Shop owner to give drunks electric shock

An Irish shop owner has installed an electric current to shock drunks who urinate against his premises.

John O'Connor told Sky News that he has spent €3,000 (£2,746) on CCTV cameras and security devices, but it made no difference.

He has now spread live wires in front of the music shop in County Clare in an attempt to stop the behaviour.

"If anybody persists and continues with the anti-social behaviour they'll get a shock," he said. "They'll know all about it."

O'Connor continued: "The wires are on the ground where I'm greeted every Monday morning with pools of their urine, mounds of their faeces. You can see [the wires], it's pretty obvious. There are signs everywhere."

O'Connor added that he had decided to set up the current after urine flooded his shop last week.

"Last Monday morning the place was destroyed," he said. "Urine had seeped into the door jamb. I was greeted by a flood of urine inside on the carpet and lino. I had to clean it up for about an hour.

"I've been doing this for years. I've tolerated it but you come to a certain stage that when you're greeted with this you just say, 'Enough is enough'."

However, a Gardai spokesman warned that O'Connor could be prosecuted under the Non-Fatal Offences Against The Person Act.

He said: "If somebody was to injure themselves he might have a few questions to answer. If it was reported we would investigate."