In Britain today anybody taking photographs in public in likely to be detained and even arrested under Section 43, 44 or 45 of the 'Terrorism' Act. There are many reasons why this is so, although most of them have nothing to do with terrorism and more to do with a frightened population (just how the politicians want them to be, frightened and easily manipulated) and a very under-educated police force. To highlight the absurdity of this law every so often I'll be showcasing the work of well known 'terrorists' or 'collaborators'.

February 2010 - Martin Parr - This great Magnum photographer must have the British police on his back all the time. Kids in their bathing suits? Rich people being mocked? Western businessmen buying guns from Arabs! Terrorist!

October 2009 - Garry Winogrand - A prolific street photographer born in New York City in 1928. When he died in 1984 he left behind 300,000 unedited images and more than 2,500 undeveloped rolls of film. His 1977 book 'Public Relations' showed images of the police. Garry took 10 rolls of film every day and has left for us a unique and valuable record of life in New York in the 1970's and 80's; should he be alive and working today he would be arrested by the police very, very frequently.

September 2009 - Eugene Atget - Born in Bordeaux, France in 1857, Atget worked as an actor, painter and sailor before becoming a photographer aged 40. He noticed that there was a demand for pictures of old Paris at the time so he spent the early part of his photographic career building up a portfolio of work in this field. His work included street vendors, architectural details and buildings that were about to be demolished. Atget used only an old wooden 18 x 24cm camera rather than anything modern as he said that they worked faster than he could think. A clear menace to society, according to the law as interpreted by English police. Any one of these photos could be used by a terrorist planning a raid on Paris, and note Atget's love of the lower orders, here represented by a prostitute - the man is clearly a deviant and should be arrested immediately.

August 2009 - Helen Levitt - Considered by many to be the greatest living street photographer, Levitt would no doubt attract great attention from our British police should she ever make the mistake of coming here from her home in New York. Note the close attention paid to children ("another kiddie fiddler I reckon, Sarge...") - the first group clearly a menace to decent society - and the lady provocatively carrying two bottles of milk...or is it plastic explosive...?

July 2009 - Henri Cartier Bresson - The street photographer, famous for taking images of the Berlin Wall (below left) and other key sites, a possible terrorist, maybe leader of the pack...has to be, doesn't he? Police take note; with all those kids featuring in his work, you'd also be advised to put him on one of your registers...