ANYONE following the story that a reinterpretation of the meaning of ‘special event’ so that Cobo Bay Hotel’s popular live music event cannot go ahead without great cost will be wondering what the real story is.

The decision to define ‘special event’ more narrowly makes no sense in the context of what already happens in the island – there seems little out of the ordinary about closing Le Val de Terres for the hill climbs – or even roads in the Castel parish, when the Vazon sprints are considered.

If, as the police chief has been quoted by one of his senior officers as saying, closures ought to be exceptional and akin to a royal visit, he really is courting an island-wide backlash when he puts that into practice – as he must – across the board.

By any standards, what has happened to Cobo Bay Hotel seems perverse, possibly vindictive.

When the Law Officers were approached about this, they should have told the police not to be so silly – there have been no problems with the way the law has been interpreted since at least 1988.

Since they have been approached, it looks suspiciously like someone was looking for a way to prevent the so-called balcony gigs from going ahead.

If so, why? And why has the island’s police force put itself in the position of appearing to collude with them?

There is much about this that is malodorous.

Guernsey’s chief officer of police, or whoever acted in his name, needs to provide a clear explanation of what prompted the request for a redefinition of ‘special event’ and why it was deemed necessary to follow the new advice (other than it being what he wanted to hear).

The Law Officers, too, have been less than forthcoming about why, if their latest definition is correct, they have allowed the island’s force so sloppily to police road closure legislation until just now.

If this is not done, the fear islanders will be left with is that someone has complained about hundreds of local youngsters enjoying a noisy afternoon of beer and live music and police and Law Officers have hatched a plot to spoil the fun.

So just who is pulling the strings on this?