So called audit by auditing Yorkshire at a DWP work place

Mark allen made this Freedom of Information request to Department for Work and Pensions Automatic anti-spam measures are in place for this older request. Please let us know if a further response is expected or if you are having trouble responding.

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Dear Department for Work and Pensions,
Auditing yorkshire conducted a so called audit of one of your premises,in which he broke the law and placed your customers and staff at risk by filming
What is being done to stop people like these auditors doing this
They go out deliberately to provoke and cause untold harassment to everyone they meet and put people at risk

Yours faithfully,
Mark allen

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Dear Mark Allen,

I am writing in response to your request for information, received 4th
June.

Yours sincerely,

DWP Central FoI Team

J Roberts left an annotation ()

Some people might be interested in this.

Chris Philp answered a parliamentary question from James Daly:

UIN 189738, tabled on 14 June 2023

'There are no provisions in place which prohibit an individual from taking photographs or filming in public places. This extends to the filming of police officers and buildings unless the behaviour of the person filming represents a genuine security risk or risk to the personal information of staff to be misused.

Whilst individuals are not prohibited from filming in public places, behaviour which intentionally causes harassment, alarm or distress is prohibited under the Public Order Act 1986. The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 also makes it a criminal offence to pursue a course of conduct amounting to harassment. Whether these offences apply to individual cases will depend on the circumstances.

The NPCC have released national guidance on persons recording police in public spaces. This also sets out the legislation that does apply when the officers suspect terrorism: NPCC Guidance.

The College of Policing have also published guidance as part of their Media Relations APP and the Public Order APP.'

https://questions-statements.parliament....

'YouTuber Auditing Britain wins police payout after stop and search for filming Redditch Police Station'

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/mi...

Auditing Britain

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqeitjW...

Sometimes 'auditors' get handcuffed. Information on the award for unlawful handcuffing (a case relating to a man who was tasered):

Judgment [2023] EWHC 1632 (KB

'118. Mr Hughes submitted that a conventional award for unlawful handcuffing in an otherwise lawful arrest is £500.'

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/t...

J Roberts left an annotation ()

Here is a video by the Laughing Auditor at Queen's Park job centre that some people may find interesting.

The police were called in relation to a suspected data breach, but the Laughing Auditor explained that the duty is on data controllers to protect personal information.

There is also an exchange concerning 'false imprisonment' when the manager says he is going to lock the doors after having called the police.

Civil trespass is also discussed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tT3IRtLa...