "It's true what they say, the world is a crazy place and I am sure the local constabulary has better things to do with their time."

A police spokesman said: "The owner is displaying a penis in the window to attract publicity. A member of the public complained to police about the statue. He is committing an offence under the Public Order Act 1986."