Photography And The Police In The UK

Filming in public? Cut it out!

A pianist has slammed the 'ludicrous' demand from flag-waving Chinese tourists not to film them as he performed at a busy London station.

If they don't want to be filmed, stay in China, where the police enforce it, not in England, where the police w...

Oh, FFS! 

After the footage of the row went viral on social media, Mr Kavanagh appeared on TalkTV where he slammed the 'ludicrous' demand - including from a British Transport police officer who asked him not to upload it.

Ask away, you've no right to compel him. You've been told this over and over again and you've lost every time.  

This comes after one of two police officers, who were walking by and stopped due to the loud argument, told the pianist 'this is not to go on your channel' as Mr Kavanagh kept on filming after the officers intervened.

I know what you're thinking, Reader. Just another case of an ignorant male cop who isn't au fait with the law. Well...not quite!

When the police officers approached, one tourist said to the male officer that Mr Kavanagh filmed them and they asked him to remove the footage, but he refused.

'You're in a public place,' the policeman explained repeatedly - until the female officer chimed in and said to the cameraperson: 'Excuse me, if we're having a police matter, you need to put that phone down.'

No. He doesn't, Miss Diversity Hire, you should listen to your colleague.  

Meanwhile, elsewhere, filming your neighbour's children in their back garden? Go right ahead!

A grandfather has been told it's 'not a police matter' after he found a secret camera pointed at his grandson's treehouse that might have been put there by a convicted paedophile.

Martin Prior, 65, first contacted police on December 22, 2023, after discovering a CCTV camera placed on a lane by his property in Cross Keys, near Hereford.

An officer visited the next day and spoke to the suspected owner of the camera but Mr Prior was shocked when the police said they were powerless to act.

A spokesman for West Mercia Police said: 'We are aware of a concern raised about the placement of a CCTV camera.' 'However, no crime has been reported to us and therefore it is not a police matter. CCTV concerns need to be raised with the Information Commissioner's Office.'

And what does the Information Commissioner's Office say?

'The use of recording equipment, such as CCTV or smart doorbells, to capture video or sound recordings outside the user's property is not a breach of data protection law.

'People should try to point their CCTV cameras away from their neighbours' homes, shared spaces, or public streets. But this is not always possible.

'If someone is recording your child using CCTV, we would suggest talking to the person doing the recording.

'If you feel the person is filming your child inappropriately or to cause them harm, you should contact the police.'

A perfect snapshot (Ed: *preens*) of the situation with the police in this country. 

Update: And it's not just photography. Who is in charge of recruiting these people?