Forum Topic

Operation Lightning

Today I walked the length of Brentford High Street from Ealing Road to the canal bridge taking a photograph of each shop.  This is for a little personal project I have to record some of the changes that are taking place locally.In the middle of the High Street I was stopped by two police officers and asked what I was taking photographs of.  I told them, and was then advised that under “Operation Lightning”, relating to anti-terrorism legislation, it can be an offence to take photographs of “transport infrastructure” (I was standing with my back to the road, but there was a reflection of a bus in the shop window); or of buildings where the information in the photographs could assist terrorist activity, by, for instance, showing weak points in buildings (there were flats above the shops).  I asked what could be determined from such photographs that could not be equally well determined by just looking at the buildings.  I was told that this was really for my protection – someone might mug me for said information.  If they knew who I was and what I was doing and why, then . . . . . what?The surreal nature of this conversation was confirmed when I offered my name and address, thinking that this had gone far enough and would be brought to a close; But no, they did want my name and address!  Form 5090(X) was filled in, I was given my copy and we parted.  They were entirely civil and pleasant throughout the whole encounter and were happy for me to continue taking photographs.Do you all feel safer now?

David Biles ● 6217d7 Comments

Operation Lightining is defined as "a national intelligence gathering operation, relating to suspicious sightings or activity at or near any prominent or vulnerable structure or building, with particular regard to crowded places, the transport infrastructure and utilities infrastructure." Brentford High Street?JL

Jim Linwood ● 6212d

David,What a shock for you when you're just taking pictures at street level..in Brentford too!Heavens above what they might have done with me appearing on the Gillette Factory roof and then later at the top of the Police Station!!One day I was stopped by guards at Kneller Hall and I had to provide my details etc. Blimey, I was only taking a picture of a British Airways aircraft as it popped into view from behind some trees!!

Jim Lawes ● 6212d

I remember the photographer from the local paper complaining about this behaviour.I think it has to do with too many rules and regulations and boxes to tick being dictated down the line and the omission of thinking, common-sense and initiative (they don't fit in boxes) from the equation.

Philippa Bond ● 6212d

The astute terrorist will not be bearded and Asian-looking but look like, well, a Brentfordian Forum snapper.

Dan Filson ● 6214d

DanIf I were to photograph buildings (or anything else) for purposes of terrorist activity, would I walk around obviously and openly with a 35mm SLR type camera, or would I unobtrusively use a good quality camera phone?  Perhaps doing it openly is the perfect disguise.It sounds more like an outbreak of SLOPS - Severe Loss of Perspective Syndrome.I prefer Richard Jennings' reported approach by Transport Police:. . . . . . . . I felt that I ought to say something, so I said that I was just photographing the indicator.  The reply was "That's OK sir, you're not a terrorist are you?"

David Biles ● 6215d

This is one of those "if you have nothing to hide, you should have no objections" issues. There is a widespread poster campaign about how family x is alive because 6 weeks earlier someone reported suspicious activity that prevented terrorist activity. I  have been fortunate never to be caught up directly in the consequences of such activity though I was only half a mile from the bus bomb that blew up on 7 July 2005. One member of the Cabinet, Jack Straw, was once caught slightly in the blast of an IRA bomb near the Courts of Justice (I wonder if that is why he is deaf on one side). The fact is that in these present times the price of liberty is eternal vigilance, and though it may seem trivial to be checked when photographing buildings, this might just be the occasion when the police strike lucky. Incidentally flipping it round, my mother took pictures of railways bridges and marshaling yards etc when in Germany in the late 1930s and fortunately was not caught doing so; she did so feeling they might be handy in a year or two, but got a surprisingly dusty answer when she handed them over to the War Office in August 1939. A few months later they were asking the general public for any photographs of Europe and got millions of holiday snaps, but these later helped put together the coastline of Normandy in photographs, or so they claimed. I suspect a few Spitfire low-flights did the same and more accurately.

Dan Filson ● 6215d

I don't really have a problem with this, and it is something I've encountered before whilst taking photographs for town planning matters.At the same time it does 'amuse' me given the amount of information of an almost identical nature which can be found on the internet - Google Streetview, Earth etc.

Adam Beamish ● 6217d