OUTRAGED campaigners are demanding an apology after they were told they were committing a crime by taking photos in Worthing town centre.
Now they have posted video footage on the internet to draw attention to Saturday June 28'ss (JUNE 28) incident, which involved three of the borough's new 'burgundy' town wardens.
Dave Phillips from the long-running local newsletter The Porkbolter explained that a small group of supporters had been taking part in a tongue-in-cheek 'celebration' of the 12th anniversary of Worthing's CCTV cameras.
He said: "We started at the station and had worked our way into town, stopping off at various cameras and making a brief comment or two through a megaphone, while also pointing our own little cameras back at the surveillance cameras.
"It was all very light-hearted and easy-going until we reached Holder's Corner in Montague Street and these wardens came storming over to tell us we weren't allowed to take photos in a public place!
"They wouldn't tell us what law this was supposed to be under and they wouldn't give us their names - we also noticed they did not have any visible identification, in the way that police do.
"None of us could believe what was happening and one of our group was so outraged he picked up the megaphone and started telling all the shoppers around what was going on. They didn't like that and one of the wardens actually grabbed the megaphone and tried to pull it away from him - we've got all that on video."
Mr Phillips explained that with a crowd rapidly gathering to find out what all the commotion was about, and expressing their support for the photographers, the wardens had finally retreated and disappeared back into their offices in Liverpool Gardens.
He added: "It took a while afterwards for the seriousness of all this to sink in. How can it be against the law to take photographs in Worthing town centre? Where would that leave our tourism industry or our local media, let alone everyone else's basic freedoms?"
"There are so many questions that this incident raises. What sort of powers do these new wardens have, for a start? And what sort of qualifications or legal training? Are they supposed to use physical force?
"If they are trying to use powers they don't have in order to enforce a law that doesn't exist, then what is the council going to do about it?
Will it be taking disciplinary action against those involved?
"We are demanding at the very least a public apology and a clear statement that it is perfectly legal to take photographs in public places in Worthing. Otherwise we are going to look at ways of taking this further."
Photographs have been posted at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99953214@N00/
More info: http://www.eco-action.org/porkbolter
A better quality version of the video can be obtained from
worthing@no2id.net
Now they have posted video footage on the internet to draw attention to Saturday June 28'ss (JUNE 28) incident, which involved three of the borough's new 'burgundy' town wardens.
Dave Phillips from the long-running local newsletter The Porkbolter explained that a small group of supporters had been taking part in a tongue-in-cheek 'celebration' of the 12th anniversary of Worthing's CCTV cameras.
He said: "We started at the station and had worked our way into town, stopping off at various cameras and making a brief comment or two through a megaphone, while also pointing our own little cameras back at the surveillance cameras.
"It was all very light-hearted and easy-going until we reached Holder's Corner in Montague Street and these wardens came storming over to tell us we weren't allowed to take photos in a public place!
"They wouldn't tell us what law this was supposed to be under and they wouldn't give us their names - we also noticed they did not have any visible identification, in the way that police do.
"None of us could believe what was happening and one of our group was so outraged he picked up the megaphone and started telling all the shoppers around what was going on. They didn't like that and one of the wardens actually grabbed the megaphone and tried to pull it away from him - we've got all that on video."
Mr Phillips explained that with a crowd rapidly gathering to find out what all the commotion was about, and expressing their support for the photographers, the wardens had finally retreated and disappeared back into their offices in Liverpool Gardens.
He added: "It took a while afterwards for the seriousness of all this to sink in. How can it be against the law to take photographs in Worthing town centre? Where would that leave our tourism industry or our local media, let alone everyone else's basic freedoms?"
"There are so many questions that this incident raises. What sort of powers do these new wardens have, for a start? And what sort of qualifications or legal training? Are they supposed to use physical force?
"If they are trying to use powers they don't have in order to enforce a law that doesn't exist, then what is the council going to do about it?
Will it be taking disciplinary action against those involved?
"We are demanding at the very least a public apology and a clear statement that it is perfectly legal to take photographs in public places in Worthing. Otherwise we are going to look at ways of taking this further."
Photographs have been posted at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99953214@N00/ More info:
http://www.eco-action.org/porkbolter A better quality version of the video can be obtained from
worthing@no2id.net 
e-mail:
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Comments
Hide the following 5 comments
very unpopular misconception
01.07.2008 23:23
it is actually assault and attempted criminal damage for them to try to physically stop you by touching you or your recording equipment, and it is right that we pursue these simpletons every time they try to throw their weight around.
of course, while everyone's banging on about the 42-day clause in the forthcoming counter-terrorism legislation, it's also wise to read the rest of it. taking photos in a public place will soon be regardable as a potential act of terrorism and the police will have powers to seize footage without the currently required court order. unless we stop this bill somehow, this film just shows us the future, and you could be arrested for resisting!
there's a big difference between a 'police state' and a 'well-policed state', and all the new legislation is aiding the strengthening of the former.
meanwhile,good luck pursuing these twats in worthing, and well done on the megaphone. they should be seriously reprimanded and an apology given 'pour decourager les autres'.
photographer
Next time they try that...
02.07.2008 11:04
Assault (any physical contact)
Theft (confiscating equipment)
False imprisonment (presumably they'll want to keep you in one place while carrying out the above)
Threatening behaviour (self-explanatory)
Fraud (attempting to obtain property by deception by saying photography is illegal and confiscating camera)
Impersonating an officer of the law (why not have some fun?)
The last one is a bit of a joke, but the police won't be overly happy about street wardens implying the weight of the law is behind their made up crimes - they don't want anyone horning in on their racket. Anything that might set them against each other could be fun.
MonkeyBot 5000
photography is not illegal in a public place and wardens have no power in this
02.07.2008 13:52
you have the video and they should be sued and or sacked.
peace
brummie
brummie
Surveillance state UK!
02.07.2008 16:08
X
understand
03.07.2008 14:39
I would love to encounter such a situation. I would have them in court.
professional