Photographers hail rethink on stop-and-search

Photographers have cautiously welcomed the Government's plans to curb stop-and-search powers but have warned that public photography will still face a crisis unless the new practices are implemented fully by officers on the ground.

Photojournalists and hobbyists have long complained that overzealous officials were misusing anti-terrorism legislation to curb public photography, particularly as Section 44 of the Terrorism Act stop-and-search powers required no grounds for suspicion.

Theresa May, the Home Secretary, announced yesterday that Section 44 stop-and-search would be replaced by a "tightly-defined" power of "much more limited scope and duration... to prevent a terrorist attack where there is a specific threat".

Chris Cheesman, news editor of Amateur Photographer, said: "As always, we wait to see how the proposals, and any new laws, are applied on the ground by police officers.

"Though the Home Secretary highlighted past concerns raised by photographers and the repeal of Section 44... this could mean we will continue to see photographers being stopped by uniformed officers and security guards."