Shopping centre bosses that banned family photos back down in face of huge boycott

ONE of Scotland’s largest shopping centres has caved in to an internet campaign by changing its policy of preventing people from taking photographs of friends and family in the building.

Braehead Shopping Centre announced the move last night after more than 10,000 people lent their support to a planned boycott in protest over a father being questioned by police for taking pictures of his young daughter eating ice cream.

Chris White condemned security officials at the centre and Strathclyde Police for their “ridiculous” response after he took two images of four-year-old Hazel using his camera phone on Friday.

However, a spokesman for the centre last night said: “We have listened to the very public debate surrounding our photography policy and as a result, with immediate effect, are changing the policy to allow family and friends to take photos in the mall.

“We will publicise this more clearly in the mall and on our website. We will reserve the right to challenge suspicious behaviour for the safety and enjoyment of our shoppers.

“We wish to apologise to Mr White for the distress we may have caused to him and his family and we will be in direct contact with him to apologise properly.”

Mr White claimed police warned him they could confiscate the device under anti-terror laws, and demanded an apology from both the force and management at the out-of-town retail centre.

After setting up a Facebook page urging people to shun Braehead, the 45-year-old said he was amazed at the “vast” public response on the Boycott Braehead page of the social networking site.

The incident on Friday afternoon has reignited debate about the rights of parents to photograph their own children.

Mr White, from Glasgow, was at the centre near Paisley with his daughter on Friday afternoon when he was approached by a “threatening” guard.

He was told it was “illegal” to take pictures within Braehead and asked to delete the files from his mobile. Mr White, however, replied that his daughter was the only subject of the images, which he had uploaded to Facebook.

The guard then told him to stay put while police were called, resulting in Hazel bursting into tears because she “didn’t like the man”. Mr White said two Strathclyde officers – one of whom was “intimidating” – informed him photography was not allowed in the centre, and that they were “quite with their rights” under anti-terrorism legislation to confiscate his phone.

Mr White was allowed to keep his handset, but agreed to volunteer his personal details, after which he was told he would have to leave the centre.

Recalling the “completely ridiculous” furore, Mr White, a mental health worker, told The Scotsman: “Shopping centres are, to all extents and purposes, public places, although if there are genuine concerns then they should be raised. But the security guard and the police didn’t ask me at any point if I was the father of my daughter.

“If the guard had asked for a quick chat about my relationship with the child, or asked for a look at the photos, then fine, but that didn’t happen.”

He added: “I usually go to Braehead a couple of times a month and I was there spending money, but the way they’ve responded has been a massive own goal.”

Dr Sarah Nelson, a research fellow at the University of Edinburgh specialising in child abuse, said: “If places like shopping centres are going to have a policy to discourage photographs, surely there’s a way they can diplomatically approach someone and just check it’s their child?”

Superintendent George Nedley of Strathclyde Police said “no further action” was taken against Mr White and confirmed the force was to investigate the incident following a complaint.

He added: “A full review of the circumstances surrounding the incident is underway. A number of people witnessed the incident and police will speak to them.”