It's always nice to find out about new types of crime, especially ones that happen in the back room of East End boozers, so it was with interest that Londonist noted the recent crackdown on an illegal Finch breeding ring in Bethnal Green.
Police and RSPCA officers raided the Fountain pub on Saturday lunchtime seizing over a hundred birds and arresting 14 men on charges of animal cruelty in what they had dubbed "Operation Kongo".
Wild Finches are illegally trapped and bred with captive ones in an attempt to get brighter feathers, but also Bird Breeders have always been a notorious bunch of adrenalin junkies who have been living on the edge for so long they don't know the difference between right and wrong anymore.
So it's good news that these perpetrators are now behind bars (or out on bail) but we worry about the other victims in this crime, the innocent pub patrons: "Excuse me barman, but I can't hear Andy Grays insightful and articulate football commentary over what sounds like 100 wild finches in your back room".
This never would have happened in The Krays time.
