Video: English cops terrorism-harassing photographer for taking photos of town Christmas decorations

By Cory Doctorow at 5:34 am Monday, Feb 22

Bob Patefield, an English amateur photographer, video-recorded an outrageous Terrorism Act stop-and-search in Accrington town centre last December, where he was stopped by a police community support officer (a kind of junior copper) who told him he was under suspicion of terrorism for taking pictures of the Christmas celebration -- Santa Claus, a pipe band, and so on.

Patefield asked if the officer had any "reasonable, articulable suspicion" to justify him giving his details.
She replied: "I believe your behaviour was quite suspicious in the manner in which you were taking photographs in the town centre ... I'm suspicious in why you were taking those pictures.
"I'm an officer of the law, and I'm requiring you, because I believe your behaviour to be of a suspicious nature, and of possibly antisocial [nature] ... I can take your details just to ascertain that everything is OK."
Patefield and his friend maintained that they did not want to disclose their details. They were stopped a third and final time when returning to their car. This time the officer was accompanied by an acting sergeant. "Under law, fine, we can ask for your details - we've got no powers," he said. "However, due to the fact that we believe you were involved in antisocial behaviour, ie taking photographs ... then we do have a power under [the Police Reform Act] to ask for your name and address, and for you to provide it. If you don't, then you may be arrested."