Blogger trespassed at police station as part of internet craze
ASOCIAL media blogger who ‘believed he was above the law’ trespassed at Macclesfield Police station to film inside patrol cars as part of an internet craze.
Lee Tench, 35, donned a balaclava and went inside the private car park at the station, on Brunswick Street, to shoot the footage, which he put online.
Two officers asked him to leave and when he refused he was arrested and charged with aggravated trespass.
The practice is known as ‘auditing’, where people film police stations or property, wait for staff or officers to interact with them, and put the footage on social media to attract followers.
Now Tench has pleaded guilty at Crewe Magistrates Court and was given a fiveyear criminal behaviour order (CBO).
As part of this he is banned from police stations and property unless it is an emergency or to report a crime.
He is also banned from recording or filming officers and wearing a balaclava inside, or nearby, a station.
The incident happened on Wednesday, August 11, at around 5.30pm and Tench, from Telford, was sentenced on Friday, December 10.
Speaking after the case PC Brett Oliver, from Macclesfield Police, said: “Auditing, or police auditing, has been a national craze whereby members of the public film police stations, or facilities and wait for members of staff or offers to interact with them
“Videos of these interactions are uploaded onto social media to attract large numbers of followers.
“There is clear signage on the car park entry barriers and on the wall of the police station stating that there is no access to the public.
“He believed he was above the law and could film police buildings and vehicles to put on YouTube but this is simply not the case. If Tench breaches the terms of his CBO then that is a criminal offence that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
“This should also send a strong message to other auditors who think that they can gain access to the grounds of a private police station and seek out officers and obstruct their policing activities for the sole purpose of ‘likes’ on social media.”
Tench was also fined and ordered to pay court costs.