This morning Alan Rusbridger received a police caution for ‘illegal use of a tripod’ on Hampstead Heath. The Guardian editor has since written a blog detailing his brush with the law.
The London police have been trying to nick an editor for years. Today they got one – me http://t.co/IatiJR0ELR
— alan rusbridger (@arusbridger) March 12, 2015
The incident began when a man took offence at photos Rusbridger was taking with David Levene.
‘He ran down the hill shouting that I had no right to take pictures and I’d better effing delete them. As he got nearer he became a rather large and shouty speck, sweat beading on his bald head as he bellowed in my face.
We were effing out of order. It was illegal to take effing pictures here and if I didn’t delete the effing picture he’d effing call the police. He was really quite menacing – in the manner, say, of a nineties gangster movie.’
The police arrived shortly after and issued the pair with a caution.
What a shame that Rusbridger hasn’t had the same luck with the general public on Hampstead Heath as Ed Miliband. The Labour leader has previously boasted of meeting ordinary people there, and seemingly enjoyed the experience.
One man sticks in Mr S’s mind: Gareth Edwards, who met Miliband on Hampstead Heath, and went onto become the star of last year’s Labour conference, after Miliband referenced him eight times in his speech. Unfortunately for Miliband, the 36-year-old IT worker turned out to be a Liberal Democrat supporter.
Perhaps Miliband can give Rusbridger some advice about how to make friends with men on Hampstead Heath.
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