Police promise pow-wows

POLICE treatment of photographers at two recent demos has drawn protests from the NUJ.

Freelance Organiser John Toner and Pamela Morton, Assistant Organiser, met with Commander Robert Broadhurst, responsible for Public Order, at New Scotland Yard on November 27.

They described officers' actions at incidents in Parliament Square on 9 October - when member Marc Vallée ended up in hospital - and outside the Mexican Embassy on 16 October.

John said he found Commander Broadhurst "receptive". The Commander agreed to continue to reiterate the importance of providing media access at briefings prior to public order events.

Broadhurst also offered Toner regular meetings at two-monthly intervals in order to monitor the Metropolitan Police Service Guidelines, agreed at the turn of the year.

John Toner added: "The meeting was necessary because of the injury to a photographer at Parliament Square. Obviously I did not go into detail, as this is likely to be the subject of legal action. Commander Broadhurst said the Met were already aware of the incident.

He added: "This meeting was arranged by Bob Cox of the Met press office, with whom we have a very good relationship. I am grateful to him for his continued support."

Commander Broadhurst has agreed to speak at the Photographers' Conference on 27 February.