As many people will be aware over the years I have travelled around the town taking photographs of buildings, streets, people, event and many other scenes. I started many years ago both taking and collecting photographs although the vast majority of my images come from the past 4 to five years. I’ve built up quite a library containing thousands of pictures for posterity, a historical record and to use in various articles of local interest of which www.visitscunthorpe.com can be testament to.

A couple of years ago I was challenged whilst taking photo’s at a local under 14’s football match in which my son was taking part. I’d taken photo’s at numerous matches over the years and posted them to the football teams web page on Facebook, something which had caused no bother and the players loved tagging themselves and using them as profile pictures, both my sons team and the opposition. However, after this challenge and thinking I had gone some way to reassure the parent that there was no malice intended I thought I should look deeper into the law and photography within the UK than I previously had.

After hours of research and reading I though I’d gained enough knowledge and understanding to know where I stood within the law should I ever be confronted again, although I don’t profess to be an outright expert.

Last year that knowledge was put to the test whilst I was passing the hospital and decided to take a few pictures to add to my library. The details of that can be read via this link; http://www.visitscunthorpe.com/ScunthorpeNews/Headline/Hospital-Security-Try-To-Prevent-Me-Taking-Photos

Late last year I was over at the Normanby Park and Foxhills Industrial Estates taking photo’s of various businesses and on the whole whilst there was some curiosity by some security guards manning the gates the only ones that queried what I was doing were at the Two Sisters plant. Although they weren’t too please with me taking pictures and originally tried to prevent me they conceded I was within my rights, overall the encounter I had with them was quite amicable.

On Tuesday 17th January I decided I would travel the Midland Road Industrial Estate via Cottage Beck Road to take some photographs of industry around this area. Passing the Golden Wonder plant I though it would be a good opportunity to take a few shots of the site, it quickly became clear I wasn’t welcome. I was stood on the road outside the site when a security officer approached. I switched my camera to video mode to record the encounter to protect both myself and the security guards from future false accusations. The footage can be seen below. 

Obviously the conduct and tactics used by the two security officers has to be in question.
At 04:53 an employee, who can be seen just walking past, is getting into a car behind me can be heard saying, “I’ll run him over ” to which the female officer actively encourages her by saying, “you do that,” that’s when I moved onto the path.

What also aggrieves me is that someone in a uniform representing a company in an apparent position of authority can try and intimidate members of the public by making up laws that don’t exist. This seemed to be an attempt to subjugate a member of the public into accepting what was being told was to be true. Further more hurling offensive insults and puerile slander, like seen at the end of the video, surely isn’t something that someone in that position should resort to.

Golden Wonder Security from cowpatcollector on Vimeo.

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