The police should not prevent journalists from doing their work, the National Union of Journalists has said.

The union is urging officers that feel the need to intervene to simply instruct suspects to appear at a police station at a later date, rather than take them to a station to be issued with a police bail notice.

In a submission to the current review of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, the union said that freedom of the press must be upheld, with journalists able to report and photograph in their crucial role as the eyes and ears of the public.

It said journalists should not be arrested or taken into custody, or have journalistic property or material confiscated except in exceptional circumstances, and that so-called "street bail" should be used where possible.

In the submission, NUJ legal officer Roy Mincoff said: "There are examples of NUJ members who have been arrested and had material and property such as camera equipment seized in circumstances where it would be difficult to argue that it was necessary and proportionate, and has had the added consequence of interfering with the ability to work and earn a living."

He also said that since the police now had additional powers to seize material under the Terrorism Act, it was essential that safeguards in PACE remained and that any action must not be a "fishing expedition".

He said that material should only be seized following the granting of an Order by a Circuit Judge and, beyond meeting the statutory conditions laid down, a judge must be satisfied that it is in the public interest.

He said it was important to maintain journalists' credibility as impartial observers.

He said: "It should not be forgotten that the press role of 'public watchdog' would be substantially diminished if unpublished photographs, film or material is routinely seized."