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Boy George's brush-off
By SUN ONLINE REPORTER BOY George's stint as a street cleaner in Manhattan lasted just 30 minutes today after a media scrum erupted. The musician - real name George O’Dowd - was put to work with gloves, shovel, broom and plastic bags but was swiftly surrounded by a crowd of photographers and reporters. He was returned to the New York sanitation department’s garage on 'safety grounds' and was seen sweeping an area behind a fence. The former Culture Club frontman, 45, was beginning a five-day stint of community service after his arrest last October. At the time, he had called police following an incident at his home. But cops arrested the star after finding cocaine in his apartment. He later pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of wasting police time. Earlier, he unleashed an angry rant at reporters, at one point
sweeping a pile of leaves angrily towards cameras. Asked if he thought his punishment was unfair, he replied: "It’s not unfair. It’s just impractical having you f****** chasing me around.
F*** off. Go away."
O’Dowd also told reporters asking whether he was troubled by the menial nature of his task: "My mum was a cleaner, my dad was a builder, know what I mean?"
After a convoy of cars chased the singer around the streets of Chinatown, O’Dowd was returned to the safety of the depot.
Sanitation department deputy chief Albert Durrell said he had taken the singer off the streets because he was concerned for everyone’s safety.
Instead, he said, O'Dowd would spend the rest of his eight hour shift and possibly the rest of the week working at the garage.
"He’ll be hand sweeping the area along the fence," Mr Durrell added.
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