The Metropolitan Police has revised its anti-terrorism guidance in a bid to clear up confusion surrounding the powers officers have over amateur and professional photographers.
Issued on the Met’s website last month the guidance drew heavy criticism for failing to make clear that police have no power to delete or destroy images without a court order (see AP 25 July).
The Met has now added the following paragraph to the text outlining police powers under Section 44 and Section 43 of the Terrorism Act.
‘Officers do not have the power to delete digital images or destroy film at any point during a search.’
In its advice concerning press photographers, the Met now states: ‘Where it is clear that the person being searched is a journalist, officers should exercise caution before viewing images as images acquired or created for the purposes of journalism may constitute journalistic material and should not be viewed without a Court Order.’
To see the Met?s revised advice in full visit http://www.met.police.uk/about/photography.htm
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