Park to Interrogate Adults Entering Without Children

Picture taken in the summer of 2004, in the Telford Town Park

Kevoh92 has contributed a photo to this story.

Photograph taken in June of this year (2008). Although there were other people around, this was a peaceful moment.

J Aine Cliodna has contributed a photo to this story.

I have to dissagree totally, it makes no sense what so ever. The world or at least TWC has gone totally kiddie protection mad at the expense of common sense and criminal fact. Most if not all paedophiles engage with children not lurk in bushes and watch from afar so what good will approaching childless people do? the sick paedophiles will look like they are with the kids and there are plenty of kids who go there without parental supervision so who could tell anyhow? Why on earth target lone childless adults? most victims know their attacker. It's extremely rare to be just snatched by a total stranger. This is OTT and the park is paid for by us all and not just by those with children. Ironically I have been asked to contribute one of my photos for said article.

As a childless member of the public perhaps in the future I will not be able to take photos in a public park to aid such news worthy story's if this approach is left un challenged. I think local photographers should meet at the park en mass and take lots of photos of children at play just to make our point! I for one will be voicing my opinion to my MP and the council. It's bloody outrageous!

Jason Dale has contributed a photo to this story.

Thanks for your input and pictures Kim. You are very right on teaching awareness is always the best first step.

This is a question that poses a dilemma.  On one hand, I would support any law or action that would protect children from paedophiles but on the other hand, I find it disheartening to think that every adult who is in the park unaccompanied by a child is to be seen as a potential threat to children.  I've always seen the park as a place to unwind and relax.....  a chance to get peaceful moments.  However, that wouldn't be the case if the rule is enforced.  I think totally the opposite would be true.  I think this would prevent a lot of people who use the park for the purpose it was intended from doing so.

Maybe thats what the intention is?!  Being a sometimes suspicious and sceptical person at times, all this makes me wonder if the ultimate intention IS to stop the majority of people using the park!  All this speculation and planning to build on the park may have faced a lot more objection from the populace of Telford if none of this had happened!!  Were this rule to come into force and the ultimate result was very few adults using it who weren't accompanied by children, the park and its peace would gradually diminish in our minds and the planned building and distruction of our park would go ahead with very little objection.

Just a thought?!

Campaigners are planning a march on the Town Park this coming Saturday to display in person their displeasure at this policy that appears to have been introduced without recourse the Telford public.

Not sure I will be able to attend myself but as a parent of kids who regularly use the Town Park, and an individual male adult who has on many occasions walked through the park without my children I find it deeply distrubing to think that town park/council officials believe they have the right to pull me to one side and question my intentions without any shred of suspicion or cause other than the fact that I do not happen to be accompanied by any children.

This is a step way over the boundary of common sense and basic human rights and will be challenged vehemently.

Scott

http://www.muxton.com

http://ukmac.net

Thanks for the comments, you all made really good points. From the comments, it seems like most of the people are outraged by this. Please keep us updated with the situation regarding the march taking place on Saturday.

As a resident of Telford, who has a passion for photography, is NOT a pedophile, and is happily married but with no kids, I am more than a bit upset by this idea. I have the same rights as anybody else has to be in Telford Town Park, accompanied by kids or not. The photograph that has been published here was taken by myself in Town Park. When the weather is good I often visit the park, usually with my wife in tow, so that I can get more new material for my portfolio. If Telford & Wrekin Borough Council think that they are going to bully me away from this area, they have picked on the wrong person. Anybody approaching me regarding my being in a PUBLIC place, will be told politely to go and take a running jump of a short pier. This park means a great deal to me as I am disabled to a reasonable degree, and because of the ease of access it allows me the chance to work with my camera. They ain't taking that away from me. Or has our power mad council never heard of Human Rights? Liberty? Freedom of expression? Get real T&WBC!!!

As a P.S.  I have just finished re-reading an article from one of the photographic magazines which was highlighting this very issue.  Our lovely council ought to check up on their legal right to challenge photographers.  They can ask what we are doing and nothing more.  Even the Police have very limited powers in this area.

uglybugga has contributed a photo to this story.

My husband and I often walk in the park with no young children as they are now adults themselves. I often take my camera just to capture a mood as any photography hobbiest would. All council tax payers have the right to relax in their local area - not just those with small children. While I understand the reasoning, I would resent being questioned by a park warden - police I would accept.

Why don't the Wrekin authority concentrate on keeping the park safe by removing the young adults that persist on using the area for binge drinking, and removing what I would call dangerous rubbish from the area. Also police the area and try to catch the people that dump rubbish there - I have seen settees, fridges and black bags full of clothes etc. Maybe the photographers of Telford should photograph and publish pictures of these things and shame the Park Authorities into action.

funnyhelen2 has contributed a photo to this story.

I am a single parent of a now adult son who spent many happy hours in this park as a child. I wonder how on earth the authorities intend to carry out this policy. I can't imagine how many 'interrogators' they may have to employ in order to question every 'suspicious' adult in the park, or how indeed they would define 'acting suspiciously'. The media has a lot to answer for, in my opinion. This scare-mongering is corroding any sense of community that may have existed, leading to an atmosphere of distrust & downright hostility. What kind of a message does this send to the very children it is trying to 'protect'? This current generation of children are going to grow up believing that no one can be trusted, which can never be a good thing.

suesviews has contributed a photo to this story.

The Town Park should be in use for all, its unfair that people are almost being judged that we are all pedophiles. Yes the safty of children is terribly important, however isnt it the job of parents to be watching there children at all times??? Not some people in uniforms. I agree of having staff on site there if parents feel that there are adults acting strangely. But the town park is the only area that people near to the centre can go to relax and get away from traffic and have some time out. I hope my photo can show that they're more things to the park than children and pedophiles.

Karen3000 has contributed a photo to this story.

You are absolutely right there and also as a local photographer i would take part.

A follow-up to this story...  According to Cllr Eade, the Chairperson for T&WBC, this is all a big mistake, blown out of all proportion, eminating from a letter sent to a 'Telford' resident.  The wording of which was inappropriate and misleading.

However, I am a little confused by his closing comment, in which he states;

"What we want to do and what we have done is look at any individual, male or female, who happens to be hanging around an area for a particular period of time and actually looking as though they are doing something unusual"

I have a few concerns about this statement, which in itself I find abiguous.

What does he mean by a particular period of time?  An hour?  2 hours?  30 minutes?  And as for looking as though they are doing something unusual, well he has me there.

These comments concern me because;

1. I spend an unmeaured amount of time in the park taking photographs.  Partly because I like to take my time getting my shots.
2. Any photographer can be seen to be "looking as though they are doing something unusual".  This could be because they are into Macro Photography, where you have to get in real close to take the shot, and can involve crawling on the floor on your belly, or getting in amongst the bushes to find that ellusive insect.

So, in my mind Cllr. Eade needs to make his statement of intentions more clear by defining exactly what type of behaviour he is telling his wardens to look out for.

The source of the material I have used was the Telford Journal (a local free issue weekly newspaper), dated Thursday, Sept. 11.