Police could be forced to destroy huge archives of surveillance
photographs taken at protests, riots and football matches
following a landmark judgment.
Appeal Court judges ruled yesterday that a law-abiding arms
trade activist had his human rights breached when police took
photos of him at a protest and kept them on file.
In a judgment that could change the way all UK police forces
monitor protesters, the
Metropolitan Police was told to destroy all pictures of Andrew
Wood.
It could mean police will have to sift through hundreds of
thousands of stored surveillance photos and destroy pictures
of any innocent subject who complains.
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However, a one-month delay was granted yesterday to allow
an appeal to the House of Lords.
The ground-breaking case marks another blow to 'Big Brother'
surveillance tactics increasingly favoured by police.
It follows last month's European Court ruling forcing the Home Office to stop indefinitely storing DNA profiles of people who are arrested but never charged.
