Letter to the Independent: guilty of taking a photograph?

2.36.00pm GMT Wed 16th Dec 2009

With the experience of photographer Grant Smith of being stopped and searched by under the Terrorism Act (9 December) we have reached the situation where a member of the public going about their lawful business is guilty until they prove themselves innocent. This can no longer be said to be a figment of the imagination of civil libertarians like myself.

The astonishing statement from the City of London police says Mr Smith was searched "in the absence of an explanation" of his photography, which was considered "apparently hostile behaviour". So it was up to him to justify why he was taking a photo, under pain of being considered a terrorist.

No wonder burglaries, rapes, muggings and gang violence are failing to get the police attention they deserve when two police cars and a riot van with a total of seven police officers raced to the scene of this serious criminal threat.

This arrogance and incompetence by the Met police must be reined in by City Hall and Alan Johnson. Vital public support for the police, and their budgets, is put under severe strain by this kind of incident.

Yours sincerely,

Sarah Ludford MEP

(This letter was published in the Independent on 16 December 2009.)