Suffolk CC chairman Cllr Guy McGregor faces arrest for breaking an archaic 17th century law forbidding the use of his surname - it emerged today.
Under the 1603 edict passed by James VI of Scotland, who was also James I of England, the name MacGregor was ‘altogidder abolisheed’.
MacGregors were denied food, water and shelter and forbidden from travelling in groups of more than two or from using a knife to cut meat.
In effect this meant anyone refusing to renounce the name was liable to be executed, a fate which befell clan chief Alasdair MacGregor and 30 members of the infamous highland clan in Edinburgh in 1604.
As a result, many clan members assumed new names, commonly Murray and Grant, and the law was only revoked in 1774.
Speaking from an undisclosed Ipswich location, Cllr McGregor told LocalGov things had moved on since 1603, when bloodhounds were used to track down his ancestors.
‘Nevertheless, due to an administrative error as part of the devolution of powers to the Scottish Executive, there is a danger that an European Arrest Warrant will be used to hold me in prison before extradition proceedings begin,’ Cllr McGregor claimed.
Suffolk CC sources indicated Cllr MacGregor is among one of 20 high profile county figures expected to be brought to stand trial at Ipswich Crown Court on 15 October as part of ‘The Jail and Bail Campaign’.
This charity initiative aims to raise money for the Ormiston Children and Families Trust, which runs more than 40 services in six counties across East Anglia.
Each of the twenty community and business leaders will be arrested by real Special Police Officers, placed in mock custody with their fellow jailbirds until they use their contacts to raise their bail.
