I'm so upset - I've been Facebook shamed!

[Whatsthis1515]

We don't have much outside space, so I took my 3 youngest (8, 6 and 5) to the park to ride their bikes. The park is about a 10 minute walk away but we had to drive because my 8 year old has a broken leg (in a cast). We parked in the park's car park. There was no one there apart from us. The kids started biking on the grass but then they decided to bike round the carpark - smooth tarmac, so great to get their confidence up.

Anyway, after 30 mins we put the bikes back in the car and drove home.

I have just seen on our local Facebook group that someone has posted a short video clip of us (filmed from a distance, assuming from someone's bedroom window) and said 'Due to covidiots like his continuing to drive to our village to use our park, we are locking the gates to discourage it. If anyone knows these people please let them know we've got them on film!'.

I am mortified. The post has had about 20 likes, but a few people are saying that parks are open so they don't see the problem and that the government have specifically told councils to leave parks open.

Did I do anything wrong? I'm really shy so don't plan on responding to the post but I only drove there due to my daughter's broken leg, and secondly, we didn't see anyone and thirdly, now the park is not accessable to us because there is nowhere safe to park near it. We have now lost the use of our local park I just don't understand

Having googled it a bit more, household CCTV is mentioned by the ICO but it isnt a criminal matter for the police. And it looks like it is treated differently from filming or photographing when out in public.

Filming and photographing in public is not a police matter. Using those images is not a police matter.

Hearing of a lot of curtain twitchers making assumptions and making people feel rubbish. You've done nothing wrong by going to the park.

Ahhh, well done for standing up for yourself OP! And well done for eloquently puting your point across and not getting dragged into an argument.

Facebook . Oh dear,

Get a real life my love and enjoy it.

How awful. Who turned off the right to respond via comments I wonder? Or if you wanted that. I would be sorely tempted to post a separate post on the site to say “ Just to let the person who filmed my children know that I a, sending evidence of who has filmed my children and why and how they have shared it on social media to the police to check if the filmed has committed a civil or criminal ( or whatever words are correct!) offence. Following my reply from the police I will of course he’d their advise regarding further steps.”

Filmed nor filmed - gah to typing on a phone!

If you are in a village I assume you have a parish council? Please report this to them (they probably employ him to lock the village hall) and if you don’t get fulsome apologies from them report the Parish Council to the District council

Legal or not it’s a dick move to film and put it on the internet. Glad you and others stood up to him.

I would feel just the same, don't feel ashamed, we are all doing what we can atm, and kids need to let off steam, you didn't drive 20 odd miles to go for a long lazy picnic, you drove a short distance, to keep your kids healthy. Its horrible prats like this that make life so much harder. Let fb know so that they can take this idiots post down. Obviously have nothing better to do than spy on others!

It actually says you can drive for exercise if it's for a medical reason

If he’s locked the car park gate, he’s presumably made it impossible for people with disabilities (who need to drive there) to use the park. If he’s a parish councillor, and has locked the gate in that capacity, there’s an Equality Act issue. OP, I would email your parish council and ask why they have taken action which deprives the disabled of access to the park, and if they think that action is consistent with their duties under the Equality Act 2010.

I think it is worth pursuing. The type of petty minded, vicious shaming behaviour that you’ve described - posting pictures of you on Facebook- is a real problem. This parish councillor needs to be stopped.

I have been having a very long e-mail con. with the local car park management. They have shut the car park due to people driving to exercise on the footpaths near there. A place I drive to to walk the dog. 'DRIVING TO EXERCISE' IS ALLOWED in the governmnt guidelines. This is as long as the drive does not takes longer than the exercise. This is driving me mad!! No pun intended. Local car park people have now given in and agreed they're wrong to close the car park for this reason. Please send jobsworths the guidelines. www.college.police.uk/What-we-do/COVID-19/Documents/What-constitutes-a-reasonable-excuse.pdf
Also, if not already said in this thread, in the gov. press conference the other day a request was made that parks that had been shut be reopened. It is sickening how some people are responding to guidelines, or is it just that some people are stupid!!!

@PatriciaPerch the OP wrote that her young daughter has a broken leg, in a cast, and uses crutches. She drove to the park because it was too far for the child to walk, and her other children needed to exercise.

Jesus Christ. Most people's lockdown behaviour is reasonable. There are a small minority of covidiots but there are far more stasi-type spies who need to get a fucking life.

I hate the filming people and taking photos it's just awful. The day McDonalds closed I had to drive onto a retail park to go past McDonald's to go to the supermarket and the queue was absolutely huge I was rather shocked at the size of it but I had to sit in it to pass it and a man stood nearby was filming all the cars and taking photos, I'm assuming to put on Facebook to say look at these idiots willing to wait in this for McDonald's. I was so annoyed and embarrassed!! And I don't even like McDonald's!! Glad you got a good outcome OP sometimes you've got to stand up for yourself but I'm not good at that either!!

But reporting him to the police is absolutely fine, even if no action is taken. For all we know, the man doing the filming could be a danger to children. Bring it to their attention and let them decide. How do you know he doesn’t film other children or have convictions for this?
You could also knock on his door and film him, put him on Facebook and public humiliate him!

@HavenDilemma you are wrong. Responding to dicks like this is pointless. The better person rises above it and if the law becomes involved it’s obvious who is shamed for wasting police time.

Is he a local Parish Councillor by any chance?
If so, look at their website, find out when the next meeting is and joing them online for their meeting- and give his some shame back.
Part of my job was to close playgrounds and I argued against closing carparks as many of our older residents like to drive and sit in the park. I'm not gonna stop anyone doing that.
Well done you for standing your ground x

@Whatsthis1515 Thank you for coming back and updating so pleased others stuck for you, well done for standing your ground.

*others stuck up for you I need sleep

Agree he should be told under the Equality Act he’s on very shaky ground - especially as this was triggered by a visit from a family who (temporarily) uses the car precisely because of mobility issues!
And before I am told people with broken legs aren’t covered under the equality act, yes of course they’re not.

@Whatsthis1515 well done you! Hopefully the idiot will think again next time.

You can report via police online. Look up on your forces webpage of your neighbourhood team have an email.

I’d also raise his actions with whatever committee operate that park. Town or parish council?