Undercover Herald reporter Bazzer McNood has been sentenced to 15 months (suspended) plus a 20 hour Community Service Order for making lewd and obscene nuisance phone calls in contravention of the Communications Act 2003.
Mr McNood, who for reasons best known to himself dressed as a sheikh when making his anonymous phone calls from our back office in full traditional robes and headwear, had operated a successful run of ‘sting’ operations in his 20 year career as a Herald journalist, utilising his trademark style of ringing up local residents and verbally harassing them in a humorous fashion. However, when BT traced some of the calls he had been making to several local residents it came to light that he had been using our phone line to make personal unsolicited calls of an obscene and sexual nature, which he was found guilty of and sentenced for today at Rochdale Magistrates Court.
Famous stings
Some of the highlights of McNood’s career at the Herald include ‘Angry Taxi Driver Pickup’, ‘Angry Pizza Delivery Man’, ringing Mrs Irene Haddock of Falinge and repeatedly screaming ‘haddock’ until she hung up, and ‘Asthmatic Society Clothes Survey Man’, which involved calling local female residents and asking what they were wearing in a breathless and husky voice.
In an unrelated matter, anyone reading with any prior experience in the field of applied undercover unsolicited nuisance telecommunications community outreach may be interested to know that a post has just become vacant at the Herald. Send full CV to the usual address.
