Viral video footage showed the female bobby approach a man filming in Liverpool city centre and branding his actions ‘a bit noncey’. Her force said the footage was being reviewed
A police force said it is “reviewing” video footage of one its officers telling a man it was “a bit noncey” to film people. Social media footage shows the female bobby approach the man who was recording in Liverpool city centre during a night out.
She is seen approaching him and asks: “Do you have a problem?” She then adds: “You just want to video people? Bit noncey that, mate.” She is then seen walking off in footage which has gone viral online.
It is unclear what provoked the confrontation, but a second young man can be seen at the start of the brief clip remonstrating with a male officer.
It appears the first man was filming this interaction before the female officer approaches. The male police officer can be heard making reference to the man’s camera “being in his face”, to which the man replies: “It’s not in your face. I’m recording.”
Merseyside Police said it has received a complaint about the video, which appeared on TikTok and Twitter over the weekend.
A force spokesman said: “Merseyside Police expects the highest standards and values from all of staff and this video is being reviewed by our Professional Standards Department.”
Some social media users called for the officer to be sacked for the comment, but others defended her, with one highlighting: “The Officer didn’t call anyone a nonce. She said that what the person was doing was ‘a bit noncy’. There’s a significant difference.”
Filming on a public street is not a crime in the UK but it can cross the line into harassment and a man was arrested last year after women were filmed on nights out without their knowledge and the videos were shared on social media.
He became the first person in the UK to be arrested over videos filmed of women on nights out without their consent, with some in vulnerable states.
And there is a growing trend of social media “auditors”, who are known to film police officers, often looking to provoke a reaction from them for clicks online.
Retired Met cop Norman Brennan posted on social media: “Ok it’s not polite but what happens now? Months under Investigation.
“To be fair I – and many colleagues – used some choice words in my 31 year career to the right people but thank goodness no mobile phones back in the Dinosaur days where the public pretty much were on our side, especially when we challenged the scallywags.
“Nowadays some calling themselves so called ‘auditors’ just can’t wait for an officer god forbid to say or do something perceived wrong often ‘goaded’ by them before there is a massive social media pile on.”
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