legality of photographing nuisance children

[tatie]

I live in old age pensioners cottages and some of us are encountering badly behaved children of 11+ - years of age when challenged these boys retaliate with the most filthy language imaginable. I have thought to photograph them for identification purposes but wonder if this is legal. We don't know who these boys are or where they live but they certainly find goading us a great sport.

[stevie21]

If you're in a public place then there's nothing to stop people taking your photo.
If you're in the privacy of your own back garden and someone's taking pictures of you then that's intrusion.

You honestly think that taking their picture is going to make any difference? I'd be amazed if it did.

[tatie]

Thanks (Stevie21)
Taking their photo was a means of identifying them in order to possibly approach their parents.

[almcd007]

If I was you - I'd take their pictures from the privacy (and safety) of my own home as they may retaliate. The if in future they cause you problem ( and have broken the law etc) you can take these photographs to the police and approach them about it. Whether it would do anything or the police would act is debatable in this day and age. However recently in the press there was a case of this happening and they took thepicture to parents and they acted and it helped.

[almcd007]

A CCTV camera linked to your video might be an option of recording their anti social behaviour. You can buy them cheaply from Argos !

[maviscoull]

we had problems with kids in our park on mini-motos and a neighbour said he was going to photograph them but the police said even if he did it wouldnt matter as the police need to catch them red handed themselves !! have you ever heard the like ?????

[almcd007]

Nothing should surprise nowadays !

It's also a very good idea to keep a diary of these events in the case of anything happening down the line. SO at least you can give full details to the police about past events instad of saying "it happens all the time"

[tatie]

Very grateful for advise, I now have a more clear picture in my mind of what action I should take and will take photo's from safety of my own home + keep a diary of date, time etc, again my most grateful thanks.