No photos of your baby!

Mike Keegan and Lee Sykes

December 13, 2007

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A COUPLE were banned from taking photographs of their baby daughter on a swing by a park warden who declared it `inappropriate.'

Steve Brook and partner Mandy Smith were having a family day out with 11-month-old Rebecca when the council worker swooped.

"It beggars belief," said Steve, 35. "The fact that a mummy and daddy can't take a picture of their own daughter is ridiculous. I could understand if it was in a swimming pool, but she was well wrapped-up and as far as I could see we were the only people in the park."

Town hall officials said the warden had misinterpreted council policy when he confronted the family at Alexandra Park in Oldham.

But Phil Woolas, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, said: "Based on these reports I am thinking of introducing a Bill to Parliament called The Common Sense Act 2007.

"We are in danger of becoming so adverse to risk we will lose sight of common sense."

Steve, an off-licence manager from Clarksfield in Oldham said: "A man in a high-visibility jacket came over and told us we couldn't take pictures. I asked him why and he said it was illegal to take pictures of children in the park. I explained it was my own daughter but he still said it wasn't allowed."

Appropriate

A council official said: "We are committed to ensuring that all our parks are safe and welcoming places for all visitors. To ensure this happens staff are instructed to be observant and aware of the activities of park users and consider whether they are appropriate.

"This incident was due to the incorrect interpretation of policy by a member of our security staff who has since been made aware of his actions."

There are no national guidelines banning parents from taking photographs of children in parks.

The first serious attempt to ban photographs of children in public was made in March this year at Vale of Glamorgan council in south Wales.

The council proposed `that no photographs, filming or other imaging shall take place of children or young people in parks and open spaces without written permission.'

Councillors threw out the proposal, saying it would be too difficult to enforce and that parents shouldn't need permission for pictures of family picnics.

What do you think? Have your say.

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| Submit Comments | Comments (37) | Previous | Next

Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All

Free2Think (13/12/2007 at 09:40)

The "Thought Police" are here and thriving while we stay silent !

Bill, Kiriat Motzkin (13/12/2007 at 09:58)

That's brilliant!

Paul in Manchester, Manchester (13/12/2007 at 10:09)

Absolutely ridiculous. I hope they just ignored the official and continued to take photos. After all, what powers did he have to enforce his instruction? He couldn't confiscate the camera or issue a fine. I would've taken a photo of him and given it to the M.E.N.

The Bobelesque (13/12/2007 at 10:46)

They should have told him to 'get' off. It's stupid, self important little people like him who promulgate and apply the idiotic rules made by even more stupid people up the top of the tree that has got us where we are now.

Ms D, Manchester (13/12/2007 at 10:55)

Laughable ! I would understand if it was someone taking photos of other people's children but this baby is their own child ! PC madness at it's best 1

Jimc (13/12/2007 at 11:07)

Absolutely unbelievable.

His job has obviously gone to his head.

This guy needs some serious training.

Black Sabbath (13/12/2007 at 11:39)

Yet more PC madness from the busy-bodies.

I have an idea, sack all these useless people and save us all a few quid off our council tax.

Anyone with me?

Dooby (13/12/2007 at 11:40)

What is this country coming too! The level of risk avertion is affecting pure enjoyment of our lives!! Come on government, step in and do something!! It's getting so out of hand we are in danger of being part of a dicatorship!!

Bejjy ex Salford now Malta, Malta (13/12/2007 at 12:00)

I don't normally agree with Phil Woolas but he is right about the need to introduce a Commonsense Act. The whole country seems to have gone politically correct crazy and a lot of it is to do with the nanny state policies of the government in which Mr Woolas serves. Lets get back to being real people.

gillykins, urmston (13/12/2007 at 12:14)

If they had come up to me and told me not to take pictures of my own child in a park - I would have told him to walk away politely! Please by all means bring a common sense bill in - then perhaps we can all take pics of our kids, celebrate Christmas with proper santa's and enjoy a pantomime where children can catch sweets thrown to them without the fear of a lawsuit!

Mr Angry, Bury (13/12/2007 at 12:30)

Hello Bob, we agree again! getting more and more common, also Black Sabbath, spot on.

The solution to this health and safety madness is to get rid of the risk of frivolous lawsuits by stopping the "no win no fee" claims culture

If these lying cheating scroungers who pretend injury etc so they can claim from someone else had to pay all the costs if their pathetic attempts at fraud failed they would stop doing it.

Sadly, the legal profession, which is one of several mafias who run the country, lines its fat greedy pockets as a result and the government won't act

I would go further. I would automatically bar and close down any solicitor who submits more than two failed claims of this kind

Also, anyone making more than one fraudulent claim would be hit with a MASSIVE fine and banned for life from ever making an insurance claim again, regardless of fault

I work in insurance and get dozens of these ludricous claims coming in, they cost money to defend and if no claims culture, the clipboard nazis of the health & safety brigade would be redundant and would disappear

Matthew Wright (13/12/2007 at 12:35)

Who are these people? Who pays them?. We do. The entire system of loccal authority needs a complete overhaul where these people are just sacked. Only in local authority can these power mad little hitlers reign that and been a bus driver that is.

alix, manchester (13/12/2007 at 13:08)

this is plain stupid, why can't a parent take photos in peace

polkyb (13/12/2007 at 13:22)

I agree with all of you and I am prepared to take your removal of "no win no fee" and raise your to giving back the power to adults to DISCIPLIN minors (with a clip round the ear or a slapped leg) without having to go to prison afterwards.

If you look at the kids on the streets today, wondering how to stop them being offensive and intolerant to any form of authority, then I suggest the above as a solution.

This should NEVER have been taken away from the Police in the first place, in my opinion.

I am NOT endorsing child abuse and I abhor it in any form, but there’s a LONG way between disciplining a child when it’s done bad things and abuse.

Paddy Fox, Manchester (13/12/2007 at 14:01)

The country and the officials who attempt to administer its nanny state rules have all lost the plot. They are all detached from life who warrant their meaningless existence by fueling a culture born out of misfits and failures.

mylifeinthemafia (13/12/2007 at 14:29)

Mr Angry, if it wasn't for the claims culture an awful lot of people in your game would be out of work.

snozzleblue, Cheadle (13/12/2007 at 15:08)

If I had been that parent I would have carried on taking photos, no-one, official or otherwise would tell me what to do with my children. This country is getting to politically correct, and worse, stupid people are being elected to positions where brains are in short supply or placed in somewhere other than their heads!!!

Mr Angry, Bury (13/12/2007 at 15:09)

mylifeinthemafia, Still plenty of genuine accidents to deal with without all the chancers

The only ones out of work would be those scummy claims farmers, and good riddance to them

joanne card, manchester (13/12/2007 at 15:30)

it's simple, just ignore him and carry on regardless. I can't even believe anyone took him seriously. what's he going to do, phone the police, be my guest and when they tell you to stop then do so. why would anyone obey a park warden, he's made this case a lot worse because now anyone can see the photos of this baby, not just the sneaky ne'er do wells in the park taking photos

Connor Barrett, Heywood (13/12/2007 at 15:57)

That is ludacrous, or however you spell it! STUPID! Why on earth can they not take a pic of their baby who they adore! It's their child and it's not as if they are giving it to someone who might lose it! Eg. Government!!!

mylifeinthemafia (13/12/2007 at 16:08)

Mr Angry, most of the dodgy claims farmers are all gone.

ken and sue, langworthy (13/12/2007 at 16:12)

this sort of thing is going on all over the country dont these councils relise that the people elect them and pay for them.the councils work for the residents of there borough. they was not elected to to act like the gestapo where are these council officials when gangs of drunken youths are on the rampage people might say thats the polices job but we dont see them either petty quangos plastic policemen and community wardens is there answer god help this once great country

mature_geezer (13/12/2007 at 16:21)

It's happening everywhere. The PC lunatics have taken over the asylum.

tillzen, El Paso, Texas (13/12/2007 at 16:30)

We refer to your nation and parts of ours as "The Nanny State". I think one way to divide humans is between those who feel the need to fix others, and those who have enough on their plate fixing themselves. Nietzsche put it best when he wrote "The government bites us with stolen teeth". Were politicians or elected officials better behaved, I might take their trying to fix me with more understanding but in truth, more laws fix little. We are chimps with bad credit and we forget this at our own peril.

Guten Tag (13/12/2007 at 16:39)

Bit of a non story this.

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