Members of the West End WI enjoy a picnic in Lincoln Inn Fields

Pack up your picnic, WI's ladies are told

Group just avoid fine for sipping Pimms and Champers

ONE of the only branches of the Women’s Institute in London came close to a £500 fine after park wardens caught them drinking alcohol by the bandstand in Lincoln’s Inn Fields on Tuesday.

Most of the 30 members of the West End branch of the WI – which is only three months old and is the only WI in central London – were told to pack up their picnic as two parkies tested Camden’s new zero-tolerance approach to street-drinking to its limits.

The WI had to rearrange their monthly picnic event after their usual venue the Dragon Hall in Stuckley Street was commandeered by football fans gearing up for a night watching England clash with Sweden in the World Cup.

In May, the ladies of the WI braved the rain to hold home made cake stalls in Lamb’s Conduit Street Fair, but it looked like Camden Council was about to rain on their parade on Tuesday night.

The women’s group – who had laid out a rug with a jug of Pimms, a bottle of Champagne and snacks to plan their forthcoming flower arranging sessions and a gift-wrapping demonstration – were unaware of the new policy.

A borough-wide Controlled Drinking Zone (CDZ) came into force in Camden on June 8 to help tackle alcohol related crime and violence.

The zone gave police the power to confiscate alcohol from anti-social street drinkers anywhere on Camden’s streets. Anyone refusing to surrender their alcohol could be slapped with an on the spot fixed penalty of £50 or a fine of up to £500.

 “They told us we were not allowed to drink in the park and that we could be fined £500,” said WI President Kate Matheson.

But the good-natured ladies were spared their Pimms after the street wardens saw sense.

“They told us we could stay as long as we didn’t cause a disturbance,” said a relieved WI Secretary Anni Barry.

Kate Matheson said: “It’s very nice to have a group which isn’t sectarian, political or religious. The WI was originally for marginalized women in rural England. But I think inner city women have the same problems.”