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Online Journalism News

Web video of police drugs raid was intrusive, rules PCC

Posted: 01/07/08 By: Oliver Luft
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The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) has upheld a complaint made against the Scarborough Evening News for video it ran on its website of a police drugs raid.

The Evening New published footage from a police raid on the property of complainant Ms Carolyn Popple, on February 5, this year.

A still image taken from the footage was also published in the newspaper.

The story concerned police raids on residential properties. The newspaper, invited by the police to film one such raid, videoed police entering and searching the complainant's home for drugs.

Ms Popple told the PCC that police informed her 'a small amount of cannabis' had been found at her house.

However, she said she had no idea that the drug was there and no charges were brought against her and argued that showing the interior of her home in these circumstances, and without consent, was deeply intrusive.

The newspaper said it had attended the raid at the invitation of the police to demonstrate their anti-drugs activities and the fact that an illegal drug was found at the complainant's property added a further public interest justification.

The paper added that the complainant's address was identified so that there would be no confusion with other houses on the street.

The adjudication found in favour of Ms Popple under clause 3 (privacy) of the code of practise saying the video of the complainant’s home involved a degree of intrusion that was out of proportion to public interest.

"The fact that the police had invited the newspaper on the raid explained how the footage had been obtained, but it did not absolve the editor of responsibility for ensuring that the subsequent publication of the material complied with the Code," stated the adjudication.

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