A press photographer was challenged by police who threatened to confiscate pictures taken at a crime scene.
Veteran freelancer Eric Foster had been covering the alleged assault of a man in Brayton, Selby, for The Press in York and he took several photographs of police officers and vehicles which attended the scene.
Prior to leaving the area of the alleged assault, he was warned by a male police officer that he could have his pictures confiscated.
“He said there’s a clause in the Terrorism Act and I could take your pictures off you, and asked for my name and date of birth. I gave him my name. It’s just ridiculous,” said Eric.
One of the photographs which a police officer threatened to confiscate from Eric Foster.
Police had arrived at the scene around 10.30pm on Tuesday evening and officers stayed there throughout Wednesday to allow further investigation.
Editor of The Press Steve Hughes said: “We hope this is an isolated case of an officer not being properly informed.
“Clearly it’s not acceptable for the police to try to stop journalists in carrying out their work.”
A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said: “The media are fully entitled to take photographs near crime scenes as long as police cordons are respected and potential evidence is not interfered with.”
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Had similar issue following RTA – officer came up giving it the big one. I told him I would take it straight to the chief constable if he even suggested deleting photos taken behind cordon in a public place.
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This has happened to me on numerous occasions. I’ve found North Yorkshire police to be ok, but Humberside police have on several occasion threaten me and Tony Saxton (from Johnson Press) with arrest and the confiscation of our photographs.
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If he was truly a veteran press tog he would know that the arrest threats made by police towards press are a daily normal for any working press tog.
I think my record is 11 in one day, our job brings us to the meeting line of police and press daily and first thing that usually happens is some officer or PCSO decides to invent a new law.
Even in apologising here the police could not resist a dig.
“interfering with evidence” notice that subtle line ?
The real truth is they do not want any copies of what they regard as evidence in the public domain.
They will go to great lengths and utilise great numbers of officers to remove any vantage points that press photographers can work from.
We often find ourselves pushed back from areas the general public are allowed access to, our details and descriptions are circulated on police radios and cordons get extended when we arrive.
Showing a press card gets you in even more hot water, hence why many no longer bother, just pretend to be a nosy armature, yoiu get better treatment .
This is not something new, it has been a creeping escalating intrusion in to press freedom over the last 5 years.
Welcome to our day Eric.
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What about all the times journalists RELY on the police for FREE information and tip offs about crime so that they can blast it all over their papers, then sell it to the nationals etc?
What’s so great about pics of police standing about and their vehicles parked by the road? You can see this anywhere any time. The police have a job to do, and it isn’t just providing a free news service to the media.
Newspapers only make a fuss about these incidents because police provide them with so much easy information. It newspapers were really bothered about the public’s right to know they’d cover industrial tribunals, county courts, and report on bent bent solicitors and corrupt estate agents etc etc etc
Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
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Shouldn’t matter whether you are pro or not. The police can’t just confiscate your camera and photos.
end of story.
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Perspective. The police do indeed have a job to do, so why don’t they do it instead of wasting time trying to stop journalists taking pictures they are perfectly entitled to take? And I can’t see how a photographer not taking pictures of a police scene would improve the amount of time a reporter would have to cover industrial tribunals etc or am I missing something?
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I love it when the filth get shirty… I give my name and address then tell them I’m recording the conversation, even if I’m not. If they cared about or feared the law they’d know it… but they all fear Youtube.
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Perspective, do you actually read newspapers?
They are full of reports of industrial tribunals, county courts and bent solicitors!
The press don’t see the Police as a free news service to the media, however the Police, see the media (quite rightly) as a free conduit to the public for the requests for information about missing children, witnesses to crimes and publicity for various campaigns such as drink driving.
It’s a mutually beneficial relationship, along with many other organisations, however individual officers making up laws to suit their personal prejudices removes the trust of the public, including the media, in the ability of the Police to apply the law fairly and equally to all. Remember the Police Service works with the consent of the people it serves.
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The person known as “Perspective” is clearly some sort of dingbat, so let us all move on….
Mark in Leeds is right. Sadly it’s best to quietly turn up with your camera and snap a few off first without making yourself known. Look like a curious resident, in your slippers!
Some sort of red mist of officialdom comes into the mind of some police when they see a photographer and reporter, doing no harm. There have been umpteen cases of ridiculous “bans” and moving back of taped cordons when the press become apparent. Tempting fate to introduce yourself to anyone on arrival..
I was once told to stop taking longish distance pictures of a crowded High Street on a Saturday afternoon. A PC said some of the people walking the street might object to having their pix taken, even from afar!
Mind you, I’ve also stopped wearing my trilby with a press card tucked in its band….and never shout “Over here love..”.
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Storm in a tea cup folks. Know the law, stand up for your rights, but don’t be an idiot about it, we can all make mistakes. Anyone for ACPO guidelines ?
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Whilst i echo the above points, best way round it i find is when i arrive at scene of incident, is to leave pro gear in bag and idle up to incident with mobile and shoot some images off, many a time i have been Advised!, to stay behind corden, whilst members of the public are swanning around taking pix and videos.
Always a way round to get the shots, just use some initiative i treat it as a game of cat and mouse with the zealous cops.
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Its been the same for me for 30 years, There’s always one copper who starts behaving like a school prefect, thinks he knows everything and he knows nothing, just like the rest. None have had any proper training on how to deal with the media (especially photographers). Sadly it will never improve because the mentality of a person who wants to become a police officer will come to the surface every time…sadly most of them think press photographers are scum so what chance do we have.
They will be the first hypocrites to pick up a newspaper in the morning and expect to see pages with photographs.
Knock off pictures with a 400mm before you move in closer.
Good point about Youtube, pity it wasn’t around 20 years ago, could have shamed some right twats.
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During my reporting days, I met many a bonehead in the police force who just loved bullying the press.
Desk sergeants were the worst – great lumps with cauliflower ears who enjoyed intimidating young reporters.
However, the police need the press even more than the press needs the police. Appeals for info/witnesses/leads etc save many hours of legwork and often provide that vital piece of info that cracks the case.
One problem is that the police force often attracts power-hungry dummies with one O level in woodwork who are bereft of judgment and discretion.
They need to be told how to behave.
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Two weeks ago I turned up and a RTI with a car on it’s roof and police swarning around. I went up to the nearest policeman, told him who I was, and informed him I was about to take a picture. His reply; “go ahead mate, I can’t stop you”. Perfect.
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The latest is “Press Cordons” were general members of public are allowed to move freely but the press are made to remain outside an area where they can not see the incident.
The Press card idea, has been an absolute and utter failure and the organisations issuing them have done nothing to promote the card, in fact the only thing they do do is take your money in return for a plastic card which most police do not know from a pokemon card.
The test case was the Alan Lodge case where the NUJ threw in the towel at magistrates level, that set the precedent we all work under.
They simply do not value photographers and this can be seen by reporters taking camera phone pictures on jobs, the NUJ have not pointed out they are not getting two wages, so why are they doing two jobs.
Now that photographers are fighting back and returning to photojournalism and studying article writing, they are are up in arms.
Press Photographers get it from both sides, authoritarian over stepping police and council wardens with “PCSO” on their backs and reporters with camera phones producing very poor quality content.
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We all sympathise with photogs but sometimes a photog arrives at a scene long after a reporter and the situation has changed with little or nothing to photograph.
Ever since the 1960s I always carried a camera in my car to snap instant urgent things and very occasionally got better pix than unavoidedly late arriving photog. Just a fact of life then and now, especially with phone cameras.
Should a reporter attempt a lightning sketch of a scene instead of an urgent pic, rather than upset a photog yet to arrive?
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