Myleene Klass warned for holding knife in own home

[max_tranmere]

This is a bizarre story, the TV personality and former Hear'say singer saw some scary looking guys enter her garden and approach her kitchen window. Her young kid was in the house and her bloke was away. She, apparently terrified, banged on the window and held up a knife as a way of scaring them off. She has been warned by the Police for this, and told that even waving a knife around in your own home, even if you feel in danger as you watch some men approach your window, is bad. I also wonder how the Police found out, it seems likely that the intruders reported her and yet they weren't in trouble but she was. Do people think this is ridiculous? I do.

[Peter]

Too ridiculous for words, but thats the NuLabour way, "absolute rights, absolutely no responsibilities."

I'm just surprised they didn't actually fine her.

[David Johnson]

The last people you would ask for clarification about the law are the police.

There has been a great deal of media interest as a result of many policemen illegally stopping people from taking photographs in the street and then demainding that the photographs should be deleted.

Cheers
D

[max_tranmere]

I was stopped for that very thing about a year ago. I found the copper to be very polite and I explained I was just taking photos of the main streets in that area, I thought it was wrong of him to stop me because these were the main shopping streets in the district. If it had been residential backstreets he may have had a point as he may have thought someone was casing the houses in order to later break-in to one or two of them, but that was not the case. He never asked for the pics to be deleted but he may have done (I don't know) if he hadn't been happy with my explanation. I thought it was excessive and it is interesting you say that it is going on quite a lot now. These over-the-top measures by the Police, another thing they do is ask someone why they are standing in the street if that person has been there for a while, never seem to reduce crime levels so I wonder what the point is.

[laralatex]

Peter said:
> There has been a great deal of media interest as a result of
> many policemen illegally stopping people from taking
> photographs in the street and then demainding that the
> photographs should be deleted.


We got stopped in little old Leatherhead when we were filming a pick up with Jett Black. We were questioned politely about what we were filming 'on the basis of anti-terrorism'. I was going to ask, what we could possibly be filming in Leatherhead that would be of any use to a terrorist but though better of it!! !wink!


Then, last year, we went and filmed around London, using all the major landmarks, even stopping next to a wagon full of police (this was next to The Houses of Parliament) and they didn't bat an eyelid!!!!

Doesn't make sense. I don't mind being stopped, but at least have a little consistency with regards to the law.

You'd be questioning every tourist in London if they put this rule/law into practice.

[David Johnson]

Hi Lara,
As you point out the problem is with anti-terrorism legislation which allows a police officer to stop and search you if they feel you are potentially a terrorist.

Unfortunately, like other aspects of anti=terrorism legislation it has given every police jobsworth in the country the right to potentially hassle photographers who are legally taking photographs/video in the street.

If you and Jim havent been stopped in London then I think you have been a bit fortunate because there have been many, many cases of photographers being stopped and searched, details taken etc etc in "sensitive" locations e.g. South Bank, Houses of Parliament, City etc etc.

As a result of the complaints made about the over the top reaction from some police, the Home Office sent this circular around to police management to try and clarify the position.

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/p ... index.html

I would suggest that all photographers make themselves familiar with the key points of this circular in case they end up being hassled.

CHeers
D

[Peter]

This is a more typical reaction from the police, or more likely the pretend policemen, PCSOs and the jumped up 'private security' minimum wage knobheads.

[justincyder]

Max I am only guessing but I imagine Ms Klass informed the police she had an intruder and what she did to scare them off and i imagine that they probably advised her not to wave a knife about for 2 reasons. 1 she'd have no idea actually how to use it and have it taken off her and used against her by the intruder.

and 2. God forbid she did stab anyone, the law would necessitate that she be arrested and the affair investigated and given our pro offender laws she'd be done for it.

[one eyed jack]

Then again the law might be saying that because thats what they were expected to say perhaps.

They were hardly going to say "Stab the cunts bird. Go on!"

UI liken this to a situation I was in many years ago in my youth when a girl I knew was having issues with a boyfriend she jilted who kept coming back to terrorise her.

The policeman asked me to step outside for a quick word to which they looked at each other and said "Sounds like a back alley job" before looking at me and saying "But you didnt hear us say that did you sir"

The boyfriend was a dick for sure but it wasnt my place to beat up on him. I thought that was their job