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Letters: I was stopped and searched twice near London City airport – for watercolouring
via the Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/dec/18/cities-photography-police-painting-liberties
I was stopped and searched twice near London City airport – for watercolouring! I was not even facing the airport. I was painting the Tate and Lyle sugar factory opposite. They said they saw me on a camera and thought that “no one would want to paint a factory”. I explained that LS Lowry did loads. Then they said I could be an anarchist and I was carrying “suspicious paraphernalia” – this being a flask of coffee and an iPod. Oh, and a box of watercolours.