A freelance journalist who claims he was assaulted by a police officer while covering a story has won the backing of his union.

Stuart Littleford, editor of Government and Public Sector Journal and a freelance TV journalist lodged a formal complaint with Greater Manchester Police last week over the alleged incident.

He claims he was grabbed by the officer and thrown backwards into a fire engine while he was filming at the scene of a building collapsing with persons reportedly trapped inside.

Stuart has now won the backing of the Chartered Institute of Journalists who will be writing to the force’s chief constable about the incident.

Said Stuart: “I have made a formal complaint to Greater Manchester Police about my alleged assault by one of their officers last week whilst filming an incident.

“As well as being concerned about the assault that took place my other complaint has always been about why a bone fide journalist carrying a national press pass was deliberately hindered from doing his job resulting in this assault.

“The matter is now being investigated by the police and I expect them to take whatever action the feel is needed regarding these matters.

“I have the full backing of the Chartered Institute of Journalists who will be writing to the chief constable in the next few days.”

Greater Manchester Police are investigating an incident in which a journalist claims he was assaulted by one of the force’s officers.

Comments

Lizzie (27/05/2010 09:11:53)
Brilliant! Police officers need to get the message that they have no moral or legal right to hinder the media doing their jobs.

Concerned (27/05/2010 10:32:07)
I have to say I was a bit disconcerted when I read the first version of this story last week….and am even more so now something on this has appeared AGAIN on HTFP. While I sympathise with this man’s plight, I fail to see what it has got to do with the regional press! Or is HTFP moving into the trade and journals sector….or was this just another attempt by the Chartered Institute of Journalists to get their name out there. Everyone who has ever encountered them knows they just whinge about the fact everyone thinks the NUJ is the only union for journalists. Or could it be that the publisher of HTFP is a former lobby hack and therefore is probably mates with Mr Littleford. “Journalist impeded by police in line of work…..” shocker. So common these days, not really worth a mention anymore, no?

Paul Linford, Editor (27/05/2010 10:40:08)
[sighs] The reason we are covering the story on HTFP is neither because we are ‘moving into the trade journals sector,’ nor because we are following a pro-CIOJ agenda, nor because I knoew Stuart Litttleford (I have never met him) but because the story raises a potential issue of concern for all journalists, not just those in the regional press.

Still concerned though…. (27/05/2010 10:50:23)
OK, fair enough. What’s a “foce’s” though? And I thought your job title was publisher not editor – says so here: http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/aboutus.shtml

Paul Linford, Editor/Publisher (27/05/2010 11:02:09)
The job encompasses both roles. We are a fairly small team here, as I’m sure you realise.

Hack (27/05/2010 17:48:00)
Brilliant. As Lizzie says. The more that GMP get their arse kicked, the sooner the balance of power and relationships will be reset to where it should be. They work for us. Let’s make sure we remind them of that fact in all our dealings with them – and that means not getting too cosy with them, all you crime reporters. As for NUJ v CIOJ – “Concerned” does a brilliant job of utterly missing the point – perhaps he or she is an NUJ official? Or MOC or FOC? Certainly “Concerned” seems awfully bothered about the facy of the NUJ’s rival union/trade body getting a name check and appears unconcerned with the implications of a very important case. Correct me if I’m wrong.

Concerned, and a bit bored now (28/05/2010 14:25:26)
No ‘Hack’, I just think the CIoJ are prats!! Running a story saying “Trade union backs journalist in row with police” is a bit like saying “Breaking news on HTFP: Bear defacates in woods.” Pointless. Emergency services have a difficult enough job so it’s all too easy for HTFP and people who comment on this site just to assume that it’s all this copper’s fault and the journalist in question is blameless. What made this whole incident interesting was that he caught some of it on camera. That’s what made it different, not the fact a journalist had come to blows with a police officer. That happens often enough for it not to be a story. The CIoJ, or the NUJ in fact, can bleat and bark through the pages of HTFP et al all they want, it’s all just hot air as far as I am concerned. I look forward to the reporting staff on holdthefrontpage following up this case to its natural conclusion, even if it turns out to be a rather dull, “case closed with no charges brought” ending!

Alun Hill (28/05/2010 14:40:42)
Substitute “journalist” for “member of the public” in the following quote:
“the journalist was grabbed by the officer and thrown off his feet backwards into a fire engine hitting his head and camera on the vehicle and sustaining minor injuries.”
Would this be any more / less acceptable whoever it is to the correspondent with the nom de plume “concerned”?
Police cannot go around doing this – especially when there are so many cameras around these days.
Also, the journalist most definitely did not “come to blows” with a police officer – no idea where “concerned” got that from.

Concerned (28/05/2010 15:05:14)
Fair point Alun, but neither of the 2 stories which HTFP have run on this say whether or not Mr Littleford was impeding the officer in his line of duty or generally getting in his way. I am sure Mr Littleford would say he wasn’t and (for the sake or argument) let’s assume the officer will say he was!! You can see where and how this is all going to end up, no? Yes, officers DO need to be careful about how they treat the public and especially journalists wielding cameras. But journalists need to realise they do not have a devine right to make a nuisance of themselves at what sounded like quite a serious incident. One day, it might be their family stuck inside a collapsed building with them outside watching in horror as photographers/journalists (accidentally) block paramedics and police from doing their job. This coin had two side you know!!
And no ‘Hack’, I am not an NUJ organiser or FOC/MOC but I am an NUJ member.

Concerned adds (28/05/2010 15:07:25)
Alun – I used the term “come to blows” in the general sense of some sort of disagreement/argument (I think we can both agree on that point at least) not that they had some sort of fist fight.