Thaindian News

London, Apr 17 (ANI): A decision by the Church of England cathedral to impose a ban on the public from taking pictures of its choir has been called as ‘ludicrous’ by a child protection charity.

Birmingham Cathedral has erected a notice near its entrance saying that ‘for child protection purposes photography and videoing is not permitted during services and rehearsals’.

But a child protection charity called the ban ‘ludicrous and unenforceable’ and anti-censorship campaigners have accused the cathedral of ‘hysteria’, reports the Daily Mail.

The Churches’ Child Protection Advisory Service, an independent charity that works with a number of Church of England dioceses and cathedrals, attacked Birmingham Cathedral’s decision.

It said it knew of “no child protection grounds” for a blanket ban on taking pictures of group performances, such as given by choirs, in public spaces such as cathedrals.

Bass said that neither data-protection laws nor the possible content of the pictures would justify such a ban.

Birmingham Cathedral’s assistant Dean, Canon Peter Howell-Jones, said the ban had not been put in place because of ‘anything sinister’ but as part of a general child protection policy.

“We don’t like pictures being taken of children in the choir without their permission,” he said. “Because it is a public building, we don’t like people coming in and clicking away.”

“We have a lot of children going through the building one way and another. We wanted to make sure we had adequate provisions for them. It is always a matter of balance,” he added.

A Church of England spokesman said that it is up to individual cathedrals to draw up their own policies. (ANI)