By Jim Wright
A freelance photographer has found himself in hot water – for taking unauthorised photographs on Cleethorpes beach.
John Byford – who sells to newspapers, magazines, agencies and
consumer businesses – went to the north-east Lincolnshire resort to
take stock pictures of a two-day seafront kite festival.
But he was forbidden from doing so by event organisers in case children were inadvertently included in any of his shots.
Father-of-three,
Byford, who is also a town councillor at nearby Skegness, said: “I was
surprised and somewhat upset – I thought the restriction was unduly
harsh. “It was a colourful event and I wanted some shots for my stock
portfolio.
I wouldn’t have taken pictures of children without the permission of their parents.
“A security guard told me I wouldn’t even be permitted to take pictures from the tideline.
“To treat every photographer as a potential paedophile struck me as a sad reflection on modern society.
“At this rate, there will be no photographic record of British beach life in the first half of the 21st century.”
A
spokesman for North East Lincolnshire Council, which organised the
event, commented: “We regret any inconvenience caused to bona fide
photographers, but the safety and welfare of visitors has to be our
first priority.”
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