Updated police guidelines - England

[geogphotos]

Coronavirus lockdown: Police guidelines give 'reasonable excuses' to go out

Exercise guidelines

On exercise, the guidance lists driving to the countryside for a walk as "reasonable" if "far more time" is spent walking than driving.

But it adds that driving for a "prolonged period with only brief exercise" is not reasonable.

That would appear to indicate that someone who drove for an hour to a beauty spot for a two-hour walk would not be contravening the rules.

 

and

 

Under the guidance, police are advised not to intervene if people stop to rest or eat lunch while on a long walk, but short walks to sit on a park bench are not allowed.

"A very short period of 'exercise' to excuse a long period of inactivity may mean that the person is not engaged in 'exercise' but in fact something else," the guidance says.

 

The document also clarifies that anyone can travel to work if it is not "reasonably possible" to work from home. However, it says it is not allowed for home-workers to "choose" to work in a park.

 

Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-52312560

 

Any implications for generalist stock photographers who can photograph while walking or is the consensus still only to exercise/photograph within the immediate home area?

 

 

 

Edited April 16, 2020 by geogphotos

[Avpics]

For the first time since the lockdown began I'm going to take the chance to go out purely for 'work', being the 'clap for carers' outside our local hospital. Hopefully they'll accept that as good reason, should I be asked.

[IanDavidson]

12 hours ago, Avpics said:

For the first time since the lockdown began I'm going to take the chance to go out purely for 'work', being the 'clap for carers' outside our local hospital. Hopefully they'll accept that as good reason, should I be asked.

I stood outside the local Brentwood hospital and saw all of three people and no staff,  story of my photographic life, right place, wrong time (or the other way around). Now a little rant, it is almost impossible to get official information on what is going on.  Press officers either don’t reply or the reply is useless. (No different from normal times then).  There was a ceremony outside the Brentwood Town Hall, but it appears no one was told, so the event was “reported” with poor phone pictures on twitter....Meanwhile the media are slated over their covid coverage, and I am not even  going to mention the London togs vs cyclists war.... (rant over)

No one said it was going to be easy....,

 

Returning to topic, while in Trafalgar Square last week I saw a man had been stopped by police for photographing.  They told him that without a press pass he could not take photos while walking.  I feel sorry for the police.  The guidelines are so vague policing them must be a nightmare.  I also noted that the Royal Parks police are enforcing the requirement to have a Royal Parks Press permit (£120 per year) to take professional (ie with a DSLR) photos in the royal parks.  (Don’t get me started on the togs vs cyclists in Regents Park).

Edited April 17, 2020 by IanDavidson
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[sooth]

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Edited April 17, 2020 by sooth

[spacecadet]

15 hours ago, IanDavidson said:

They told him that without a press pass he could not take photos while walking

Well they were certainly wrong about that. They're gold-plating the advice about press passes- which I believe they spent years denigrating!