UK.Gov: merely incompetent, or drooling idiots?

I report, you decide:

A War On Terror board game designed in Cambridge has been seized by police who claim the balaclava in the set could be used in a criminal act.

The satirical board game was confiscated along with knives, chisels and bolt cutters, from climate protesters during a series of raids near Kingsnorth power station, in Kent, last week.

The game's creators, Andrew Sheerin and Andy Tompkins, web designers from Cambridge, have expressed total shock at the inclusion of their toy among "criminal" items.

Andrew, 32, said: "I saw pictures of the board game in papers and was absolutely baffled.

"Surely no member of the public is going to believe that a board game could be used as a weapon?"

Andrew, this is the UK.Gov you're talking about, not just any old "member of the public." Besides the balaclava in question was embroidered with the word "EVIL". 'Nuff said.

Via Slashdot, where I turned to in hopes of quality snark. Ever faithful, they delivered:

Because when I think 'hijacking an airplane', I think about wearing a balaclava with the word EVIL stitched to my head.

Bruce Schneier cuts to the chase:

Don't they realize that balaclavas are for sale everywhere in the UK? Or that scarves, hoods, handkerchiefs, and dark glasses could also be used to conceal someone's identity?

So as a public service to any UK.Gov readers (you know who you are!): any Google search for police+seize+game+[your ministry name here] is way bad PR, mkay?

And as a public service to any European readers who think that Americans are idiots, consider your continent mocked. And there's a lot more where that came from.