A POLICE chief inspector has responded to a video circulating on social media involving a man who was detained and searched by officers after filming Redditch Police Station. 

The video was posted by Auditing Britain, a YouTube channel aiming to prove that ‘photography is not a crime’.

The man in the video, who uses the alias ‘AB’, was filming outside the police station earlier this week and was questioned by officers. He claims he was filming the building for ‘matters of public interest’ and to ‘exercise his right to film in public.’

Police later conducted a stop and search under 'Section 43 of the Terrorism Act.'

An officer in the video was criticised by the YouTuber, and social media users, for not identifying himself when requested to.

People can watch the video below. 

Responding to the incident, chief inspector Edward Hancox said: “We are aware of a video circulating on social media filmed at Redditch Police Station.

“Whilst you can legally film in a public place there are security and safety considerations around filming police buildings. As such, officers rightly spoke to the man filming and conducted a legal search.

“We have reviewed the footage and there are certainly some things that we would expect to have been done better; our officers should make their collar numbers visible and they should give their collar number on request. We are disappointed this didn’t happen on this occasion and the officer concerned has been spoken to.

“Whilst no formal action is being taken, following review by our Professional Standards Department, advice on handling similar situations in the future has been passed on to all the officers involved.

“Our officers will continue to be proactive in addressing security concerns in and around police premises, which is as much about protecting the public as it is our own workforce.”