Harry Styles secures High Court harassment order banning paparazzi surveillance

One Direction heart-throb Harry Styles has secured a High Court injunction preventing paparazzi photographers from approaching within 50 metres of his home.

Also the court ordered that the unnamed photographers must not monitor the 19 year-old star’s movements or follow him by car or motorbike.

Judge Nicola Davies also said “Paparazzi AAA and others” must not keep Styles under any form of surveillance.

Styles was represented in court by David Sherborne QC who said four of the photographers were in the process of being identified.

It is understood that Styles’ legal team has written to the DVLA to secure the names and addresses of the photographers involved.

Letters have also been sent to the photographic agencies who use the images.

A spokesman for the teen singer told Press Gazette: “This is not a privacy order. Harry is not trying to prevent fans approaching him in the street and taking photos. He remains happy to do that, as he always has. Rather, it is the method or tactics which have been used by a certain type of photographer.”

The legal tactic has been used in the past by other celebrities and the Royal Family has issued warnings to newspaper editors against using photographs supplied by paparazzi.

Lawyers for Pippa Middleton warned photographic agencies last year that they may seek an injunction aimed preventing stalkers to curb paparazzi-style excesses.

Also, singer Lily Allen used the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 to stop paparazzi photographers from camping outside her London home.

Celebrities such as Sienna Miller and Cheryl Cole have also secured similar orders.

Media lawyer Mark Stephens told The Times that celebrities were now considering harassment claims because privacy injunctions were difficult to obtain: “This is a copycat of an injunction obtained by Jackie Onassis against the original [paparazzo], Ron Galella.”

Stephens added that while this prevents paparazzi standing outside Styles’ front door, it won’t stop them photographing him “close up” with long lenses.

The injunction will continue until a further court case on the week of 13 January when it will be decided how the action should proceed.

The singer was not in court today.