Keith Richards challenges authorities

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

London (ANI): Guitarist Keith Richards has apparently found an unusual and amusing way to poke fun at anti-tobacco laws, for he puffed a cotton wool cigarette during a show at London"s O2 Arena recently. The Rolling Stones star lit up in defiance of the smoking ban, but later told fans his cigarette was full of cotton wool. The 63-year-old star"s action prompted Greenwich Council to investigate the matter.

However, Richards escaped the clutches of law after the investigators failed find any evidence of breach of the smoking ban. “We found no evidence there was a breach of the smoking ban. He made clear it was cotton wool. This was clearly a joke," The Sun quoted a council spokesman, as saying.