A group of volunteers at a Leeds bowling club who set up a sting to catch young vandals in action on CCTV have been told off by police for filming children without permission.
Harehills Park Bowling Club in Leeds has been experiencing an "unprecedented amount" of vandalism over the last eight months. In the last couple of weeks, shelters have been destroyed and someone tried to break into a shed during broad daylight, causing £3,000 of damage.
The club decided to get CCTV to catch the vandals and just hours later members discovered a memorial bench had been destroyed. Unfortunately the CCTV had finished recording but it did capture images showing the vandals before they put balaclavas on to mess with the CCTV.
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The next day, the same group of youths approached members on the bowling green to ask if they could play, SWNS reports. Members recognised the group and as a decoy told them they were leaving the green in 10 minutes.
Minutes later the youths returned, but the volunteers had called the police who advised them to lock them on the green until they arrived. However, West Yorkshire Police complained to the bowls club for taking a video of the youths who tried to break in, as they are "kids".
On a statement posted on social media, Harehills Park Bowling Club said: "The police actually complained to me for taking a video because they are kids. We literally did their job for them, instructed them how to apprehend them, yet protecting them because of their age, the law is not on our side when it comes to youths.
"The reaction of them being caught, tears, feeling nauseous I hope we have nipped it in the bud."
"I made it clear the upset that had been caused, the time and money spent, how long we had been in existence, they apologised and they were made aware that they can come back anytime to play bowls and even sit in the greens but not do any damages.
"Apparently they will be forced to write a letter of apology and parents informed. We gave the officers our leaflets to give to their parents and we can only hope that they are decent people and are ashamed and do the right thing and speak to their kids and know exactly what they are doing and who they are with in future."
Laura Hassoun, chairman of the club said: "We just hope that they come and have a game with us, and respect the game moving forward. The police took them home and made them write an apology, so we just hope that they do have decent parents who are going to be responsible and hopefully come forward and come and meet us. We don't expect any compensation financially but meeting us would be the best way forward for us."
There is currently no law preventing people from taking photographs of others in public, and this includes taking photos of other people's children.
West Yorkshire Police said: "Police attended Harehills Bowling Club at about 6.10pm on August 19, after it was reported that a male who was alleged to have been involved in an incident of damage at the location on the previous night had reattended with others.
"Officers liaised with the reporting person and two 13-year-old males received community resolutions after they admitted to being involved. Reports of burglary and criminal damage are taken seriously and will be investigated, with action taken against those who are found to be responsible."
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