Bureaucracy Gone Mad

I read an interesting story recently about a mini cab driver in Bradford who fell foul of the new no-smoking laws.

It seems he was between fares, sitting in his taxi on the rank awaiting his next customer, and lit up a cigarette.  He was immediately pounced upon and charged with "smoking at his place of work" - the front seat of his car.

The poor cab driver duly paid his fine, commenting that it was a "fair cop".

But doesn't it sound like a return to medieval times, where you could be hung for stealing a sheep?