![\"John](\"http:\/\/keyassets.timeincuk.net\/inspirewp\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2008\/02\/lowres.kelly_.Church_20Street1.jpg\")
<\/img><\/p>\nA photographer says he was left humiliated and feeling like a criminal after police ordered him to delete his pictures – telling him he first needed permission before taking photographs.<\/p>\n
The incident, which occurred in the seaside resort of Blackpool, Lancashire, is the latest in a spate of clashes between police officers and photographers taking pictures in public places in the UK.<\/p>\n
Amateur photographer John Kelly claims a police community support officer (PCSO) ordered him to delete pictures, which included the officer in the frame.<\/p>\n
Kelly told us that the PCSO then added: ?You can?t take pictures of people without asking their permission.? <\/p>\n
The enthusiast insists that all the images which included the PCSO were ?long distance landscape shots?, only showing the officer in the background of the frame.<\/p>\n
The 54-year-old had been planning to enter his street scenes into a photography competition when he was stopped in the town centre around midday on Friday 8 February. He had been using a Nikon D40 digital SLR, a non-professional level camera.<\/p>\n
?Blackpool is one of the top tourist destinations in the UK and being told by someone who represents the law that I can?t take photographs in the town without asking permission is bizarre,? Kelly told us.<\/p>\n
Kelly is studying a photography course at Blackpool and The Fylde college and had been on a mission to capture shots for entry into a competition entitled ?Blackpool Life?, organised by Blackpool Council?s Adult and Community Learning Services department.<\/p>\n
?The community support officer asked me what I was taking photographs of, and I explained to her about the college course. ?She said I had no right to take photographs of people without their permission and insisted that I delete any images of herself immediately.?<\/p>\n
Kelly is so incensed about the matter he has written to Michael Jack – MP for Fylde, Lancashire. <\/p>\n
A spokesman for Lancashire Constabulary was not immediately available for comment when we contacted the force about the incident this morning.<\/p>\n
Kelly added: ?Shoppers had stopped to watch what was going on and I felt that I had done something wrong – and shocked at being challenged in this way. I proceeded to show her the images? and as she said delete, I did so to avoid further embarrassment.?<\/p>\n
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Picture (above): Amateur photographer John Kelly said he was not aware that this shot had remained in his camera after police ordered him to delete his pictures<\/em><\/p>\n Picture (above): Captured previously, one of the images from John Kelly’s portfolio which did not attract police attention in Blackpool<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A photographer says he was left humiliated and feeling like a criminal after police ordered him to delete his pictures – telling him he first needed permission before taking photographs.<\/p>\n Picture: Captured previously, one of the images from John Kelly’s portfolio which did not attract police attention in Blackpool<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":324,"featured_media":26490,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"product-category":[],"class_list":["post-26489","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-photo-news"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Blackpool](\"http:\/\/keyassets.timeincuk.net\/inspirewp\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2008\/02\/Blackpool_20TowerJOHN_20KELLY.jpg\")
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