Lawmaker: Police misuse anti-terrorism law

LONDON, Dec. 3 (UPI) -- British police are misusing their anti-terrorism powers to stop innocent photographers taking pictures of tourist attractions, a British politician said.

"The fact that someone is taking photographs is not prima facie a good reason for stop and search and is very far from raising suspicion," Liberal Democrat House of Lords member Alexander Carlile said.

People have been stopped and searched for taking photos of Christmas lights and even of a fast-food restaurant selling fish and chips, he said.

"It is a matter of concern and the police will know that they have to look at this very carefully," Carlile said in remarks published in The Daily Telegraph.

A photojournalist named Marc Vallee even set up a campaign group with more than 4,000 supporters called, I'm a Photographer, Not a Terrorist.

"Photography is not a crime, but it is being routinely criminalized," he told The Independent.

Britain's Terrorism Act 2000 includes a provision known as Section 44 that empowers police and Britain's Home Secretary to define any area in the country as places where they can stop and search any vehicle or person, and seize "articles of a kind which could be used in connection with terrorism."

The law was used on 120,000 people so far this year and led to one arrest on 1 percent of the cases, Conservative leader David Cameron said.

Association of Chief Police Officers spokesman Craig Mackey told the Telegraph part of the problem was some officers were unaware how best to use the legislation.

"It goes back to the issue of briefing and training of staff," he said.

He added he thought it was "difficult to imagine a scenario where someone taking pictures of Christmas lights would be something we should be dealing with."