An AP reader has accused anti-terrorism police of acting overzealously after they stopped and searched him while he was out taking pictures in east London.

Roy Jhuboo claims police told him that he could have been on a reconnaissance mission to launch a ?rocket? on nearby Canary Wharf.

Jhuboo, who lives in Barnet, north London, was left stunned when two police vans ? containing up to eight officers – were called to Colt Street in Limehouse after he had been spotted taking pictures of a house during a walk from Tower Hill on 9 November.

Jhuboo ? who was using a Minolta Dynax 4 film SLR – said three police officers detained him for up to 20 minutes, during which time they demanded identification and searched his bag before releasing him without charge. One of the officers was understood to have been from the high-security police station, Paddington Green.

?All I was doing was holding a camera,? he told us, accusing one of the officers of being particularly rude towards him.

Jhuboo said he has written a formal letter of complaint to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

At the time of writing the police were not able to confirm the incident but a spokesman told us: ?There are increased security alerts and extra vigilance everywhere. If a member of the public sees anything suspicious the police are obliged to go and make enquiries.?

For the full details and reaction to this story see future issues of AP.