Quirky News
Comic's DVD stunt backfires
A TV comedian ended up being restrained by the long arm of the law for real after a DVD signing stunt involving a fake policeman went wrong.
Simon Brodkin, in character as Lee Nelson, was being chased by an actor in a police uniform after pretending to steal a copy of his DVD from an HMV store in London.
A passing police community support officer mistook the scene for a real crime and helped apprehend the comedian, reports The Mirror.
The struggle spilled outside of the shop and even caused traffic to stop in Oxford Street as the PSCO tried to arrest the publicity-seeking 'thief'.
The three men rolled around in the middle of the road before the PCSO marched the comedian back into HMV and forced him to the ground.
A spokeswoman for Brodkin said: "He was doing a signing for his DVD at HMV in Oxford Street, and as a treat for his fans he 'stole' one of his own DVDs, then was chased around the store by an actor dressed up as a police officer.
"Somehow they ended up out on the pavement, where a real police community support officer got involved, thinking it was a theft taking place.
"Shoppers were looking on and buses were stopping, it was all very dramatic. The community support officer brought him back into the store where it was explained that it hadn't been a real theft taking place."
Nelson said later: "How can you get arrested for nicking your own DVD? Mr Loophole lawyer, if you're reading this, get me off and I'll sort you out with the 20 other DVDs I took."
Update:
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what do you think?
ray
The one time you want the police to beat the c**p out of a suspect and they do nothing.
Valerie Wood
The police were totally out of order, - I mean lets face it, who on earth would want to steal one of those DVD's?
SagePhotoWorld
When's he going to be charged for wasting police time and when is the actor going to be charged with misrepresentation?
MikeyP247
Never. Probably because it was a staged event and the actor was being paid - ergo it is not misrepresentation and he was not wasting Police time - the PCSO did what he/she has been trained/instructed to do and was then advised of the situation - it's quite clear in the article what happened. Are you really SagePhotoWorld, or are you misrepresenting yourself?
john
Who is Simon Brodkin?
biggaz34
Tell me if I am missing summat. How did the PSCO know it was a Publicity Stunt?
blue side
Easy, Telepathy :-0 - who is Simon Brodkin? think the joke is on him. Nice the cops reacted though.
MikeyP247
Yes, you are missing something. The PCSO thought it was a real theft, he/she had no idea it was a publicity stunt - that's quite clear in the article.
Chris Hughes
This article is inaccurate. It refers to Simon Brodkin as a comedian. I beg to differ.
Gordon Wright
As do I friend..................
LaborneRacing
Nelson said later: "How can you get arrested for nicking your own DVD?"....erm, because it's theft. Until you buy it, it belongs to HMV.
bjnk
Dont PSCO's carry tazers---- pity. Now that would have been funny.
shaun spencer
11:49am on 22/11/2012
Turned into a really effective publicity stunt.