Letters: A picture of privatised streets and plain-clothes police

Letters: A picture of privatised streets and plain-clothes police

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.