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100 | 3,732 | And yet I stood
before that fellow face to face and didn't knock his brains out!" "Teeth, you mean?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Lawrence Boythorn, really making the whole
house vibrate. "What, you have not forgotten it yet! Ha, ha, ha! And
that was another most consummate vagabond! By my soul, the
countenance of that fellow when he was a boy was the blackest image
of perfidy, cowardice, and cruelty ever set up as a scarecrow in a
field of scoundrels. If I were to meet that most unparalleled despot
in the streets to-morrow, I would fell him like a rotten tree!" "I have no doubt of it," said Mr. Jarndyce. "Now, will you come
upstairs?" "By my soul, Jarndyce," returned his guest, who seemed to refer to
his watch, "if you had been married, I would have turned back at the
garden-gate and gone away to the remotest summits of the Himalaya
Mountains sooner than I would have presented myself at this
unseasonable hour." "Not quite so far, I hope?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By my life and honour, yes!" cried the visitor. "I wouldn't be
guilty of the audacious insolence of keeping a lady of the house
waiting all this time for any earthly consideration. I would
infinitely rather destroy myself--infinitely rather!" Talking thus, they went upstairs, and presently we heard him in his
bedroom thundering "Ha, ha, ha!" and again "Ha, ha, ha!" until the
flattest echo in the neighbourhood seemed to catch the contagion and
to laugh as enjoyingly as he did or as we did when we heard him
laugh. We all conceived a prepossession in his favour, for there was a
sterling quality in this laugh, and in his vigorous, healthy voice,
and in the roundness and fullness with which he uttered every word he
spoke, and in the very fury of his superlatives, which seemed to go
off like blank cannons and hurt nothing. But we were hardly prepared
to have it so confirmed by his appearance when Mr. Jarndyce presented
him. He was not only a very handsome old gentleman--upright and
stalwart as he had been described to us--with a massive grey head, a
fine composure of face when silent, a figure that might have become
corpulent but for his being so continually in earnest that he gave it
no rest, and a chin that might have subsided into a double chin but
for the vehement emphasis in which it was constantly required to
assist; but he was such a true gentleman in his manner, so
chivalrously polite, his face was lighted by a smile of so much
sweetness and tenderness, and it seemed so plain that he had nothing
to hide, but showed himself exactly as he was--incapable, as Richard
said, of anything on a limited scale, and firing away with those
blank great guns because he carried no small arms whatever--that
really I could not help looking at him with equal pleasure as he sat
at dinner, whether he smilingly conversed with Ada and me, or was led
by Mr. Jarndyce into some great volley of superlatives, or threw up
his head like a bloodhound and gave out that tremendous "Ha, ha, ha!" "You have brought your bird with you, I suppose?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By heaven, he is the most astonishing bird in Europe!" replied the
other. "He IS the most wonderful creature! | Dataset: kmfoda/booksum/validation | 7.4 | 88.301154 | 691 | 50.617284 | 0.455446 | 0.519201 | 0.428372 | 0.356364 | 0.000149 | 1.238476 | 0.370195 | -0.327144 | -0.312924 | null | 0.825641 | 0.192057 | 0.115447 | null |
101 | 3,732 | And yet I stood
before that fellow face to face and didn't knock his brains out!" "Teeth, you mean?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Lawrence Boythorn, really making the whole
house vibrate. "What, you have not forgotten it yet! Ha, ha, ha! And
that was another most consummate vagabond! By my soul, the
countenance of that fellow when he was a boy was the blackest image
of perfidy, cowardice, and cruelty ever set up as a scarecrow in a
field of scoundrels. If I were to meet that most unparalleled despot
in the streets to-morrow, I would fell him like a rotten tree!" "I have no doubt of it," said Mr. Jarndyce. "Now, will you come
upstairs?" "By my soul, Jarndyce," returned his guest, who seemed to refer to
his watch, "if you had been married, I would have turned back at the
garden-gate and gone away to the remotest summits of the Himalaya
Mountains sooner than I would have presented myself at this
unseasonable hour." "Not quite so far, I hope?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By my life and honour, yes!" cried the visitor. "I wouldn't be
guilty of the audacious insolence of keeping a lady of the house
waiting all this time for any earthly consideration. I would
infinitely rather destroy myself--infinitely rather!" Talking thus, they went upstairs, and presently we heard him in his
bedroom thundering "Ha, ha, ha!" and again "Ha, ha, ha!" until the
flattest echo in the neighbourhood seemed to catch the contagion and
to laugh as enjoyingly as he did or as we did when we heard him
laugh. We all conceived a prepossession in his favour, for there was a
sterling quality in this laugh, and in his vigorous, healthy voice,
and in the roundness and fullness with which he uttered every word he
spoke, and in the very fury of his superlatives, which seemed to go
off like blank cannons and hurt nothing. But we were hardly prepared
to have it so confirmed by his appearance when Mr. Jarndyce presented
him. He was not only a very handsome old gentleman--upright and
stalwart as he had been described to us--with a massive grey head, a
fine composure of face when silent, a figure that might have become
corpulent but for his being so continually in earnest that he gave it
no rest, and a chin that might have subsided into a double chin but
for the vehement emphasis in which it was constantly required to
assist; but he was such a true gentleman in his manner, so
chivalrously polite, his face was lighted by a smile of so much
sweetness and tenderness, and it seemed so plain that he had nothing
to hide, but showed himself exactly as he was--incapable, as Richard
said, of anything on a limited scale, and firing away with those
blank great guns because he carried no small arms whatever--that
really I could not help looking at him with equal pleasure as he sat
at dinner, whether he smilingly conversed with Ada and me, or was led
by Mr. Jarndyce into some great volley of superlatives, or threw up
his head like a bloodhound and gave out that tremendous "Ha, ha, ha!" "You have brought your bird with you, I suppose?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By heaven, he is the most astonishing bird in Europe!" replied the
other. "He IS the most wonderful creature! | Dataset: kmfoda/booksum/validation | 7.4 | 88.301154 | 691 | 50.617284 | 0.455446 | 0.519201 | 0.428372 | 0.356364 | 0.000149 | 1.238476 | -0.433646 | -0.100332 | null | 0.635181 | 0.0218 | 0.418869 | null | 0.991545 |
102 | 3,732 | And yet I stood
before that fellow face to face and didn't knock his brains out!" "Teeth, you mean?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Lawrence Boythorn, really making the whole
house vibrate. "What, you have not forgotten it yet! Ha, ha, ha! And
that was another most consummate vagabond! By my soul, the
countenance of that fellow when he was a boy was the blackest image
of perfidy, cowardice, and cruelty ever set up as a scarecrow in a
field of scoundrels. If I were to meet that most unparalleled despot
in the streets to-morrow, I would fell him like a rotten tree!" "I have no doubt of it," said Mr. Jarndyce. "Now, will you come
upstairs?" "By my soul, Jarndyce," returned his guest, who seemed to refer to
his watch, "if you had been married, I would have turned back at the
garden-gate and gone away to the remotest summits of the Himalaya
Mountains sooner than I would have presented myself at this
unseasonable hour." "Not quite so far, I hope?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By my life and honour, yes!" cried the visitor. "I wouldn't be
guilty of the audacious insolence of keeping a lady of the house
waiting all this time for any earthly consideration. I would
infinitely rather destroy myself--infinitely rather!" Talking thus, they went upstairs, and presently we heard him in his
bedroom thundering "Ha, ha, ha!" and again "Ha, ha, ha!" until the
flattest echo in the neighbourhood seemed to catch the contagion and
to laugh as enjoyingly as he did or as we did when we heard him
laugh. We all conceived a prepossession in his favour, for there was a
sterling quality in this laugh, and in his vigorous, healthy voice,
and in the roundness and fullness with which he uttered every word he
spoke, and in the very fury of his superlatives, which seemed to go
off like blank cannons and hurt nothing. But we were hardly prepared
to have it so confirmed by his appearance when Mr. Jarndyce presented
him. He was not only a very handsome old gentleman--upright and
stalwart as he had been described to us--with a massive grey head, a
fine composure of face when silent, a figure that might have become
corpulent but for his being so continually in earnest that he gave it
no rest, and a chin that might have subsided into a double chin but
for the vehement emphasis in which it was constantly required to
assist; but he was such a true gentleman in his manner, so
chivalrously polite, his face was lighted by a smile of so much
sweetness and tenderness, and it seemed so plain that he had nothing
to hide, but showed himself exactly as he was--incapable, as Richard
said, of anything on a limited scale, and firing away with those
blank great guns because he carried no small arms whatever--that
really I could not help looking at him with equal pleasure as he sat
at dinner, whether he smilingly conversed with Ada and me, or was led
by Mr. Jarndyce into some great volley of superlatives, or threw up
his head like a bloodhound and gave out that tremendous "Ha, ha, ha!" "You have brought your bird with you, I suppose?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By heaven, he is the most astonishing bird in Europe!" replied the
other. "He IS the most wonderful creature! | Dataset: kmfoda/booksum/validation | 7.4 | 88.301154 | 691 | 50.617284 | 0.455446 | 0.519201 | 0.428372 | 0.356364 | 0.000149 | 1.238476 | 0.204104 | -0.408893 | null | 0.561831 | 0.659549 | 0.110308 | null | 0.918195 |
103 | 3,732 | And yet I stood
before that fellow face to face and didn't knock his brains out!" "Teeth, you mean?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Lawrence Boythorn, really making the whole
house vibrate. "What, you have not forgotten it yet! Ha, ha, ha! And
that was another most consummate vagabond! By my soul, the
countenance of that fellow when he was a boy was the blackest image
of perfidy, cowardice, and cruelty ever set up as a scarecrow in a
field of scoundrels. If I were to meet that most unparalleled despot
in the streets to-morrow, I would fell him like a rotten tree!" "I have no doubt of it," said Mr. Jarndyce. "Now, will you come
upstairs?" "By my soul, Jarndyce," returned his guest, who seemed to refer to
his watch, "if you had been married, I would have turned back at the
garden-gate and gone away to the remotest summits of the Himalaya
Mountains sooner than I would have presented myself at this
unseasonable hour." "Not quite so far, I hope?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By my life and honour, yes!" cried the visitor. "I wouldn't be
guilty of the audacious insolence of keeping a lady of the house
waiting all this time for any earthly consideration. I would
infinitely rather destroy myself--infinitely rather!" Talking thus, they went upstairs, and presently we heard him in his
bedroom thundering "Ha, ha, ha!" and again "Ha, ha, ha!" until the
flattest echo in the neighbourhood seemed to catch the contagion and
to laugh as enjoyingly as he did or as we did when we heard him
laugh. We all conceived a prepossession in his favour, for there was a
sterling quality in this laugh, and in his vigorous, healthy voice,
and in the roundness and fullness with which he uttered every word he
spoke, and in the very fury of his superlatives, which seemed to go
off like blank cannons and hurt nothing. But we were hardly prepared
to have it so confirmed by his appearance when Mr. Jarndyce presented
him. He was not only a very handsome old gentleman--upright and
stalwart as he had been described to us--with a massive grey head, a
fine composure of face when silent, a figure that might have become
corpulent but for his being so continually in earnest that he gave it
no rest, and a chin that might have subsided into a double chin but
for the vehement emphasis in which it was constantly required to
assist; but he was such a true gentleman in his manner, so
chivalrously polite, his face was lighted by a smile of so much
sweetness and tenderness, and it seemed so plain that he had nothing
to hide, but showed himself exactly as he was--incapable, as Richard
said, of anything on a limited scale, and firing away with those
blank great guns because he carried no small arms whatever--that
really I could not help looking at him with equal pleasure as he sat
at dinner, whether he smilingly conversed with Ada and me, or was led
by Mr. Jarndyce into some great volley of superlatives, or threw up
his head like a bloodhound and gave out that tremendous "Ha, ha, ha!" "You have brought your bird with you, I suppose?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By heaven, he is the most astonishing bird in Europe!" replied the
other. "He IS the most wonderful creature! | Dataset: kmfoda/booksum/validation | 7.4 | 88.301154 | 691 | 50.617284 | 0.455446 | 0.519201 | 0.428372 | 0.356364 | 0.000149 | 1.238476 | 0.340698 | -0.458049 | 0.488336 | null | 0.796144 | 0.061152 | 0.916707 | null |
104 | 3,732 | And yet I stood
before that fellow face to face and didn't knock his brains out!" "Teeth, you mean?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Lawrence Boythorn, really making the whole
house vibrate. "What, you have not forgotten it yet! Ha, ha, ha! And
that was another most consummate vagabond! By my soul, the
countenance of that fellow when he was a boy was the blackest image
of perfidy, cowardice, and cruelty ever set up as a scarecrow in a
field of scoundrels. If I were to meet that most unparalleled despot
in the streets to-morrow, I would fell him like a rotten tree!" "I have no doubt of it," said Mr. Jarndyce. "Now, will you come
upstairs?" "By my soul, Jarndyce," returned his guest, who seemed to refer to
his watch, "if you had been married, I would have turned back at the
garden-gate and gone away to the remotest summits of the Himalaya
Mountains sooner than I would have presented myself at this
unseasonable hour." "Not quite so far, I hope?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By my life and honour, yes!" cried the visitor. "I wouldn't be
guilty of the audacious insolence of keeping a lady of the house
waiting all this time for any earthly consideration. I would
infinitely rather destroy myself--infinitely rather!" Talking thus, they went upstairs, and presently we heard him in his
bedroom thundering "Ha, ha, ha!" and again "Ha, ha, ha!" until the
flattest echo in the neighbourhood seemed to catch the contagion and
to laugh as enjoyingly as he did or as we did when we heard him
laugh. We all conceived a prepossession in his favour, for there was a
sterling quality in this laugh, and in his vigorous, healthy voice,
and in the roundness and fullness with which he uttered every word he
spoke, and in the very fury of his superlatives, which seemed to go
off like blank cannons and hurt nothing. But we were hardly prepared
to have it so confirmed by his appearance when Mr. Jarndyce presented
him. He was not only a very handsome old gentleman--upright and
stalwart as he had been described to us--with a massive grey head, a
fine composure of face when silent, a figure that might have become
corpulent but for his being so continually in earnest that he gave it
no rest, and a chin that might have subsided into a double chin but
for the vehement emphasis in which it was constantly required to
assist; but he was such a true gentleman in his manner, so
chivalrously polite, his face was lighted by a smile of so much
sweetness and tenderness, and it seemed so plain that he had nothing
to hide, but showed himself exactly as he was--incapable, as Richard
said, of anything on a limited scale, and firing away with those
blank great guns because he carried no small arms whatever--that
really I could not help looking at him with equal pleasure as he sat
at dinner, whether he smilingly conversed with Ada and me, or was led
by Mr. Jarndyce into some great volley of superlatives, or threw up
his head like a bloodhound and gave out that tremendous "Ha, ha, ha!" "You have brought your bird with you, I suppose?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By heaven, he is the most astonishing bird in Europe!" replied the
other. "He IS the most wonderful creature! | Dataset: kmfoda/booksum/validation | 7.4 | 88.301154 | 691 | 50.617284 | 0.455446 | 0.519201 | 0.428372 | 0.356364 | 0.000149 | 1.238476 | null | -0.477772 | 0.217477 | -0.231535 | null | 0.041429 | 0.645848 | 0.124829 |
105 | 3,732 | And yet I stood
before that fellow face to face and didn't knock his brains out!" "Teeth, you mean?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Lawrence Boythorn, really making the whole
house vibrate. "What, you have not forgotten it yet! Ha, ha, ha! And
that was another most consummate vagabond! By my soul, the
countenance of that fellow when he was a boy was the blackest image
of perfidy, cowardice, and cruelty ever set up as a scarecrow in a
field of scoundrels. If I were to meet that most unparalleled despot
in the streets to-morrow, I would fell him like a rotten tree!" "I have no doubt of it," said Mr. Jarndyce. "Now, will you come
upstairs?" "By my soul, Jarndyce," returned his guest, who seemed to refer to
his watch, "if you had been married, I would have turned back at the
garden-gate and gone away to the remotest summits of the Himalaya
Mountains sooner than I would have presented myself at this
unseasonable hour." "Not quite so far, I hope?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By my life and honour, yes!" cried the visitor. "I wouldn't be
guilty of the audacious insolence of keeping a lady of the house
waiting all this time for any earthly consideration. I would
infinitely rather destroy myself--infinitely rather!" Talking thus, they went upstairs, and presently we heard him in his
bedroom thundering "Ha, ha, ha!" and again "Ha, ha, ha!" until the
flattest echo in the neighbourhood seemed to catch the contagion and
to laugh as enjoyingly as he did or as we did when we heard him
laugh. We all conceived a prepossession in his favour, for there was a
sterling quality in this laugh, and in his vigorous, healthy voice,
and in the roundness and fullness with which he uttered every word he
spoke, and in the very fury of his superlatives, which seemed to go
off like blank cannons and hurt nothing. But we were hardly prepared
to have it so confirmed by his appearance when Mr. Jarndyce presented
him. He was not only a very handsome old gentleman--upright and
stalwart as he had been described to us--with a massive grey head, a
fine composure of face when silent, a figure that might have become
corpulent but for his being so continually in earnest that he gave it
no rest, and a chin that might have subsided into a double chin but
for the vehement emphasis in which it was constantly required to
assist; but he was such a true gentleman in his manner, so
chivalrously polite, his face was lighted by a smile of so much
sweetness and tenderness, and it seemed so plain that he had nothing
to hide, but showed himself exactly as he was--incapable, as Richard
said, of anything on a limited scale, and firing away with those
blank great guns because he carried no small arms whatever--that
really I could not help looking at him with equal pleasure as he sat
at dinner, whether he smilingly conversed with Ada and me, or was led
by Mr. Jarndyce into some great volley of superlatives, or threw up
his head like a bloodhound and gave out that tremendous "Ha, ha, ha!" "You have brought your bird with you, I suppose?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By heaven, he is the most astonishing bird in Europe!" replied the
other. "He IS the most wonderful creature! | Dataset: kmfoda/booksum/validation | 7.4 | 88.301154 | 691 | 50.617284 | 0.455446 | 0.519201 | 0.428372 | 0.356364 | 0.000149 | 1.238476 | 0.412227 | -0.232533 | 0.501942 | null | 0.867673 | 0.286668 | 0.930314 | null |
106 | 3,732 | And yet I stood
before that fellow face to face and didn't knock his brains out!" "Teeth, you mean?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Lawrence Boythorn, really making the whole
house vibrate. "What, you have not forgotten it yet! Ha, ha, ha! And
that was another most consummate vagabond! By my soul, the
countenance of that fellow when he was a boy was the blackest image
of perfidy, cowardice, and cruelty ever set up as a scarecrow in a
field of scoundrels. If I were to meet that most unparalleled despot
in the streets to-morrow, I would fell him like a rotten tree!" "I have no doubt of it," said Mr. Jarndyce. "Now, will you come
upstairs?" "By my soul, Jarndyce," returned his guest, who seemed to refer to
his watch, "if you had been married, I would have turned back at the
garden-gate and gone away to the remotest summits of the Himalaya
Mountains sooner than I would have presented myself at this
unseasonable hour." "Not quite so far, I hope?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By my life and honour, yes!" cried the visitor. "I wouldn't be
guilty of the audacious insolence of keeping a lady of the house
waiting all this time for any earthly consideration. I would
infinitely rather destroy myself--infinitely rather!" Talking thus, they went upstairs, and presently we heard him in his
bedroom thundering "Ha, ha, ha!" and again "Ha, ha, ha!" until the
flattest echo in the neighbourhood seemed to catch the contagion and
to laugh as enjoyingly as he did or as we did when we heard him
laugh. We all conceived a prepossession in his favour, for there was a
sterling quality in this laugh, and in his vigorous, healthy voice,
and in the roundness and fullness with which he uttered every word he
spoke, and in the very fury of his superlatives, which seemed to go
off like blank cannons and hurt nothing. But we were hardly prepared
to have it so confirmed by his appearance when Mr. Jarndyce presented
him. He was not only a very handsome old gentleman--upright and
stalwart as he had been described to us--with a massive grey head, a
fine composure of face when silent, a figure that might have become
corpulent but for his being so continually in earnest that he gave it
no rest, and a chin that might have subsided into a double chin but
for the vehement emphasis in which it was constantly required to
assist; but he was such a true gentleman in his manner, so
chivalrously polite, his face was lighted by a smile of so much
sweetness and tenderness, and it seemed so plain that he had nothing
to hide, but showed himself exactly as he was--incapable, as Richard
said, of anything on a limited scale, and firing away with those
blank great guns because he carried no small arms whatever--that
really I could not help looking at him with equal pleasure as he sat
at dinner, whether he smilingly conversed with Ada and me, or was led
by Mr. Jarndyce into some great volley of superlatives, or threw up
his head like a bloodhound and gave out that tremendous "Ha, ha, ha!" "You have brought your bird with you, I suppose?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By heaven, he is the most astonishing bird in Europe!" replied the
other. "He IS the most wonderful creature! | Dataset: kmfoda/booksum/validation | 7.4 | 88.301154 | 691 | 50.617284 | 0.455446 | 0.519201 | 0.428372 | 0.356364 | 0.000149 | 1.238476 | -0.309308 | -0.407522 | 0.232806 | null | 0.146138 | 0.111679 | 0.661178 | null |
107 | 3,732 | And yet I stood
before that fellow face to face and didn't knock his brains out!" "Teeth, you mean?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Lawrence Boythorn, really making the whole
house vibrate. "What, you have not forgotten it yet! Ha, ha, ha! And
that was another most consummate vagabond! By my soul, the
countenance of that fellow when he was a boy was the blackest image
of perfidy, cowardice, and cruelty ever set up as a scarecrow in a
field of scoundrels. If I were to meet that most unparalleled despot
in the streets to-morrow, I would fell him like a rotten tree!" "I have no doubt of it," said Mr. Jarndyce. "Now, will you come
upstairs?" "By my soul, Jarndyce," returned his guest, who seemed to refer to
his watch, "if you had been married, I would have turned back at the
garden-gate and gone away to the remotest summits of the Himalaya
Mountains sooner than I would have presented myself at this
unseasonable hour." "Not quite so far, I hope?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By my life and honour, yes!" cried the visitor. "I wouldn't be
guilty of the audacious insolence of keeping a lady of the house
waiting all this time for any earthly consideration. I would
infinitely rather destroy myself--infinitely rather!" Talking thus, they went upstairs, and presently we heard him in his
bedroom thundering "Ha, ha, ha!" and again "Ha, ha, ha!" until the
flattest echo in the neighbourhood seemed to catch the contagion and
to laugh as enjoyingly as he did or as we did when we heard him
laugh. We all conceived a prepossession in his favour, for there was a
sterling quality in this laugh, and in his vigorous, healthy voice,
and in the roundness and fullness with which he uttered every word he
spoke, and in the very fury of his superlatives, which seemed to go
off like blank cannons and hurt nothing. But we were hardly prepared
to have it so confirmed by his appearance when Mr. Jarndyce presented
him. He was not only a very handsome old gentleman--upright and
stalwart as he had been described to us--with a massive grey head, a
fine composure of face when silent, a figure that might have become
corpulent but for his being so continually in earnest that he gave it
no rest, and a chin that might have subsided into a double chin but
for the vehement emphasis in which it was constantly required to
assist; but he was such a true gentleman in his manner, so
chivalrously polite, his face was lighted by a smile of so much
sweetness and tenderness, and it seemed so plain that he had nothing
to hide, but showed himself exactly as he was--incapable, as Richard
said, of anything on a limited scale, and firing away with those
blank great guns because he carried no small arms whatever--that
really I could not help looking at him with equal pleasure as he sat
at dinner, whether he smilingly conversed with Ada and me, or was led
by Mr. Jarndyce into some great volley of superlatives, or threw up
his head like a bloodhound and gave out that tremendous "Ha, ha, ha!" "You have brought your bird with you, I suppose?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By heaven, he is the most astonishing bird in Europe!" replied the
other. "He IS the most wonderful creature! | Dataset: kmfoda/booksum/validation | 7.4 | 88.301154 | 691 | 50.617284 | 0.455446 | 0.519201 | 0.428372 | 0.356364 | 0.000149 | 1.238476 | 0.369759 | -0.298595 | -0.264974 | null | 0.825205 | 0.220606 | 0.163397 | null |
108 | 3,732 | And yet I stood
before that fellow face to face and didn't knock his brains out!" "Teeth, you mean?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Lawrence Boythorn, really making the whole
house vibrate. "What, you have not forgotten it yet! Ha, ha, ha! And
that was another most consummate vagabond! By my soul, the
countenance of that fellow when he was a boy was the blackest image
of perfidy, cowardice, and cruelty ever set up as a scarecrow in a
field of scoundrels. If I were to meet that most unparalleled despot
in the streets to-morrow, I would fell him like a rotten tree!" "I have no doubt of it," said Mr. Jarndyce. "Now, will you come
upstairs?" "By my soul, Jarndyce," returned his guest, who seemed to refer to
his watch, "if you had been married, I would have turned back at the
garden-gate and gone away to the remotest summits of the Himalaya
Mountains sooner than I would have presented myself at this
unseasonable hour." "Not quite so far, I hope?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By my life and honour, yes!" cried the visitor. "I wouldn't be
guilty of the audacious insolence of keeping a lady of the house
waiting all this time for any earthly consideration. I would
infinitely rather destroy myself--infinitely rather!" Talking thus, they went upstairs, and presently we heard him in his
bedroom thundering "Ha, ha, ha!" and again "Ha, ha, ha!" until the
flattest echo in the neighbourhood seemed to catch the contagion and
to laugh as enjoyingly as he did or as we did when we heard him
laugh. We all conceived a prepossession in his favour, for there was a
sterling quality in this laugh, and in his vigorous, healthy voice,
and in the roundness and fullness with which he uttered every word he
spoke, and in the very fury of his superlatives, which seemed to go
off like blank cannons and hurt nothing. But we were hardly prepared
to have it so confirmed by his appearance when Mr. Jarndyce presented
him. He was not only a very handsome old gentleman--upright and
stalwart as he had been described to us--with a massive grey head, a
fine composure of face when silent, a figure that might have become
corpulent but for his being so continually in earnest that he gave it
no rest, and a chin that might have subsided into a double chin but
for the vehement emphasis in which it was constantly required to
assist; but he was such a true gentleman in his manner, so
chivalrously polite, his face was lighted by a smile of so much
sweetness and tenderness, and it seemed so plain that he had nothing
to hide, but showed himself exactly as he was--incapable, as Richard
said, of anything on a limited scale, and firing away with those
blank great guns because he carried no small arms whatever--that
really I could not help looking at him with equal pleasure as he sat
at dinner, whether he smilingly conversed with Ada and me, or was led
by Mr. Jarndyce into some great volley of superlatives, or threw up
his head like a bloodhound and gave out that tremendous "Ha, ha, ha!" "You have brought your bird with you, I suppose?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By heaven, he is the most astonishing bird in Europe!" replied the
other. "He IS the most wonderful creature! | Dataset: kmfoda/booksum/validation | 7.4 | 88.301154 | 691 | 50.617284 | 0.455446 | 0.519201 | 0.428372 | 0.356364 | 0.000149 | 1.238476 | 0.287914 | null | 0.108237 | 0.324982 | 0.743359 | null | 0.536609 | 0.681346 |
109 | 3,732 | And yet I stood
before that fellow face to face and didn't knock his brains out!" "Teeth, you mean?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Lawrence Boythorn, really making the whole
house vibrate. "What, you have not forgotten it yet! Ha, ha, ha! And
that was another most consummate vagabond! By my soul, the
countenance of that fellow when he was a boy was the blackest image
of perfidy, cowardice, and cruelty ever set up as a scarecrow in a
field of scoundrels. If I were to meet that most unparalleled despot
in the streets to-morrow, I would fell him like a rotten tree!" "I have no doubt of it," said Mr. Jarndyce. "Now, will you come
upstairs?" "By my soul, Jarndyce," returned his guest, who seemed to refer to
his watch, "if you had been married, I would have turned back at the
garden-gate and gone away to the remotest summits of the Himalaya
Mountains sooner than I would have presented myself at this
unseasonable hour." "Not quite so far, I hope?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By my life and honour, yes!" cried the visitor. "I wouldn't be
guilty of the audacious insolence of keeping a lady of the house
waiting all this time for any earthly consideration. I would
infinitely rather destroy myself--infinitely rather!" Talking thus, they went upstairs, and presently we heard him in his
bedroom thundering "Ha, ha, ha!" and again "Ha, ha, ha!" until the
flattest echo in the neighbourhood seemed to catch the contagion and
to laugh as enjoyingly as he did or as we did when we heard him
laugh. We all conceived a prepossession in his favour, for there was a
sterling quality in this laugh, and in his vigorous, healthy voice,
and in the roundness and fullness with which he uttered every word he
spoke, and in the very fury of his superlatives, which seemed to go
off like blank cannons and hurt nothing. But we were hardly prepared
to have it so confirmed by his appearance when Mr. Jarndyce presented
him. He was not only a very handsome old gentleman--upright and
stalwart as he had been described to us--with a massive grey head, a
fine composure of face when silent, a figure that might have become
corpulent but for his being so continually in earnest that he gave it
no rest, and a chin that might have subsided into a double chin but
for the vehement emphasis in which it was constantly required to
assist; but he was such a true gentleman in his manner, so
chivalrously polite, his face was lighted by a smile of so much
sweetness and tenderness, and it seemed so plain that he had nothing
to hide, but showed himself exactly as he was--incapable, as Richard
said, of anything on a limited scale, and firing away with those
blank great guns because he carried no small arms whatever--that
really I could not help looking at him with equal pleasure as he sat
at dinner, whether he smilingly conversed with Ada and me, or was led
by Mr. Jarndyce into some great volley of superlatives, or threw up
his head like a bloodhound and gave out that tremendous "Ha, ha, ha!" "You have brought your bird with you, I suppose?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By heaven, he is the most astonishing bird in Europe!" replied the
other. "He IS the most wonderful creature! | Dataset: kmfoda/booksum/validation | 7.4 | 88.301154 | 691 | 50.617284 | 0.455446 | 0.519201 | 0.428372 | 0.356364 | 0.000149 | 1.238476 | 0.494242 | null | -0.228554 | 0.366964 | 0.949687 | null | 0.199818 | 0.723328 |
110 | 3,732 | And yet I stood
before that fellow face to face and didn't knock his brains out!" "Teeth, you mean?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Lawrence Boythorn, really making the whole
house vibrate. "What, you have not forgotten it yet! Ha, ha, ha! And
that was another most consummate vagabond! By my soul, the
countenance of that fellow when he was a boy was the blackest image
of perfidy, cowardice, and cruelty ever set up as a scarecrow in a
field of scoundrels. If I were to meet that most unparalleled despot
in the streets to-morrow, I would fell him like a rotten tree!" "I have no doubt of it," said Mr. Jarndyce. "Now, will you come
upstairs?" "By my soul, Jarndyce," returned his guest, who seemed to refer to
his watch, "if you had been married, I would have turned back at the
garden-gate and gone away to the remotest summits of the Himalaya
Mountains sooner than I would have presented myself at this
unseasonable hour." "Not quite so far, I hope?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By my life and honour, yes!" cried the visitor. "I wouldn't be
guilty of the audacious insolence of keeping a lady of the house
waiting all this time for any earthly consideration. I would
infinitely rather destroy myself--infinitely rather!" Talking thus, they went upstairs, and presently we heard him in his
bedroom thundering "Ha, ha, ha!" and again "Ha, ha, ha!" until the
flattest echo in the neighbourhood seemed to catch the contagion and
to laugh as enjoyingly as he did or as we did when we heard him
laugh. We all conceived a prepossession in his favour, for there was a
sterling quality in this laugh, and in his vigorous, healthy voice,
and in the roundness and fullness with which he uttered every word he
spoke, and in the very fury of his superlatives, which seemed to go
off like blank cannons and hurt nothing. But we were hardly prepared
to have it so confirmed by his appearance when Mr. Jarndyce presented
him. He was not only a very handsome old gentleman--upright and
stalwart as he had been described to us--with a massive grey head, a
fine composure of face when silent, a figure that might have become
corpulent but for his being so continually in earnest that he gave it
no rest, and a chin that might have subsided into a double chin but
for the vehement emphasis in which it was constantly required to
assist; but he was such a true gentleman in his manner, so
chivalrously polite, his face was lighted by a smile of so much
sweetness and tenderness, and it seemed so plain that he had nothing
to hide, but showed himself exactly as he was--incapable, as Richard
said, of anything on a limited scale, and firing away with those
blank great guns because he carried no small arms whatever--that
really I could not help looking at him with equal pleasure as he sat
at dinner, whether he smilingly conversed with Ada and me, or was led
by Mr. Jarndyce into some great volley of superlatives, or threw up
his head like a bloodhound and gave out that tremendous "Ha, ha, ha!" "You have brought your bird with you, I suppose?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By heaven, he is the most astonishing bird in Europe!" replied the
other. "He IS the most wonderful creature! | Dataset: kmfoda/booksum/validation | 7.4 | 88.301154 | 691 | 50.617284 | 0.455446 | 0.519201 | 0.428372 | 0.356364 | 0.000149 | 1.238476 | 0.239946 | -0.253513 | null | 0.519526 | 0.695391 | 0.265688 | null | 0.87589 |
111 | 3,732 | And yet I stood
before that fellow face to face and didn't knock his brains out!" "Teeth, you mean?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Lawrence Boythorn, really making the whole
house vibrate. "What, you have not forgotten it yet! Ha, ha, ha! And
that was another most consummate vagabond! By my soul, the
countenance of that fellow when he was a boy was the blackest image
of perfidy, cowardice, and cruelty ever set up as a scarecrow in a
field of scoundrels. If I were to meet that most unparalleled despot
in the streets to-morrow, I would fell him like a rotten tree!" "I have no doubt of it," said Mr. Jarndyce. "Now, will you come
upstairs?" "By my soul, Jarndyce," returned his guest, who seemed to refer to
his watch, "if you had been married, I would have turned back at the
garden-gate and gone away to the remotest summits of the Himalaya
Mountains sooner than I would have presented myself at this
unseasonable hour." "Not quite so far, I hope?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By my life and honour, yes!" cried the visitor. "I wouldn't be
guilty of the audacious insolence of keeping a lady of the house
waiting all this time for any earthly consideration. I would
infinitely rather destroy myself--infinitely rather!" Talking thus, they went upstairs, and presently we heard him in his
bedroom thundering "Ha, ha, ha!" and again "Ha, ha, ha!" until the
flattest echo in the neighbourhood seemed to catch the contagion and
to laugh as enjoyingly as he did or as we did when we heard him
laugh. We all conceived a prepossession in his favour, for there was a
sterling quality in this laugh, and in his vigorous, healthy voice,
and in the roundness and fullness with which he uttered every word he
spoke, and in the very fury of his superlatives, which seemed to go
off like blank cannons and hurt nothing. But we were hardly prepared
to have it so confirmed by his appearance when Mr. Jarndyce presented
him. He was not only a very handsome old gentleman--upright and
stalwart as he had been described to us--with a massive grey head, a
fine composure of face when silent, a figure that might have become
corpulent but for his being so continually in earnest that he gave it
no rest, and a chin that might have subsided into a double chin but
for the vehement emphasis in which it was constantly required to
assist; but he was such a true gentleman in his manner, so
chivalrously polite, his face was lighted by a smile of so much
sweetness and tenderness, and it seemed so plain that he had nothing
to hide, but showed himself exactly as he was--incapable, as Richard
said, of anything on a limited scale, and firing away with those
blank great guns because he carried no small arms whatever--that
really I could not help looking at him with equal pleasure as he sat
at dinner, whether he smilingly conversed with Ada and me, or was led
by Mr. Jarndyce into some great volley of superlatives, or threw up
his head like a bloodhound and gave out that tremendous "Ha, ha, ha!" "You have brought your bird with you, I suppose?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By heaven, he is the most astonishing bird in Europe!" replied the
other. "He IS the most wonderful creature! | Dataset: kmfoda/booksum/validation | 7.4 | 88.301154 | 691 | 50.617284 | 0.455446 | 0.519201 | 0.428372 | 0.356364 | 0.000149 | 1.238476 | null | -0.327887 | 0.181469 | 0.462494 | null | 0.191314 | 0.60984 | 0.818858 |
112 | 3,732 | And yet I stood
before that fellow face to face and didn't knock his brains out!" "Teeth, you mean?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Lawrence Boythorn, really making the whole
house vibrate. "What, you have not forgotten it yet! Ha, ha, ha! And
that was another most consummate vagabond! By my soul, the
countenance of that fellow when he was a boy was the blackest image
of perfidy, cowardice, and cruelty ever set up as a scarecrow in a
field of scoundrels. If I were to meet that most unparalleled despot
in the streets to-morrow, I would fell him like a rotten tree!" "I have no doubt of it," said Mr. Jarndyce. "Now, will you come
upstairs?" "By my soul, Jarndyce," returned his guest, who seemed to refer to
his watch, "if you had been married, I would have turned back at the
garden-gate and gone away to the remotest summits of the Himalaya
Mountains sooner than I would have presented myself at this
unseasonable hour." "Not quite so far, I hope?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By my life and honour, yes!" cried the visitor. "I wouldn't be
guilty of the audacious insolence of keeping a lady of the house
waiting all this time for any earthly consideration. I would
infinitely rather destroy myself--infinitely rather!" Talking thus, they went upstairs, and presently we heard him in his
bedroom thundering "Ha, ha, ha!" and again "Ha, ha, ha!" until the
flattest echo in the neighbourhood seemed to catch the contagion and
to laugh as enjoyingly as he did or as we did when we heard him
laugh. We all conceived a prepossession in his favour, for there was a
sterling quality in this laugh, and in his vigorous, healthy voice,
and in the roundness and fullness with which he uttered every word he
spoke, and in the very fury of his superlatives, which seemed to go
off like blank cannons and hurt nothing. But we were hardly prepared
to have it so confirmed by his appearance when Mr. Jarndyce presented
him. He was not only a very handsome old gentleman--upright and
stalwart as he had been described to us--with a massive grey head, a
fine composure of face when silent, a figure that might have become
corpulent but for his being so continually in earnest that he gave it
no rest, and a chin that might have subsided into a double chin but
for the vehement emphasis in which it was constantly required to
assist; but he was such a true gentleman in his manner, so
chivalrously polite, his face was lighted by a smile of so much
sweetness and tenderness, and it seemed so plain that he had nothing
to hide, but showed himself exactly as he was--incapable, as Richard
said, of anything on a limited scale, and firing away with those
blank great guns because he carried no small arms whatever--that
really I could not help looking at him with equal pleasure as he sat
at dinner, whether he smilingly conversed with Ada and me, or was led
by Mr. Jarndyce into some great volley of superlatives, or threw up
his head like a bloodhound and gave out that tremendous "Ha, ha, ha!" "You have brought your bird with you, I suppose?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By heaven, he is the most astonishing bird in Europe!" replied the
other. "He IS the most wonderful creature! | Dataset: kmfoda/booksum/validation | 7.4 | 88.301154 | 691 | 50.617284 | 0.455446 | 0.519201 | 0.428372 | 0.356364 | 0.000149 | 1.238476 | null | 0.235467 | 0.290217 | -0.17118 | null | 0.754668 | 0.718589 | 0.185184 |
113 | 3,732 | And yet I stood
before that fellow face to face and didn't knock his brains out!" "Teeth, you mean?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Lawrence Boythorn, really making the whole
house vibrate. "What, you have not forgotten it yet! Ha, ha, ha! And
that was another most consummate vagabond! By my soul, the
countenance of that fellow when he was a boy was the blackest image
of perfidy, cowardice, and cruelty ever set up as a scarecrow in a
field of scoundrels. If I were to meet that most unparalleled despot
in the streets to-morrow, I would fell him like a rotten tree!" "I have no doubt of it," said Mr. Jarndyce. "Now, will you come
upstairs?" "By my soul, Jarndyce," returned his guest, who seemed to refer to
his watch, "if you had been married, I would have turned back at the
garden-gate and gone away to the remotest summits of the Himalaya
Mountains sooner than I would have presented myself at this
unseasonable hour." "Not quite so far, I hope?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By my life and honour, yes!" cried the visitor. "I wouldn't be
guilty of the audacious insolence of keeping a lady of the house
waiting all this time for any earthly consideration. I would
infinitely rather destroy myself--infinitely rather!" Talking thus, they went upstairs, and presently we heard him in his
bedroom thundering "Ha, ha, ha!" and again "Ha, ha, ha!" until the
flattest echo in the neighbourhood seemed to catch the contagion and
to laugh as enjoyingly as he did or as we did when we heard him
laugh. We all conceived a prepossession in his favour, for there was a
sterling quality in this laugh, and in his vigorous, healthy voice,
and in the roundness and fullness with which he uttered every word he
spoke, and in the very fury of his superlatives, which seemed to go
off like blank cannons and hurt nothing. But we were hardly prepared
to have it so confirmed by his appearance when Mr. Jarndyce presented
him. He was not only a very handsome old gentleman--upright and
stalwart as he had been described to us--with a massive grey head, a
fine composure of face when silent, a figure that might have become
corpulent but for his being so continually in earnest that he gave it
no rest, and a chin that might have subsided into a double chin but
for the vehement emphasis in which it was constantly required to
assist; but he was such a true gentleman in his manner, so
chivalrously polite, his face was lighted by a smile of so much
sweetness and tenderness, and it seemed so plain that he had nothing
to hide, but showed himself exactly as he was--incapable, as Richard
said, of anything on a limited scale, and firing away with those
blank great guns because he carried no small arms whatever--that
really I could not help looking at him with equal pleasure as he sat
at dinner, whether he smilingly conversed with Ada and me, or was led
by Mr. Jarndyce into some great volley of superlatives, or threw up
his head like a bloodhound and gave out that tremendous "Ha, ha, ha!" "You have brought your bird with you, I suppose?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By heaven, he is the most astonishing bird in Europe!" replied the
other. "He IS the most wonderful creature! | Dataset: kmfoda/booksum/validation | 7.4 | 88.301154 | 691 | 50.617284 | 0.455446 | 0.519201 | 0.428372 | 0.356364 | 0.000149 | 1.238476 | null | 0.432945 | -0.390943 | -0.100642 | null | 0.952147 | 0.037429 | 0.255722 |
114 | 3,732 | And yet I stood
before that fellow face to face and didn't knock his brains out!" "Teeth, you mean?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Lawrence Boythorn, really making the whole
house vibrate. "What, you have not forgotten it yet! Ha, ha, ha! And
that was another most consummate vagabond! By my soul, the
countenance of that fellow when he was a boy was the blackest image
of perfidy, cowardice, and cruelty ever set up as a scarecrow in a
field of scoundrels. If I were to meet that most unparalleled despot
in the streets to-morrow, I would fell him like a rotten tree!" "I have no doubt of it," said Mr. Jarndyce. "Now, will you come
upstairs?" "By my soul, Jarndyce," returned his guest, who seemed to refer to
his watch, "if you had been married, I would have turned back at the
garden-gate and gone away to the remotest summits of the Himalaya
Mountains sooner than I would have presented myself at this
unseasonable hour." "Not quite so far, I hope?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By my life and honour, yes!" cried the visitor. "I wouldn't be
guilty of the audacious insolence of keeping a lady of the house
waiting all this time for any earthly consideration. I would
infinitely rather destroy myself--infinitely rather!" Talking thus, they went upstairs, and presently we heard him in his
bedroom thundering "Ha, ha, ha!" and again "Ha, ha, ha!" until the
flattest echo in the neighbourhood seemed to catch the contagion and
to laugh as enjoyingly as he did or as we did when we heard him
laugh. We all conceived a prepossession in his favour, for there was a
sterling quality in this laugh, and in his vigorous, healthy voice,
and in the roundness and fullness with which he uttered every word he
spoke, and in the very fury of his superlatives, which seemed to go
off like blank cannons and hurt nothing. But we were hardly prepared
to have it so confirmed by his appearance when Mr. Jarndyce presented
him. He was not only a very handsome old gentleman--upright and
stalwart as he had been described to us--with a massive grey head, a
fine composure of face when silent, a figure that might have become
corpulent but for his being so continually in earnest that he gave it
no rest, and a chin that might have subsided into a double chin but
for the vehement emphasis in which it was constantly required to
assist; but he was such a true gentleman in his manner, so
chivalrously polite, his face was lighted by a smile of so much
sweetness and tenderness, and it seemed so plain that he had nothing
to hide, but showed himself exactly as he was--incapable, as Richard
said, of anything on a limited scale, and firing away with those
blank great guns because he carried no small arms whatever--that
really I could not help looking at him with equal pleasure as he sat
at dinner, whether he smilingly conversed with Ada and me, or was led
by Mr. Jarndyce into some great volley of superlatives, or threw up
his head like a bloodhound and gave out that tremendous "Ha, ha, ha!" "You have brought your bird with you, I suppose?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By heaven, he is the most astonishing bird in Europe!" replied the
other. "He IS the most wonderful creature! | Dataset: kmfoda/booksum/validation | 7.4 | 88.301154 | 691 | 50.617284 | 0.455446 | 0.519201 | 0.428372 | 0.356364 | 0.000149 | 1.238476 | -0.104904 | 0.400207 | null | 0.198928 | 0.350541 | 0.919408 | null | 0.555292 |
115 | 3,732 | And yet I stood
before that fellow face to face and didn't knock his brains out!" "Teeth, you mean?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Lawrence Boythorn, really making the whole
house vibrate. "What, you have not forgotten it yet! Ha, ha, ha! And
that was another most consummate vagabond! By my soul, the
countenance of that fellow when he was a boy was the blackest image
of perfidy, cowardice, and cruelty ever set up as a scarecrow in a
field of scoundrels. If I were to meet that most unparalleled despot
in the streets to-morrow, I would fell him like a rotten tree!" "I have no doubt of it," said Mr. Jarndyce. "Now, will you come
upstairs?" "By my soul, Jarndyce," returned his guest, who seemed to refer to
his watch, "if you had been married, I would have turned back at the
garden-gate and gone away to the remotest summits of the Himalaya
Mountains sooner than I would have presented myself at this
unseasonable hour." "Not quite so far, I hope?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By my life and honour, yes!" cried the visitor. "I wouldn't be
guilty of the audacious insolence of keeping a lady of the house
waiting all this time for any earthly consideration. I would
infinitely rather destroy myself--infinitely rather!" Talking thus, they went upstairs, and presently we heard him in his
bedroom thundering "Ha, ha, ha!" and again "Ha, ha, ha!" until the
flattest echo in the neighbourhood seemed to catch the contagion and
to laugh as enjoyingly as he did or as we did when we heard him
laugh. We all conceived a prepossession in his favour, for there was a
sterling quality in this laugh, and in his vigorous, healthy voice,
and in the roundness and fullness with which he uttered every word he
spoke, and in the very fury of his superlatives, which seemed to go
off like blank cannons and hurt nothing. But we were hardly prepared
to have it so confirmed by his appearance when Mr. Jarndyce presented
him. He was not only a very handsome old gentleman--upright and
stalwart as he had been described to us--with a massive grey head, a
fine composure of face when silent, a figure that might have become
corpulent but for his being so continually in earnest that he gave it
no rest, and a chin that might have subsided into a double chin but
for the vehement emphasis in which it was constantly required to
assist; but he was such a true gentleman in his manner, so
chivalrously polite, his face was lighted by a smile of so much
sweetness and tenderness, and it seemed so plain that he had nothing
to hide, but showed himself exactly as he was--incapable, as Richard
said, of anything on a limited scale, and firing away with those
blank great guns because he carried no small arms whatever--that
really I could not help looking at him with equal pleasure as he sat
at dinner, whether he smilingly conversed with Ada and me, or was led
by Mr. Jarndyce into some great volley of superlatives, or threw up
his head like a bloodhound and gave out that tremendous "Ha, ha, ha!" "You have brought your bird with you, I suppose?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By heaven, he is the most astonishing bird in Europe!" replied the
other. "He IS the most wonderful creature! | Dataset: kmfoda/booksum/validation | 7.4 | 88.301154 | 691 | 50.617284 | 0.455446 | 0.519201 | 0.428372 | 0.356364 | 0.000149 | 1.238476 | null | 0.106128 | 0.201855 | -0.133885 | null | 0.625329 | 0.630226 | 0.22248 |
116 | 3,732 | And yet I stood
before that fellow face to face and didn't knock his brains out!" "Teeth, you mean?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Lawrence Boythorn, really making the whole
house vibrate. "What, you have not forgotten it yet! Ha, ha, ha! And
that was another most consummate vagabond! By my soul, the
countenance of that fellow when he was a boy was the blackest image
of perfidy, cowardice, and cruelty ever set up as a scarecrow in a
field of scoundrels. If I were to meet that most unparalleled despot
in the streets to-morrow, I would fell him like a rotten tree!" "I have no doubt of it," said Mr. Jarndyce. "Now, will you come
upstairs?" "By my soul, Jarndyce," returned his guest, who seemed to refer to
his watch, "if you had been married, I would have turned back at the
garden-gate and gone away to the remotest summits of the Himalaya
Mountains sooner than I would have presented myself at this
unseasonable hour." "Not quite so far, I hope?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By my life and honour, yes!" cried the visitor. "I wouldn't be
guilty of the audacious insolence of keeping a lady of the house
waiting all this time for any earthly consideration. I would
infinitely rather destroy myself--infinitely rather!" Talking thus, they went upstairs, and presently we heard him in his
bedroom thundering "Ha, ha, ha!" and again "Ha, ha, ha!" until the
flattest echo in the neighbourhood seemed to catch the contagion and
to laugh as enjoyingly as he did or as we did when we heard him
laugh. We all conceived a prepossession in his favour, for there was a
sterling quality in this laugh, and in his vigorous, healthy voice,
and in the roundness and fullness with which he uttered every word he
spoke, and in the very fury of his superlatives, which seemed to go
off like blank cannons and hurt nothing. But we were hardly prepared
to have it so confirmed by his appearance when Mr. Jarndyce presented
him. He was not only a very handsome old gentleman--upright and
stalwart as he had been described to us--with a massive grey head, a
fine composure of face when silent, a figure that might have become
corpulent but for his being so continually in earnest that he gave it
no rest, and a chin that might have subsided into a double chin but
for the vehement emphasis in which it was constantly required to
assist; but he was such a true gentleman in his manner, so
chivalrously polite, his face was lighted by a smile of so much
sweetness and tenderness, and it seemed so plain that he had nothing
to hide, but showed himself exactly as he was--incapable, as Richard
said, of anything on a limited scale, and firing away with those
blank great guns because he carried no small arms whatever--that
really I could not help looking at him with equal pleasure as he sat
at dinner, whether he smilingly conversed with Ada and me, or was led
by Mr. Jarndyce into some great volley of superlatives, or threw up
his head like a bloodhound and gave out that tremendous "Ha, ha, ha!" "You have brought your bird with you, I suppose?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By heaven, he is the most astonishing bird in Europe!" replied the
other. "He IS the most wonderful creature! | Dataset: kmfoda/booksum/validation | 7.4 | 88.301154 | 691 | 50.617284 | 0.455446 | 0.519201 | 0.428372 | 0.356364 | 0.000149 | 1.238476 | -0.281881 | -0.288797 | 0.216691 | null | 0.173565 | 0.230404 | 0.645062 | null |
117 | 3,732 | And yet I stood
before that fellow face to face and didn't knock his brains out!" "Teeth, you mean?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Lawrence Boythorn, really making the whole
house vibrate. "What, you have not forgotten it yet! Ha, ha, ha! And
that was another most consummate vagabond! By my soul, the
countenance of that fellow when he was a boy was the blackest image
of perfidy, cowardice, and cruelty ever set up as a scarecrow in a
field of scoundrels. If I were to meet that most unparalleled despot
in the streets to-morrow, I would fell him like a rotten tree!" "I have no doubt of it," said Mr. Jarndyce. "Now, will you come
upstairs?" "By my soul, Jarndyce," returned his guest, who seemed to refer to
his watch, "if you had been married, I would have turned back at the
garden-gate and gone away to the remotest summits of the Himalaya
Mountains sooner than I would have presented myself at this
unseasonable hour." "Not quite so far, I hope?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By my life and honour, yes!" cried the visitor. "I wouldn't be
guilty of the audacious insolence of keeping a lady of the house
waiting all this time for any earthly consideration. I would
infinitely rather destroy myself--infinitely rather!" Talking thus, they went upstairs, and presently we heard him in his
bedroom thundering "Ha, ha, ha!" and again "Ha, ha, ha!" until the
flattest echo in the neighbourhood seemed to catch the contagion and
to laugh as enjoyingly as he did or as we did when we heard him
laugh. We all conceived a prepossession in his favour, for there was a
sterling quality in this laugh, and in his vigorous, healthy voice,
and in the roundness and fullness with which he uttered every word he
spoke, and in the very fury of his superlatives, which seemed to go
off like blank cannons and hurt nothing. But we were hardly prepared
to have it so confirmed by his appearance when Mr. Jarndyce presented
him. He was not only a very handsome old gentleman--upright and
stalwart as he had been described to us--with a massive grey head, a
fine composure of face when silent, a figure that might have become
corpulent but for his being so continually in earnest that he gave it
no rest, and a chin that might have subsided into a double chin but
for the vehement emphasis in which it was constantly required to
assist; but he was such a true gentleman in his manner, so
chivalrously polite, his face was lighted by a smile of so much
sweetness and tenderness, and it seemed so plain that he had nothing
to hide, but showed himself exactly as he was--incapable, as Richard
said, of anything on a limited scale, and firing away with those
blank great guns because he carried no small arms whatever--that
really I could not help looking at him with equal pleasure as he sat
at dinner, whether he smilingly conversed with Ada and me, or was led
by Mr. Jarndyce into some great volley of superlatives, or threw up
his head like a bloodhound and gave out that tremendous "Ha, ha, ha!" "You have brought your bird with you, I suppose?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By heaven, he is the most astonishing bird in Europe!" replied the
other. "He IS the most wonderful creature! | Dataset: kmfoda/booksum/validation | 7.4 | 88.301154 | 691 | 50.617284 | 0.455446 | 0.519201 | 0.428372 | 0.356364 | 0.000149 | 1.238476 | 0.470354 | -0.394174 | -0.252301 | null | 0.925799 | 0.125027 | 0.176071 | null |
118 | 3,732 | And yet I stood
before that fellow face to face and didn't knock his brains out!" "Teeth, you mean?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Lawrence Boythorn, really making the whole
house vibrate. "What, you have not forgotten it yet! Ha, ha, ha! And
that was another most consummate vagabond! By my soul, the
countenance of that fellow when he was a boy was the blackest image
of perfidy, cowardice, and cruelty ever set up as a scarecrow in a
field of scoundrels. If I were to meet that most unparalleled despot
in the streets to-morrow, I would fell him like a rotten tree!" "I have no doubt of it," said Mr. Jarndyce. "Now, will you come
upstairs?" "By my soul, Jarndyce," returned his guest, who seemed to refer to
his watch, "if you had been married, I would have turned back at the
garden-gate and gone away to the remotest summits of the Himalaya
Mountains sooner than I would have presented myself at this
unseasonable hour." "Not quite so far, I hope?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By my life and honour, yes!" cried the visitor. "I wouldn't be
guilty of the audacious insolence of keeping a lady of the house
waiting all this time for any earthly consideration. I would
infinitely rather destroy myself--infinitely rather!" Talking thus, they went upstairs, and presently we heard him in his
bedroom thundering "Ha, ha, ha!" and again "Ha, ha, ha!" until the
flattest echo in the neighbourhood seemed to catch the contagion and
to laugh as enjoyingly as he did or as we did when we heard him
laugh. We all conceived a prepossession in his favour, for there was a
sterling quality in this laugh, and in his vigorous, healthy voice,
and in the roundness and fullness with which he uttered every word he
spoke, and in the very fury of his superlatives, which seemed to go
off like blank cannons and hurt nothing. But we were hardly prepared
to have it so confirmed by his appearance when Mr. Jarndyce presented
him. He was not only a very handsome old gentleman--upright and
stalwart as he had been described to us--with a massive grey head, a
fine composure of face when silent, a figure that might have become
corpulent but for his being so continually in earnest that he gave it
no rest, and a chin that might have subsided into a double chin but
for the vehement emphasis in which it was constantly required to
assist; but he was such a true gentleman in his manner, so
chivalrously polite, his face was lighted by a smile of so much
sweetness and tenderness, and it seemed so plain that he had nothing
to hide, but showed himself exactly as he was--incapable, as Richard
said, of anything on a limited scale, and firing away with those
blank great guns because he carried no small arms whatever--that
really I could not help looking at him with equal pleasure as he sat
at dinner, whether he smilingly conversed with Ada and me, or was led
by Mr. Jarndyce into some great volley of superlatives, or threw up
his head like a bloodhound and gave out that tremendous "Ha, ha, ha!" "You have brought your bird with you, I suppose?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By heaven, he is the most astonishing bird in Europe!" replied the
other. "He IS the most wonderful creature! | Dataset: kmfoda/booksum/validation | 7.4 | 88.301154 | 691 | 50.617284 | 0.455446 | 0.519201 | 0.428372 | 0.356364 | 0.000149 | 1.238476 | null | -0.442618 | -0.174216 | 0.618576 | null | 0.076583 | 0.254156 | 0.97494 |
119 | 3,732 | And yet I stood
before that fellow face to face and didn't knock his brains out!" "Teeth, you mean?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Lawrence Boythorn, really making the whole
house vibrate. "What, you have not forgotten it yet! Ha, ha, ha! And
that was another most consummate vagabond! By my soul, the
countenance of that fellow when he was a boy was the blackest image
of perfidy, cowardice, and cruelty ever set up as a scarecrow in a
field of scoundrels. If I were to meet that most unparalleled despot
in the streets to-morrow, I would fell him like a rotten tree!" "I have no doubt of it," said Mr. Jarndyce. "Now, will you come
upstairs?" "By my soul, Jarndyce," returned his guest, who seemed to refer to
his watch, "if you had been married, I would have turned back at the
garden-gate and gone away to the remotest summits of the Himalaya
Mountains sooner than I would have presented myself at this
unseasonable hour." "Not quite so far, I hope?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By my life and honour, yes!" cried the visitor. "I wouldn't be
guilty of the audacious insolence of keeping a lady of the house
waiting all this time for any earthly consideration. I would
infinitely rather destroy myself--infinitely rather!" Talking thus, they went upstairs, and presently we heard him in his
bedroom thundering "Ha, ha, ha!" and again "Ha, ha, ha!" until the
flattest echo in the neighbourhood seemed to catch the contagion and
to laugh as enjoyingly as he did or as we did when we heard him
laugh. We all conceived a prepossession in his favour, for there was a
sterling quality in this laugh, and in his vigorous, healthy voice,
and in the roundness and fullness with which he uttered every word he
spoke, and in the very fury of his superlatives, which seemed to go
off like blank cannons and hurt nothing. But we were hardly prepared
to have it so confirmed by his appearance when Mr. Jarndyce presented
him. He was not only a very handsome old gentleman--upright and
stalwart as he had been described to us--with a massive grey head, a
fine composure of face when silent, a figure that might have become
corpulent but for his being so continually in earnest that he gave it
no rest, and a chin that might have subsided into a double chin but
for the vehement emphasis in which it was constantly required to
assist; but he was such a true gentleman in his manner, so
chivalrously polite, his face was lighted by a smile of so much
sweetness and tenderness, and it seemed so plain that he had nothing
to hide, but showed himself exactly as he was--incapable, as Richard
said, of anything on a limited scale, and firing away with those
blank great guns because he carried no small arms whatever--that
really I could not help looking at him with equal pleasure as he sat
at dinner, whether he smilingly conversed with Ada and me, or was led
by Mr. Jarndyce into some great volley of superlatives, or threw up
his head like a bloodhound and gave out that tremendous "Ha, ha, ha!" "You have brought your bird with you, I suppose?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By heaven, he is the most astonishing bird in Europe!" replied the
other. "He IS the most wonderful creature! | Dataset: kmfoda/booksum/validation | 7.4 | 88.301154 | 691 | 50.617284 | 0.455446 | 0.519201 | 0.428372 | 0.356364 | 0.000149 | 1.238476 | -0.245571 | -0.268761 | 0.440827 | null | 0.209874 | 0.25044 | 0.869199 | null |
120 | 3,732 | And yet I stood
before that fellow face to face and didn't knock his brains out!" "Teeth, you mean?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Lawrence Boythorn, really making the whole
house vibrate. "What, you have not forgotten it yet! Ha, ha, ha! And
that was another most consummate vagabond! By my soul, the
countenance of that fellow when he was a boy was the blackest image
of perfidy, cowardice, and cruelty ever set up as a scarecrow in a
field of scoundrels. If I were to meet that most unparalleled despot
in the streets to-morrow, I would fell him like a rotten tree!" "I have no doubt of it," said Mr. Jarndyce. "Now, will you come
upstairs?" "By my soul, Jarndyce," returned his guest, who seemed to refer to
his watch, "if you had been married, I would have turned back at the
garden-gate and gone away to the remotest summits of the Himalaya
Mountains sooner than I would have presented myself at this
unseasonable hour." "Not quite so far, I hope?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By my life and honour, yes!" cried the visitor. "I wouldn't be
guilty of the audacious insolence of keeping a lady of the house
waiting all this time for any earthly consideration. I would
infinitely rather destroy myself--infinitely rather!" Talking thus, they went upstairs, and presently we heard him in his
bedroom thundering "Ha, ha, ha!" and again "Ha, ha, ha!" until the
flattest echo in the neighbourhood seemed to catch the contagion and
to laugh as enjoyingly as he did or as we did when we heard him
laugh. We all conceived a prepossession in his favour, for there was a
sterling quality in this laugh, and in his vigorous, healthy voice,
and in the roundness and fullness with which he uttered every word he
spoke, and in the very fury of his superlatives, which seemed to go
off like blank cannons and hurt nothing. But we were hardly prepared
to have it so confirmed by his appearance when Mr. Jarndyce presented
him. He was not only a very handsome old gentleman--upright and
stalwart as he had been described to us--with a massive grey head, a
fine composure of face when silent, a figure that might have become
corpulent but for his being so continually in earnest that he gave it
no rest, and a chin that might have subsided into a double chin but
for the vehement emphasis in which it was constantly required to
assist; but he was such a true gentleman in his manner, so
chivalrously polite, his face was lighted by a smile of so much
sweetness and tenderness, and it seemed so plain that he had nothing
to hide, but showed himself exactly as he was--incapable, as Richard
said, of anything on a limited scale, and firing away with those
blank great guns because he carried no small arms whatever--that
really I could not help looking at him with equal pleasure as he sat
at dinner, whether he smilingly conversed with Ada and me, or was led
by Mr. Jarndyce into some great volley of superlatives, or threw up
his head like a bloodhound and gave out that tremendous "Ha, ha, ha!" "You have brought your bird with you, I suppose?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By heaven, he is the most astonishing bird in Europe!" replied the
other. "He IS the most wonderful creature! | Dataset: kmfoda/booksum/validation | 7.4 | 88.301154 | 691 | 50.617284 | 0.455446 | 0.519201 | 0.428372 | 0.356364 | 0.000149 | 1.238476 | 0.116245 | -0.215508 | -0.175102 | null | 0.571691 | 0.303693 | 0.253269 | null |
121 | 3,732 | And yet I stood
before that fellow face to face and didn't knock his brains out!" "Teeth, you mean?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Lawrence Boythorn, really making the whole
house vibrate. "What, you have not forgotten it yet! Ha, ha, ha! And
that was another most consummate vagabond! By my soul, the
countenance of that fellow when he was a boy was the blackest image
of perfidy, cowardice, and cruelty ever set up as a scarecrow in a
field of scoundrels. If I were to meet that most unparalleled despot
in the streets to-morrow, I would fell him like a rotten tree!" "I have no doubt of it," said Mr. Jarndyce. "Now, will you come
upstairs?" "By my soul, Jarndyce," returned his guest, who seemed to refer to
his watch, "if you had been married, I would have turned back at the
garden-gate and gone away to the remotest summits of the Himalaya
Mountains sooner than I would have presented myself at this
unseasonable hour." "Not quite so far, I hope?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By my life and honour, yes!" cried the visitor. "I wouldn't be
guilty of the audacious insolence of keeping a lady of the house
waiting all this time for any earthly consideration. I would
infinitely rather destroy myself--infinitely rather!" Talking thus, they went upstairs, and presently we heard him in his
bedroom thundering "Ha, ha, ha!" and again "Ha, ha, ha!" until the
flattest echo in the neighbourhood seemed to catch the contagion and
to laugh as enjoyingly as he did or as we did when we heard him
laugh. We all conceived a prepossession in his favour, for there was a
sterling quality in this laugh, and in his vigorous, healthy voice,
and in the roundness and fullness with which he uttered every word he
spoke, and in the very fury of his superlatives, which seemed to go
off like blank cannons and hurt nothing. But we were hardly prepared
to have it so confirmed by his appearance when Mr. Jarndyce presented
him. He was not only a very handsome old gentleman--upright and
stalwart as he had been described to us--with a massive grey head, a
fine composure of face when silent, a figure that might have become
corpulent but for his being so continually in earnest that he gave it
no rest, and a chin that might have subsided into a double chin but
for the vehement emphasis in which it was constantly required to
assist; but he was such a true gentleman in his manner, so
chivalrously polite, his face was lighted by a smile of so much
sweetness and tenderness, and it seemed so plain that he had nothing
to hide, but showed himself exactly as he was--incapable, as Richard
said, of anything on a limited scale, and firing away with those
blank great guns because he carried no small arms whatever--that
really I could not help looking at him with equal pleasure as he sat
at dinner, whether he smilingly conversed with Ada and me, or was led
by Mr. Jarndyce into some great volley of superlatives, or threw up
his head like a bloodhound and gave out that tremendous "Ha, ha, ha!" "You have brought your bird with you, I suppose?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By heaven, he is the most astonishing bird in Europe!" replied the
other. "He IS the most wonderful creature! | Dataset: kmfoda/booksum/validation | 7.4 | 88.301154 | 691 | 50.617284 | 0.455446 | 0.519201 | 0.428372 | 0.356364 | 0.000149 | 1.238476 | -0.382346 | -0.26734 | -0.39393 | null | 0.073099 | 0.251861 | 0.034442 | null |
122 | 3,732 | And yet I stood
before that fellow face to face and didn't knock his brains out!" "Teeth, you mean?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Lawrence Boythorn, really making the whole
house vibrate. "What, you have not forgotten it yet! Ha, ha, ha! And
that was another most consummate vagabond! By my soul, the
countenance of that fellow when he was a boy was the blackest image
of perfidy, cowardice, and cruelty ever set up as a scarecrow in a
field of scoundrels. If I were to meet that most unparalleled despot
in the streets to-morrow, I would fell him like a rotten tree!" "I have no doubt of it," said Mr. Jarndyce. "Now, will you come
upstairs?" "By my soul, Jarndyce," returned his guest, who seemed to refer to
his watch, "if you had been married, I would have turned back at the
garden-gate and gone away to the remotest summits of the Himalaya
Mountains sooner than I would have presented myself at this
unseasonable hour." "Not quite so far, I hope?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By my life and honour, yes!" cried the visitor. "I wouldn't be
guilty of the audacious insolence of keeping a lady of the house
waiting all this time for any earthly consideration. I would
infinitely rather destroy myself--infinitely rather!" Talking thus, they went upstairs, and presently we heard him in his
bedroom thundering "Ha, ha, ha!" and again "Ha, ha, ha!" until the
flattest echo in the neighbourhood seemed to catch the contagion and
to laugh as enjoyingly as he did or as we did when we heard him
laugh. We all conceived a prepossession in his favour, for there was a
sterling quality in this laugh, and in his vigorous, healthy voice,
and in the roundness and fullness with which he uttered every word he
spoke, and in the very fury of his superlatives, which seemed to go
off like blank cannons and hurt nothing. But we were hardly prepared
to have it so confirmed by his appearance when Mr. Jarndyce presented
him. He was not only a very handsome old gentleman--upright and
stalwart as he had been described to us--with a massive grey head, a
fine composure of face when silent, a figure that might have become
corpulent but for his being so continually in earnest that he gave it
no rest, and a chin that might have subsided into a double chin but
for the vehement emphasis in which it was constantly required to
assist; but he was such a true gentleman in his manner, so
chivalrously polite, his face was lighted by a smile of so much
sweetness and tenderness, and it seemed so plain that he had nothing
to hide, but showed himself exactly as he was--incapable, as Richard
said, of anything on a limited scale, and firing away with those
blank great guns because he carried no small arms whatever--that
really I could not help looking at him with equal pleasure as he sat
at dinner, whether he smilingly conversed with Ada and me, or was led
by Mr. Jarndyce into some great volley of superlatives, or threw up
his head like a bloodhound and gave out that tremendous "Ha, ha, ha!" "You have brought your bird with you, I suppose?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By heaven, he is the most astonishing bird in Europe!" replied the
other. "He IS the most wonderful creature! | Dataset: kmfoda/booksum/validation | 7.4 | 88.301154 | 691 | 50.617284 | 0.455446 | 0.519201 | 0.428372 | 0.356364 | 0.000149 | 1.238476 | -0.136863 | -0.164078 | null | 0.37008 | 0.318582 | 0.355123 | null | 0.726444 |
123 | 3,732 | And yet I stood
before that fellow face to face and didn't knock his brains out!" "Teeth, you mean?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Lawrence Boythorn, really making the whole
house vibrate. "What, you have not forgotten it yet! Ha, ha, ha! And
that was another most consummate vagabond! By my soul, the
countenance of that fellow when he was a boy was the blackest image
of perfidy, cowardice, and cruelty ever set up as a scarecrow in a
field of scoundrels. If I were to meet that most unparalleled despot
in the streets to-morrow, I would fell him like a rotten tree!" "I have no doubt of it," said Mr. Jarndyce. "Now, will you come
upstairs?" "By my soul, Jarndyce," returned his guest, who seemed to refer to
his watch, "if you had been married, I would have turned back at the
garden-gate and gone away to the remotest summits of the Himalaya
Mountains sooner than I would have presented myself at this
unseasonable hour." "Not quite so far, I hope?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By my life and honour, yes!" cried the visitor. "I wouldn't be
guilty of the audacious insolence of keeping a lady of the house
waiting all this time for any earthly consideration. I would
infinitely rather destroy myself--infinitely rather!" Talking thus, they went upstairs, and presently we heard him in his
bedroom thundering "Ha, ha, ha!" and again "Ha, ha, ha!" until the
flattest echo in the neighbourhood seemed to catch the contagion and
to laugh as enjoyingly as he did or as we did when we heard him
laugh. We all conceived a prepossession in his favour, for there was a
sterling quality in this laugh, and in his vigorous, healthy voice,
and in the roundness and fullness with which he uttered every word he
spoke, and in the very fury of his superlatives, which seemed to go
off like blank cannons and hurt nothing. But we were hardly prepared
to have it so confirmed by his appearance when Mr. Jarndyce presented
him. He was not only a very handsome old gentleman--upright and
stalwart as he had been described to us--with a massive grey head, a
fine composure of face when silent, a figure that might have become
corpulent but for his being so continually in earnest that he gave it
no rest, and a chin that might have subsided into a double chin but
for the vehement emphasis in which it was constantly required to
assist; but he was such a true gentleman in his manner, so
chivalrously polite, his face was lighted by a smile of so much
sweetness and tenderness, and it seemed so plain that he had nothing
to hide, but showed himself exactly as he was--incapable, as Richard
said, of anything on a limited scale, and firing away with those
blank great guns because he carried no small arms whatever--that
really I could not help looking at him with equal pleasure as he sat
at dinner, whether he smilingly conversed with Ada and me, or was led
by Mr. Jarndyce into some great volley of superlatives, or threw up
his head like a bloodhound and gave out that tremendous "Ha, ha, ha!" "You have brought your bird with you, I suppose?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By heaven, he is the most astonishing bird in Europe!" replied the
other. "He IS the most wonderful creature! | Dataset: kmfoda/booksum/validation | 7.4 | 88.301154 | 691 | 50.617284 | 0.455446 | 0.519201 | 0.428372 | 0.356364 | 0.000149 | 1.238476 | -0.448998 | null | -0.238656 | -0.270273 | 0.006447 | null | 0.189716 | 0.086091 |
124 | 3,732 | And yet I stood
before that fellow face to face and didn't knock his brains out!" "Teeth, you mean?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Lawrence Boythorn, really making the whole
house vibrate. "What, you have not forgotten it yet! Ha, ha, ha! And
that was another most consummate vagabond! By my soul, the
countenance of that fellow when he was a boy was the blackest image
of perfidy, cowardice, and cruelty ever set up as a scarecrow in a
field of scoundrels. If I were to meet that most unparalleled despot
in the streets to-morrow, I would fell him like a rotten tree!" "I have no doubt of it," said Mr. Jarndyce. "Now, will you come
upstairs?" "By my soul, Jarndyce," returned his guest, who seemed to refer to
his watch, "if you had been married, I would have turned back at the
garden-gate and gone away to the remotest summits of the Himalaya
Mountains sooner than I would have presented myself at this
unseasonable hour." "Not quite so far, I hope?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By my life and honour, yes!" cried the visitor. "I wouldn't be
guilty of the audacious insolence of keeping a lady of the house
waiting all this time for any earthly consideration. I would
infinitely rather destroy myself--infinitely rather!" Talking thus, they went upstairs, and presently we heard him in his
bedroom thundering "Ha, ha, ha!" and again "Ha, ha, ha!" until the
flattest echo in the neighbourhood seemed to catch the contagion and
to laugh as enjoyingly as he did or as we did when we heard him
laugh. We all conceived a prepossession in his favour, for there was a
sterling quality in this laugh, and in his vigorous, healthy voice,
and in the roundness and fullness with which he uttered every word he
spoke, and in the very fury of his superlatives, which seemed to go
off like blank cannons and hurt nothing. But we were hardly prepared
to have it so confirmed by his appearance when Mr. Jarndyce presented
him. He was not only a very handsome old gentleman--upright and
stalwart as he had been described to us--with a massive grey head, a
fine composure of face when silent, a figure that might have become
corpulent but for his being so continually in earnest that he gave it
no rest, and a chin that might have subsided into a double chin but
for the vehement emphasis in which it was constantly required to
assist; but he was such a true gentleman in his manner, so
chivalrously polite, his face was lighted by a smile of so much
sweetness and tenderness, and it seemed so plain that he had nothing
to hide, but showed himself exactly as he was--incapable, as Richard
said, of anything on a limited scale, and firing away with those
blank great guns because he carried no small arms whatever--that
really I could not help looking at him with equal pleasure as he sat
at dinner, whether he smilingly conversed with Ada and me, or was led
by Mr. Jarndyce into some great volley of superlatives, or threw up
his head like a bloodhound and gave out that tremendous "Ha, ha, ha!" "You have brought your bird with you, I suppose?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By heaven, he is the most astonishing bird in Europe!" replied the
other. "He IS the most wonderful creature! | Dataset: kmfoda/booksum/validation | 7.4 | 88.301154 | 691 | 50.617284 | 0.455446 | 0.519201 | 0.428372 | 0.356364 | 0.000149 | 1.238476 | 0.359057 | null | 0.118645 | -0.156762 | 0.814503 | null | 0.547016 | 0.199602 |
125 | 3,732 | And yet I stood
before that fellow face to face and didn't knock his brains out!" "Teeth, you mean?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Lawrence Boythorn, really making the whole
house vibrate. "What, you have not forgotten it yet! Ha, ha, ha! And
that was another most consummate vagabond! By my soul, the
countenance of that fellow when he was a boy was the blackest image
of perfidy, cowardice, and cruelty ever set up as a scarecrow in a
field of scoundrels. If I were to meet that most unparalleled despot
in the streets to-morrow, I would fell him like a rotten tree!" "I have no doubt of it," said Mr. Jarndyce. "Now, will you come
upstairs?" "By my soul, Jarndyce," returned his guest, who seemed to refer to
his watch, "if you had been married, I would have turned back at the
garden-gate and gone away to the remotest summits of the Himalaya
Mountains sooner than I would have presented myself at this
unseasonable hour." "Not quite so far, I hope?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By my life and honour, yes!" cried the visitor. "I wouldn't be
guilty of the audacious insolence of keeping a lady of the house
waiting all this time for any earthly consideration. I would
infinitely rather destroy myself--infinitely rather!" Talking thus, they went upstairs, and presently we heard him in his
bedroom thundering "Ha, ha, ha!" and again "Ha, ha, ha!" until the
flattest echo in the neighbourhood seemed to catch the contagion and
to laugh as enjoyingly as he did or as we did when we heard him
laugh. We all conceived a prepossession in his favour, for there was a
sterling quality in this laugh, and in his vigorous, healthy voice,
and in the roundness and fullness with which he uttered every word he
spoke, and in the very fury of his superlatives, which seemed to go
off like blank cannons and hurt nothing. But we were hardly prepared
to have it so confirmed by his appearance when Mr. Jarndyce presented
him. He was not only a very handsome old gentleman--upright and
stalwart as he had been described to us--with a massive grey head, a
fine composure of face when silent, a figure that might have become
corpulent but for his being so continually in earnest that he gave it
no rest, and a chin that might have subsided into a double chin but
for the vehement emphasis in which it was constantly required to
assist; but he was such a true gentleman in his manner, so
chivalrously polite, his face was lighted by a smile of so much
sweetness and tenderness, and it seemed so plain that he had nothing
to hide, but showed himself exactly as he was--incapable, as Richard
said, of anything on a limited scale, and firing away with those
blank great guns because he carried no small arms whatever--that
really I could not help looking at him with equal pleasure as he sat
at dinner, whether he smilingly conversed with Ada and me, or was led
by Mr. Jarndyce into some great volley of superlatives, or threw up
his head like a bloodhound and gave out that tremendous "Ha, ha, ha!" "You have brought your bird with you, I suppose?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By heaven, he is the most astonishing bird in Europe!" replied the
other. "He IS the most wonderful creature! | Dataset: kmfoda/booksum/validation | 7.4 | 88.301154 | 691 | 50.617284 | 0.455446 | 0.519201 | 0.428372 | 0.356364 | 0.000149 | 1.238476 | 0.182532 | -0.299693 | 0.492895 | null | 0.637977 | 0.219508 | 0.921266 | null |
126 | 3,732 | And yet I stood
before that fellow face to face and didn't knock his brains out!" "Teeth, you mean?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Lawrence Boythorn, really making the whole
house vibrate. "What, you have not forgotten it yet! Ha, ha, ha! And
that was another most consummate vagabond! By my soul, the
countenance of that fellow when he was a boy was the blackest image
of perfidy, cowardice, and cruelty ever set up as a scarecrow in a
field of scoundrels. If I were to meet that most unparalleled despot
in the streets to-morrow, I would fell him like a rotten tree!" "I have no doubt of it," said Mr. Jarndyce. "Now, will you come
upstairs?" "By my soul, Jarndyce," returned his guest, who seemed to refer to
his watch, "if you had been married, I would have turned back at the
garden-gate and gone away to the remotest summits of the Himalaya
Mountains sooner than I would have presented myself at this
unseasonable hour." "Not quite so far, I hope?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By my life and honour, yes!" cried the visitor. "I wouldn't be
guilty of the audacious insolence of keeping a lady of the house
waiting all this time for any earthly consideration. I would
infinitely rather destroy myself--infinitely rather!" Talking thus, they went upstairs, and presently we heard him in his
bedroom thundering "Ha, ha, ha!" and again "Ha, ha, ha!" until the
flattest echo in the neighbourhood seemed to catch the contagion and
to laugh as enjoyingly as he did or as we did when we heard him
laugh. We all conceived a prepossession in his favour, for there was a
sterling quality in this laugh, and in his vigorous, healthy voice,
and in the roundness and fullness with which he uttered every word he
spoke, and in the very fury of his superlatives, which seemed to go
off like blank cannons and hurt nothing. But we were hardly prepared
to have it so confirmed by his appearance when Mr. Jarndyce presented
him. He was not only a very handsome old gentleman--upright and
stalwart as he had been described to us--with a massive grey head, a
fine composure of face when silent, a figure that might have become
corpulent but for his being so continually in earnest that he gave it
no rest, and a chin that might have subsided into a double chin but
for the vehement emphasis in which it was constantly required to
assist; but he was such a true gentleman in his manner, so
chivalrously polite, his face was lighted by a smile of so much
sweetness and tenderness, and it seemed so plain that he had nothing
to hide, but showed himself exactly as he was--incapable, as Richard
said, of anything on a limited scale, and firing away with those
blank great guns because he carried no small arms whatever--that
really I could not help looking at him with equal pleasure as he sat
at dinner, whether he smilingly conversed with Ada and me, or was led
by Mr. Jarndyce into some great volley of superlatives, or threw up
his head like a bloodhound and gave out that tremendous "Ha, ha, ha!" "You have brought your bird with you, I suppose?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By heaven, he is the most astonishing bird in Europe!" replied the
other. "He IS the most wonderful creature! | Dataset: kmfoda/booksum/validation | 7.4 | 88.301154 | 691 | 50.617284 | 0.455446 | 0.519201 | 0.428372 | 0.356364 | 0.000149 | 1.238476 | 0.452039 | 0.128323 | 0.434419 | null | 0.907484 | 0.647524 | 0.862791 | null |
127 | 3,732 | And yet I stood
before that fellow face to face and didn't knock his brains out!" "Teeth, you mean?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Lawrence Boythorn, really making the whole
house vibrate. "What, you have not forgotten it yet! Ha, ha, ha! And
that was another most consummate vagabond! By my soul, the
countenance of that fellow when he was a boy was the blackest image
of perfidy, cowardice, and cruelty ever set up as a scarecrow in a
field of scoundrels. If I were to meet that most unparalleled despot
in the streets to-morrow, I would fell him like a rotten tree!" "I have no doubt of it," said Mr. Jarndyce. "Now, will you come
upstairs?" "By my soul, Jarndyce," returned his guest, who seemed to refer to
his watch, "if you had been married, I would have turned back at the
garden-gate and gone away to the remotest summits of the Himalaya
Mountains sooner than I would have presented myself at this
unseasonable hour." "Not quite so far, I hope?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By my life and honour, yes!" cried the visitor. "I wouldn't be
guilty of the audacious insolence of keeping a lady of the house
waiting all this time for any earthly consideration. I would
infinitely rather destroy myself--infinitely rather!" Talking thus, they went upstairs, and presently we heard him in his
bedroom thundering "Ha, ha, ha!" and again "Ha, ha, ha!" until the
flattest echo in the neighbourhood seemed to catch the contagion and
to laugh as enjoyingly as he did or as we did when we heard him
laugh. We all conceived a prepossession in his favour, for there was a
sterling quality in this laugh, and in his vigorous, healthy voice,
and in the roundness and fullness with which he uttered every word he
spoke, and in the very fury of his superlatives, which seemed to go
off like blank cannons and hurt nothing. But we were hardly prepared
to have it so confirmed by his appearance when Mr. Jarndyce presented
him. He was not only a very handsome old gentleman--upright and
stalwart as he had been described to us--with a massive grey head, a
fine composure of face when silent, a figure that might have become
corpulent but for his being so continually in earnest that he gave it
no rest, and a chin that might have subsided into a double chin but
for the vehement emphasis in which it was constantly required to
assist; but he was such a true gentleman in his manner, so
chivalrously polite, his face was lighted by a smile of so much
sweetness and tenderness, and it seemed so plain that he had nothing
to hide, but showed himself exactly as he was--incapable, as Richard
said, of anything on a limited scale, and firing away with those
blank great guns because he carried no small arms whatever--that
really I could not help looking at him with equal pleasure as he sat
at dinner, whether he smilingly conversed with Ada and me, or was led
by Mr. Jarndyce into some great volley of superlatives, or threw up
his head like a bloodhound and gave out that tremendous "Ha, ha, ha!" "You have brought your bird with you, I suppose?" said Mr. Jarndyce. "By heaven, he is the most astonishing bird in Europe!" replied the
other. "He IS the most wonderful creature! | Dataset: kmfoda/booksum/validation | 7.4 | 88.301154 | 691 | 50.617284 | 0.455446 | 0.519201 | 0.428372 | 0.356364 | 0.000149 | 1.238476 | null | -0.259724 | -0.241254 | -0.187655 | null | 0.259477 | 0.187118 | 0.168709 |
128 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | 0.25209 | 0.566721 | -0.435656 | null | 0.885753 | 0.808921 | 0.564344 | null |
129 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | null | 0.417476 | -0.427358 | 0.364029 | null | 0.659677 | 0.572642 | 0.824151 |
130 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | 0.364435 | -0.100342 | -0.42421 | null | 0.998098 | 0.141858 | 0.57579 | null |
131 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | -0.390069 | null | -0.660585 | 0.449573 | 0.243594 | null | 0.339415 | 0.909695 |
132 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | -0.297784 | null | -0.149835 | 0.36091 | 0.335879 | null | 0.850165 | 0.821032 |
133 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | -0.529262 | null | -0.434649 | 0.377647 | 0.104401 | null | 0.565351 | 0.837769 |
134 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | 0.145723 | null | -0.495673 | 0.383849 | 0.779386 | null | 0.504327 | 0.843971 |
135 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | -0.59175 | null | -0.498626 | -0.398676 | 0.041913 | null | 0.501374 | 0.061446 |
136 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | null | 0.573938 | -0.131049 | -0.21644 | null | 0.816139 | 0.868951 | 0.243682 |
137 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | null | 0.165536 | -0.533369 | -0.431378 | null | 0.407737 | 0.466631 | 0.028744 |
138 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | null | 0.116406 | -0.447998 | -0.452373 | null | 0.358607 | 0.552002 | 0.00775 |
139 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | 0.252701 | 0.500465 | null | 0.36517 | 0.886364 | 0.742666 | null | 0.825292 |
140 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | null | 0.141771 | -0.28137 | -0.168832 | null | 0.383972 | 0.71863 | 0.29129 |
141 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | -0.180691 | null | -0.662869 | 0.168172 | 0.452972 | null | 0.337131 | 0.628294 |
142 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | -0.180806 | 0.515528 | null | 0.150424 | 0.452857 | 0.757729 | null | 0.610546 |
143 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | -0.478105 | -0.173031 | -0.453703 | null | 0.155558 | 0.06917 | 0.546297 | null |
144 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | -0.456238 | null | -0.544367 | -0.390049 | 0.177426 | null | 0.455633 | 0.070073 |
145 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | -0.56173 | 0.101229 | null | 0.241044 | 0.071933 | 0.34343 | null | 0.701166 |
146 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | -0.403802 | 0.165427 | null | 0.270115 | 0.229861 | 0.407628 | null | 0.730237 |
147 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | 0.262844 | 0.521194 | -0.263482 | null | 0.896507 | 0.763395 | 0.736518 | null |
148 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | 0.121381 | 0.36806 | -0.57025 | null | 0.755044 | 0.610261 | 0.42975 | null |
149 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | -0.39655 | null | -0.371551 | 0.327002 | 0.237114 | null | 0.628449 | 0.787124 |
150 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | -0.356416 | 0.260406 | null | -0.323086 | 0.277247 | 0.502607 | null | 0.137036 |
151 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | 0.228222 | 0.391867 | null | 0.382159 | 0.861885 | 0.634068 | null | 0.842281 |
152 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | -0.436447 | null | -0.493109 | -0.190273 | 0.197216 | null | 0.506891 | 0.269849 |
153 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | -0.384134 | -0.15157 | null | 0.258362 | 0.24953 | 0.090631 | null | 0.718484 |
154 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | 0.266431 | 0.544524 | null | 0.176344 | 0.900094 | 0.786725 | null | 0.636466 |
155 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | -0.54919 | null | -0.306168 | 0.168 | 0.084473 | null | 0.693832 | 0.628122 |
156 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | null | -0.216269 | -0.106146 | -0.436105 | null | 0.025932 | 0.893854 | 0.024017 |
157 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | -0.278041 | null | -0.629632 | -0.324873 | 0.355623 | null | 0.370368 | 0.135249 |
158 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | -0.352219 | null | -0.395751 | 0.250199 | 0.281444 | null | 0.604249 | 0.710321 |
159 | 897 | Paul Britton, pictured arriving at the employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, claims he was called a 'paedo' and forced to get changed in a disabled toilet during a campaign of abuse . A gay swimming instructor was called a 'paedo' by his manager ordered to get changed in a disabled toilet away from others, a tribunal heard today. Paul Britton claims he was referred to as a 'f****t' and a 'gayboy' and was told he should not be teaching young children, during a campaign of abuse by leisure centre colleagues. Staff members also sent him lewd photographs on Snapchat - including one featuring a workmate in a mankini - in a bid to hound him out of his job, the hearing was told. The homosexual instructor, who is also a trainee lawyer, told a judge that managers at the leisure centre had tried to make his life unbearable because he had exposed their 'lies' at an employment tribunal where he represented a disabled colleague. He told the tribunal that he had worked at the centre for three years without incident prior to the tribunal, which resulted in his employers having to pay out a hefty settlement. Shortly after that, he claimed his line manager, Graham Ashby, started the tirade of homophobic abuse. The 31-year-old said the campaign of abuse began in June 2013, when Mr Ashby called him a 'greedy gay' after overhearing him tell a colleague he was going to order a Dominos pizza. 'I was deeply upset about this comment and completely offended,' he told the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. A month later he said Mr Ashby ordered him not to use the male changing rooms as it was 'inappropriate' and told him to use the disabled toilet instead. 'When I asked him why, he explained that if I was to use the male communal changing area it would be like him using the female changing area. 'I did not want to give Graham Ashby a reason to discipline me or give me a hard time, especially in front of others. The tribunal heard Mr Ashby then approached the experienced swimming instructor and told him it was 'wrong' for him to teach children. 'When I asked him why, he asked me if I was a Tory. I responded, I told him that I was a Conservative to which he said 'gay and Tory can mean only one thing'. 'I asked him 'what does that mean then?' to which he laughed and said 'paedo' and walked away. 'I was deeply offended and so shocked that I had to go home, saying that I felt unwell.' Mr Britton, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal. The pair worked together High Wycombe Sports Centre, which is run by Parkwood Leisure, based in Bishops Stortford. 'When I returned to work relationships became strained for me. I had questioned and interrogated a number of senior managers at Parkwood whilst at the tribunal. 'I felt that my support of Mr Moore had been seen as negative by those that employed me. I felt ostracised by those that were involved in the Dale Moore case.' Among the torrent of abuse was a series of images sent to him on social networking app Snapchat showing colleagues in lewd and compromising positions, the tribunal heard. Mr Britton, dressed in a smart pinstripe suit and white shirt, told the hearing that the photos were sent by colleague Ben Mitchell which included an image of his flatmate and a fellow leisure centre employee, William Stroud, wearing a revealing mankini. Mr Britton told the tribunal that he had felt increasingly ostracised when he returned from work at High Wycombe Sports Centre (pictured) after successfully representing disabled colleague Dale Moore at an employment tribunal . Another photo featured an image of Mr Mitchell containing the words 'waistcoat...no shirt...gay cowboy' and a different picture of him headbutting a melon. 'I took this as a direct threat to my personal safety and I was fearful,' said Mr Britton. He told the judge he had found the images degrading and disgusting and thought they were homophobic. However, when he complained to Mr Ashby, the manager told him to 'lighten up' and that it was just 'banter.' He told the hearing that Mr Ashby had also made jibes about his hair loss including saying 'here comes the bald queer' which he described as 'very hurtful.' 'I believe that Graham Ashby's comments were made because he does not like homosexuals and that he would do anything to be nasty and create difficulties for me at work because of my assistance to Dale Moore in 2012. 'I had started to question my sexuality which I had never done before. I no longer wanted to get out of bed in the mornings. I had stopped going to the gym to train and to the pool to swim leisurely. I did not want to leave the house. I was frightened to go to the sport centre.' He also claimed that, in another incident, Duty Manager Joel Hoyte told him to take off his wetsuit by the poolside in front of a young boy, even though he said he had nothing on underneath. 'Mr Hoyte's behaviour towards me was aggressive,' he added.' I thought he was going to physically attack me in the pool. He was so angry and hostile towards me. The public and staff that were present were completely silent.' Mr Britton told the hearing that he had now given up hope of resuming his teaching career. 'I'm effectively prohibited from using pools near to me because of the events and the individuals,' he said. Defending the centre, Jeff Middleton said his claims of homophobia were not true and added: 'You left because you didn't want the practice on one to ones to change and you didn't like being told not to wear your wetsuit in the pool.' Colleagues of Mr Britton agreed he had been 'singled out' for abusive treatment because he was gay. Former centre manager Michael Walker told the tribunal that the 31-year-old had been overlooked for a promotion because of his sexuality. He said superior Mr Ashby, told him in a meeting that he did not think a 'gay' should run the swimming school because 'we might lose customers.' Mr Walker added that staff had been told to 'keep the heat off' Mr Ashby and said: 'In essence he was untouchable and was allowed to operate outside of the normal rules . 'Almost every month Graham Ashby would ask me to check Paul Britton's timesheets. He never told me why, not did he ever ask me to do this for any of the other swimming instructors.' Leisure assistant Mark Gee spoke of the bullying culture at the centre and said the environment was 'the worst I have worked in.' 'Joel Hoyte likes to throw his weight around...he is power hungry. He said to me once in staff training that he likes the fear he induces,' he said. He added that Nicola Allen, who was chairing a grievance hearing into the dispute, told him that homophobic remarks such as 'alright gayboy' were 'banter' and 'part of the environment of working in leisure.' Swimming instructor Alex Jones recalled an incident when Mr Ashby made apparently derogatory remarks about Mr Britton's partner. He said he was in the swim office with Mr Britton and his partner Daniel Beech when Mr Ashby walked in and said 'Paul and I are going to run away together.' When Mr Britton explained that Mr Beech was his boyfriend, Mr Ashby said 'each to their own' before waving his hands in the air and walking off. 'I did not know if Graham Ashby's comments were made because Paul Britton and Daniel Beech are homosexual and that he disapproved of their relationship, or if it was because Daniel Beech is half Chinese. 'I do believe either of the reasons for his comment would have made it inappropriate to say and clearly, in my opinion, discriminatory in nature.' The tribunal was adjourned until tomorrow. | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.2 | 65.11619 | 1,545 | 53.600294 | 0.633663 | 0.242201 | 1 | 0.460122 | 0.00042 | 3.487284 | 0.354476 | 0.527813 | null | -0.102968 | 0.98814 | 0.770014 | null | 0.357154 |
160 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | -0.148547 | 0.262411 | -0.32368 | null | 0.495018 | 0.732292 | 0.424748 | null |
161 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | -0.624738 | null | -0.490358 | -0.622495 | 0.018826 | null | 0.25807 | 0.293761 |
162 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | -0.563927 | 0.212672 | -0.306476 | null | 0.079637 | 0.682554 | 0.441951 | null |
163 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | null | 0.123904 | -0.553437 | -0.308744 | null | 0.593786 | 0.194991 | 0.607512 |
164 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | 0.181171 | null | -0.2472 | -0.393017 | 0.824735 | null | 0.501227 | 0.523239 |
165 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | -0.594759 | -0.239617 | null | -0.121706 | 0.048806 | 0.230265 | null | 0.79455 |
166 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | -0.5355 | -0.348461 | 0.168581 | null | 0.108064 | 0.12142 | 0.917009 | null |
167 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | 0.169099 | null | -0.698988 | -0.47314 | 0.812663 | null | 0.049439 | 0.443116 |
168 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | -0.528848 | null | -0.35122 | -0.134163 | 0.114716 | null | 0.397207 | 0.782093 |
169 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | null | 0.259031 | -0.209798 | -0.549352 | null | 0.728913 | 0.53863 | 0.366904 |
170 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | -0.123224 | null | -0.608303 | -0.27917 | 0.52034 | null | 0.140125 | 0.637086 |
171 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | -0.552812 | 0.527646 | -0.562122 | null | 0.090753 | 0.997527 | 0.186305 | null |
172 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | -0.314465 | -0.368772 | null | -0.326361 | 0.3291 | 0.101109 | null | 0.589895 |
173 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | 0.201842 | 0.403731 | -0.337206 | null | 0.845406 | 0.873613 | 0.411222 | null |
174 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | -0.105287 | 0.309522 | -0.329776 | null | 0.538278 | 0.779404 | 0.418651 | null |
175 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | 0.200856 | -0.151574 | 0.105751 | null | 0.844421 | 0.318307 | 0.854179 | null |
176 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | -0.510844 | -0.450134 | -0.427364 | null | 0.132721 | 0.019747 | 0.321063 | null |
177 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | 0.228292 | -0.367893 | 0.101413 | null | 0.871856 | 0.101989 | 0.849841 | null |
178 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | -0.523014 | 0.411394 | null | -0.263897 | 0.12055 | 0.881275 | null | 0.652359 |
179 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | 0.184251 | 0.525651 | -0.244937 | null | 0.827816 | 0.995532 | 0.503491 | null |
180 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | 0.22646 | 0.221707 | -0.26319 | null | 0.870025 | 0.691589 | 0.485238 | null |
181 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | 0.161503 | -0.404548 | null | -0.504506 | 0.805067 | 0.065334 | null | 0.41175 |
182 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | -0.541345 | -0.115988 | null | -0.289224 | 0.10222 | 0.353893 | null | 0.627032 |
183 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | 0.2786 | null | -0.604273 | -0.624237 | 0.922164 | null | 0.144155 | 0.292019 |
184 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | null | 0.469522 | -0.353773 | -0.400617 | null | 0.939403 | 0.394654 | 0.515639 |
185 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | -0.388955 | null | -0.215309 | -0.527049 | 0.25461 | null | 0.533119 | 0.389207 |
186 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | null | 0.443078 | -0.689753 | -0.506364 | null | 0.91296 | 0.058675 | 0.409892 |
187 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | -0.200079 | null | -0.630781 | -0.210834 | 0.443485 | null | 0.117647 | 0.705422 |
188 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | 0.271959 | 0.389004 | null | -0.368133 | 0.915524 | 0.858885 | null | 0.548123 |
189 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | 0.206242 | null | -0.199252 | -0.106699 | 0.849806 | null | 0.549176 | 0.809557 |
190 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | null | -0.157962 | -0.33921 | -0.617191 | null | 0.31192 | 0.409218 | 0.299065 |
191 | 319 | Prehistoric hunters may have tipped their stone arrows and spears with poisons to help them bring down prey, scientists believe. Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to test ancient weapons for residues left by toxic plant material added to them. Preliminary tests have suggested that a set of 4,000-year-old stone-tipped arrows from Egypt were coated with poisonous compounds including the plant Acokanthera. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in paleolithic hunting weapons at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, believes hunters may have been using toxic chemicals on their weapons up to 30,000 years ago. The image above shows arrows from China that were used in a crossbow that were dipped in poison . She said that Paleolithic hunters may have used poisonous pastes made from plants to help make their weapons kill prey more swiftly. Early humans may have evolved to throw spears allowing them to hunt around two million years ago, a new study has suggested. Scientists have found that the skeletons of early species of human changed to give them the ability to throw much like modern humans. A study of fossils of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, shows that their shoulders and collar bone would have allowed them to hurl sticks accurately and powerfully. This would have enabled Homo erectus to become a proficient hunter, able to throw weapons like spears and rocks at potential prey. She said: 'It made good sense for people to use poisons. 'On their own, Palaeolithic weapons with stone arrowheads may not have been deadly enough to immobilise or kill a large animal such as a red deer. 'Poisonous plants were plentiful and the prehistoric population knew the environment where they lived, they knew the edible plants and their potential as medicines and poisons. 'To fabricate a poison is easy and economic, and the risk is minimal. In addition, the making of poisons is often part of the tradition and the rituality of hunting.' Dr Borgia has been working with forensic scientist Michell Cralin from Northumbria University and Dr Huw Barton, from the University of Leicester, to test for the presence of poisonous plants on prehistoric weapons. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, which is used to detect traces of drugs by modern forensic scientists, they are examining residues left on the tips of ancient weapons. They are also looking for the presence of starch grains that may have been left on the weapons from toxic plant material. This wooden spatula from Malaysia wrapped in a palm leaf was used to apply poison to darts used for hunting . Dr Borgia has conducted tests on 4,000 year old arrow heads found in Egypt (left) that are thought to have been tipped with a poisonous black residue. The image on the right shows a pot of curare, a plant-based poison which is still used by some indigenous hunter-gatherers in South America to coat darts and arrows . They can then compare the results from these tests against a database of known poisonous plants. Dr Borgia has already collected samples from a number objects known to have contained poison and ancient weapons to test the technique. These include a 1926 Chinese pot containing Aconite poison inside, Malaysian darts tipped with the poison Upas, Chinese crossbow arrows and a number of African arrows. Many hunter gatherer societies are known to use poisons when they are hunting. The Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest use curare - a mix of bark scrapings from Strychnos vines - to tip their darts and arrows when hunting. The use of curare was once common among indigenous populations in South America. The researchers have used starch grains like the ones shown on the left from the plant Aconitum napellus to help identify poisonous materials. Aconitum was found inside this pot on the right thought to date from 1926 . In Africa hunters use another species of Strychnos to produce the poison strychnine, while other plants like Acokanthera, and Strophantus are also used. Hunters in Northern Asia are also known to have used monkshood to kill large animals such as bears and Siberian ibex. The seeds from yew trees are also thought to have been used to poison arrows. Dr Borgia has also collected black residue from six arrows that date from pre-dynasty Egypt. These 4,000-year-old arrows were first studied by scientists 40 years ago when small portons of the residue from the stone tips were injected into a cat. Opium, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs have been used by humans for thousands of years. An anthropologist has discovered that humans have been cultivating and using mood-altering substances since the Stone Age. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce has compiled evidence from around the world that Neolithic people were taking drugs derived from cacti in 8,600BC and that they were cultivating opium poppies by around 6000BC. Researchers have also found reddish stains on 13,000 year old human teeth found in a burial pit in Duyong Cave on Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, which are thought to be caused by chewing the leaves of the betel plant. It is still chewed through out much of Asia as a mild stimulant. Charred cannabis seeds have also been found in bowls that date from the Bronze age Pit-Grave culture that appeared in Romania around 2000BC. This bone harpoon in a museum in Cambridge carries a warning label that reads 'Care, Has been poisoned' The animal did not die but became ill, suggesting the presence of a poison. Dr Borgia said: 'Nowadays we have the right instruments to get more information without cruelty to animals. 'Initial tests strongly suggest the presence of Acokanthera, a poisonous plant on our database, but we can’t be completely certain as there are a number of components in the compound. 'We know that the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans used plant-based poisons both for hunting animals and in war. 'In fact, the word ‘toxic’ come from toxon, the Greek for bow. Taxus is a genus of the yew tree with a springy timber traditionally used to make bows. 'It also produces seeds used to poison arrows. In Britain, yews grown for their timber were planted in churchyards so that animals wouldn’t be poisoned by eating their berries. “Few hunter-gatherer societies remain today but all the groups that have survived employ poisons.' | Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation | 9.3 | 84.173108 | 1,149 | 66.714015 | 0.643564 | 0.469882 | 0.748428 | 0.916256 | 0.000213 | 1.767891 | null | 0.393897 | 0.234132 | -0.457165 | null | 0.863778 | 0.982559 | 0.459091 |
192 | 6,497 | so this happened 2 days ago. a little backstory about that day. i was running on all of 3 hours of sleep and had been outside in the freezing cold and rain for 6 and a half hours with no rain gear. so as were finishing up for the day one of our machines break and a 200 pound gear comes off of the machine. ok no big deal, we were instructed to put it in a closet and the mechanics would fix it in the morning. so as me and my coworker are putting this gear in the closet, it tips over and crushes my finger in between this solid steel gear and a metal door frame. i yelled and my coworker was able to pull it off my finger. i immediately noticed a 2 inch long gash in my finger deep enough to see the bone, so i took my shirt off and used it to put pressure on the wound. my coworker then rushed me to the doctor where i got 5 stitches in my finger. will upload pictures of the finger if requested. | Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train | 5.9 | 49.242 | 200 | 59.392265 | 0.306931 | 0.052545 | 0.085255 | 0.661584 | 0.000034 | 0.282229 | -0.236811 | 0.139487 | 0.634791 | null | 0.07012 | 0.192032 | 0.720046 | null |
193 | 6,497 | so this happened 2 days ago. a little backstory about that day. i was running on all of 3 hours of sleep and had been outside in the freezing cold and rain for 6 and a half hours with no rain gear. so as were finishing up for the day one of our machines break and a 200 pound gear comes off of the machine. ok no big deal, we were instructed to put it in a closet and the mechanics would fix it in the morning. so as me and my coworker are putting this gear in the closet, it tips over and crushes my finger in between this solid steel gear and a metal door frame. i yelled and my coworker was able to pull it off my finger. i immediately noticed a 2 inch long gash in my finger deep enough to see the bone, so i took my shirt off and used it to put pressure on the wound. my coworker then rushed me to the doctor where i got 5 stitches in my finger. will upload pictures of the finger if requested. | Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train | 5.9 | 49.242 | 200 | 59.392265 | 0.306931 | 0.052545 | 0.085255 | 0.661584 | 0.000034 | 0.282229 | 0.149091 | null | 0.290982 | -0.270355 | 0.456022 | null | 0.376238 | 0.391229 |
194 | 6,497 | so this happened 2 days ago. a little backstory about that day. i was running on all of 3 hours of sleep and had been outside in the freezing cold and rain for 6 and a half hours with no rain gear. so as were finishing up for the day one of our machines break and a 200 pound gear comes off of the machine. ok no big deal, we were instructed to put it in a closet and the mechanics would fix it in the morning. so as me and my coworker are putting this gear in the closet, it tips over and crushes my finger in between this solid steel gear and a metal door frame. i yelled and my coworker was able to pull it off my finger. i immediately noticed a 2 inch long gash in my finger deep enough to see the bone, so i took my shirt off and used it to put pressure on the wound. my coworker then rushed me to the doctor where i got 5 stitches in my finger. will upload pictures of the finger if requested. | Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train | 5.9 | 49.242 | 200 | 59.392265 | 0.306931 | 0.052545 | 0.085255 | 0.661584 | 0.000034 | 0.282229 | 0.580714 | 0.455381 | null | -0.369847 | 0.887645 | 0.507926 | null | 0.291737 |
195 | 6,497 | so this happened 2 days ago. a little backstory about that day. i was running on all of 3 hours of sleep and had been outside in the freezing cold and rain for 6 and a half hours with no rain gear. so as were finishing up for the day one of our machines break and a 200 pound gear comes off of the machine. ok no big deal, we were instructed to put it in a closet and the mechanics would fix it in the morning. so as me and my coworker are putting this gear in the closet, it tips over and crushes my finger in between this solid steel gear and a metal door frame. i yelled and my coworker was able to pull it off my finger. i immediately noticed a 2 inch long gash in my finger deep enough to see the bone, so i took my shirt off and used it to put pressure on the wound. my coworker then rushed me to the doctor where i got 5 stitches in my finger. will upload pictures of the finger if requested. | Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train | 5.9 | 49.242 | 200 | 59.392265 | 0.306931 | 0.052545 | 0.085255 | 0.661584 | 0.000034 | 0.282229 | 0.483874 | 0.49997 | null | -0.20347 | 0.790805 | 0.552516 | null | 0.458114 |
196 | 6,497 | so this happened 2 days ago. a little backstory about that day. i was running on all of 3 hours of sleep and had been outside in the freezing cold and rain for 6 and a half hours with no rain gear. so as were finishing up for the day one of our machines break and a 200 pound gear comes off of the machine. ok no big deal, we were instructed to put it in a closet and the mechanics would fix it in the morning. so as me and my coworker are putting this gear in the closet, it tips over and crushes my finger in between this solid steel gear and a metal door frame. i yelled and my coworker was able to pull it off my finger. i immediately noticed a 2 inch long gash in my finger deep enough to see the bone, so i took my shirt off and used it to put pressure on the wound. my coworker then rushed me to the doctor where i got 5 stitches in my finger. will upload pictures of the finger if requested. | Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train | 5.9 | 49.242 | 200 | 59.392265 | 0.306931 | 0.052545 | 0.085255 | 0.661584 | 0.000034 | 0.282229 | null | 0.582457 | 0.355563 | 0.334163 | null | 0.635003 | 0.440818 | 0.995747 |
197 | 6,497 | so this happened 2 days ago. a little backstory about that day. i was running on all of 3 hours of sleep and had been outside in the freezing cold and rain for 6 and a half hours with no rain gear. so as were finishing up for the day one of our machines break and a 200 pound gear comes off of the machine. ok no big deal, we were instructed to put it in a closet and the mechanics would fix it in the morning. so as me and my coworker are putting this gear in the closet, it tips over and crushes my finger in between this solid steel gear and a metal door frame. i yelled and my coworker was able to pull it off my finger. i immediately noticed a 2 inch long gash in my finger deep enough to see the bone, so i took my shirt off and used it to put pressure on the wound. my coworker then rushed me to the doctor where i got 5 stitches in my finger. will upload pictures of the finger if requested. | Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train | 5.9 | 49.242 | 200 | 59.392265 | 0.306931 | 0.052545 | 0.085255 | 0.661584 | 0.000034 | 0.282229 | -0.23293 | 0.568209 | 0.504221 | null | 0.074 | 0.620754 | 0.589476 | null |
198 | 6,497 | so this happened 2 days ago. a little backstory about that day. i was running on all of 3 hours of sleep and had been outside in the freezing cold and rain for 6 and a half hours with no rain gear. so as were finishing up for the day one of our machines break and a 200 pound gear comes off of the machine. ok no big deal, we were instructed to put it in a closet and the mechanics would fix it in the morning. so as me and my coworker are putting this gear in the closet, it tips over and crushes my finger in between this solid steel gear and a metal door frame. i yelled and my coworker was able to pull it off my finger. i immediately noticed a 2 inch long gash in my finger deep enough to see the bone, so i took my shirt off and used it to put pressure on the wound. my coworker then rushed me to the doctor where i got 5 stitches in my finger. will upload pictures of the finger if requested. | Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train | 5.9 | 49.242 | 200 | 59.392265 | 0.306931 | 0.052545 | 0.085255 | 0.661584 | 0.000034 | 0.282229 | null | 0.395233 | 0.577905 | -0.475551 | null | 0.447778 | 0.66316 | 0.186033 |
199 | 6,497 | so this happened 2 days ago. a little backstory about that day. i was running on all of 3 hours of sleep and had been outside in the freezing cold and rain for 6 and a half hours with no rain gear. so as were finishing up for the day one of our machines break and a 200 pound gear comes off of the machine. ok no big deal, we were instructed to put it in a closet and the mechanics would fix it in the morning. so as me and my coworker are putting this gear in the closet, it tips over and crushes my finger in between this solid steel gear and a metal door frame. i yelled and my coworker was able to pull it off my finger. i immediately noticed a 2 inch long gash in my finger deep enough to see the bone, so i took my shirt off and used it to put pressure on the wound. my coworker then rushed me to the doctor where i got 5 stitches in my finger. will upload pictures of the finger if requested. | Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train | 5.9 | 49.242 | 200 | 59.392265 | 0.306931 | 0.052545 | 0.085255 | 0.661584 | 0.000034 | 0.282229 | -0.126104 | null | 0.414138 | -0.435774 | 0.180827 | null | 0.499393 | 0.22581 |
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