Comments on: PCSO unlawfully deleted photographers images

By: andy

andy — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 20:41:40 +0000

I would have sort a private prosecution for unlawful detention, or I would have arrested the pcso to prevent a breach of the peace.

By: Snappie

Snappie — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 22:41:00 +0000

I have been a pro photographer (now Retired well almost) I feel we all have just as much right to take photographs. What extra rights should a member of any union no matter what union when it comes to a legal right of all.
If the police or Pcso’s want to stop people taking photographs in case they are terrorists they should stand outside Buckingham Palace. there are coachloads of people who 70 years ago and less whose fathers were trying to kill all of us.

By: You can’t trust a copper » Anonymong

You can’t trust a copper » Anonymong — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 23:27:51 +0000

[...] been a high profile issue or anything), and of course the plastic police have been found to delete photographs unlawfully. None of which of course is particularly news, and is hardly surprising given that the chief [...]

By: red snapper

red snapper — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 15:00:23 +0000

I’ve been stopped several times by Network Rail security when taking photos at railway stations. They say that permission from their press office is needed. This incident is different in that it was police and PCSO’s, not station staff who harassed our colleague. But what is the situation regarding photography in and around train stations?

By: Biffo

Biffo — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 17:23:27 +0000

Good result, though a better result would have been to see the PCSO done for misconduct. What is it with the police that they employ these nonentities with jumped up ideas of their own importance & turn ‘em loose on an unsuspectiong public without any/enough training & knowledge of the law?

By: adambanksdotcom

adambanksdotcom — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 10:56:56 +0000

Agree with tacitus: it’s vital to defend the principle that ANYONE may photograph the police at any time unless there’s a specific reason in law to prevent them. What if some other witness had tried to record this incident and been detained – would that have been OK?

The NUJ seems very keen to publicise these incidents as examples of “professional journalists” being hindered, and to play up the significance of press cards (issued by the NUJ and with no statutory function); but if the NUJ has real respect for the civil liberties so ably supported by the activities of its members, it should make clear that it doesn’t regard the right to record and report events as a privilege that need be accorded only to recognised journalists.

By: Old Holborn

Old Holborn — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 10:32:33 +0000

http://www.btp.police.uk/neighbourhood_policing/london_south/waterloo_npt.aspx#getintouch

Time to demand some answers methinks

By: tacitus

tacitus — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 10:11:58 +0000

I’m somewhat disappointed – the ‘advice’ given to police only specifies ‘members of the media’ or ‘journalists’. Surely ordinary members of the public should have the same rights?

By: Jonathan Warren

Jonathan Warren — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 10:10:52 +0000

When push comes to shove we should stand up for our rights, rather than perpetuate the belief that police can stop you photographing or delete images.

Whilst deleting images and recovering them later is the easy way out, it’s not really the best way.

By: Terence Eden

Terence Eden — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 09:53:18 +0000

Depending on the camera and memory card, it’s very easy to recover deleted photos using software like http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec

While I’m not condoning what the police did – if push comes to shove, better to show them you’ve deleted them and then undelete at your leisure – rather than at Her Majesty’s Pleasure.