pinkgrapefruit
16-04-2009, 12:26 PM
It has been two months since it was brought in, I don't know about anyone else but this is the first time I have seen any report about the use of this new Act to prevent the photographing of Police.
Unfortunately this is not mis-use of the Terrorism Act, as it was intended for just such things. These Pretend Policy Enforcement Officers were trying to use this 'law' to prevent themselves getting into trouble.
Rather than 'formal words of advice' they should be sacked for blatent dishonety.
Terror quiz for man who took photo of police car
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 11:35 PM on 15th April 2009
A man was detained as a terrorist suspect for taking a photo of a police car being driven erratically across a public park.
Malcolm Sleath, who is chairman of his local park society, was stopped by two officers and told he had breached Section 44 of the Terrorism Act.
The law was amended in February to allow police to stop and search anyone they consider is a terrorist threat.
Those found guilty face a maximum ten years in jail. But Mr Sleath, acting chairman of the Friends of Town Park in Enfield, North London, was furious because police are not allowed to drive in that area of park.
The 62-year-old management consultant said: 'It was coming a public footpath and leaving tyre marks everywhere and making people move out of the way.
'They are supposed to park and investigate things on foot, so I wanted to show the picture to the sergeant.
'(The officer) was clearly embarrassed to be photographed where he shouldn't have been and wanted to intimidate me.'
The two PCSOs had been dispatched to the park to look for evidence of drug use in the surrounding bushes.
But their bosses issued an immediate apology to Mr Sleath after the incident and admitted the pair should have been on foot.
The PCSO concerned has also received 'formal words of advice', a police spokesman said.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1170374/Terror-quiz-man-took-photo-police-car.html
Unfortunately this is not mis-use of the Terrorism Act, as it was intended for just such things. These Pretend Policy Enforcement Officers were trying to use this 'law' to prevent themselves getting into trouble.
Rather than 'formal words of advice' they should be sacked for blatent dishonety.
Terror quiz for man who took photo of police car
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 11:35 PM on 15th April 2009
A man was detained as a terrorist suspect for taking a photo of a police car being driven erratically across a public park.
Malcolm Sleath, who is chairman of his local park society, was stopped by two officers and told he had breached Section 44 of the Terrorism Act.
The law was amended in February to allow police to stop and search anyone they consider is a terrorist threat.
Those found guilty face a maximum ten years in jail. But Mr Sleath, acting chairman of the Friends of Town Park in Enfield, North London, was furious because police are not allowed to drive in that area of park.
The 62-year-old management consultant said: 'It was coming a public footpath and leaving tyre marks everywhere and making people move out of the way.
'They are supposed to park and investigate things on foot, so I wanted to show the picture to the sergeant.
'(The officer) was clearly embarrassed to be photographed where he shouldn't have been and wanted to intimidate me.'
The two PCSOs had been dispatched to the park to look for evidence of drug use in the surrounding bushes.
But their bosses issued an immediate apology to Mr Sleath after the incident and admitted the pair should have been on foot.
The PCSO concerned has also received 'formal words of advice', a police spokesman said.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1170374/Terror-quiz-man-took-photo-police-car.html