Condiment nazis?

The Mail reports that:

"Officials in Gateshead have been touring chip shops confiscating salt shakers with more than five holes in them.

They have spent £2,000 on replacements, which are being given away free.

According to a spokesman: 'Research carried out by us discovered customers were often receiving huge quantities of salt with their fish and chips - up to half their daily allowance.

'The council was so disturbed it decided to commission a manufacturer to produce a salt shaker with fewer holes, which it distributed free to every fish and chip shop and hot food takeaway in Gateshead. We believe the cost to be a small price to pay for potentially saving lives.'

Officials claim that cutting the number of holes from the traditional 17 to just five reduces by up to 60 per cent the amount of salt shaken onto a fish supper.

They carried out 15 days of research, obtaining samples of fish and chips, measuring salt content and conducting experiments 'to determine how the problem of excessive salt being dispensed could be overcome by design' while still ensuring a 'visibly attractive sprinkle'."

I am sure you can guess the punchline...

"What they haven't factored in is the ingenuity of chip shop customers, who will sprinkle on however much salt they fancy. Fewer holes simply means they shake for longer.

In some cases, chippie owners report punters unscrewing the caps of the shakers to save time, smothering their food with salt.

People will always find a way of beating the system."

I believe there is a word to describe the people that introduce such schemes - "fuckwits"