Parents told to ignore beach signs banning photography

Parents are allowed to take photographs of their children on the country's largest urban beach despite signs stating the use of cameras is banned, a council said yesterday. Nottingham Riviera, which includes a beach with 300 tonnes of sand, paddling pools and 200 deckchairs, opened last month in the city's centre.

The £200,000 project was heralded by Nottingham City Council as a day of free fun for families watching their pennies in a recession. But signs stating that only pictures taken by the site's official photographer were allowed prompted a complaint from mother-of-two Gemma Caulton.

The 23-year-old, from nearby Stapleford, said: "It's advertised as a free family fun day but I didn't have fun and it wasn't free."



Ms Caulton said she was also angry she could not take a home-made picnic on the beach.

A spokesman for the local authority said relatives were allowed to take pictures of their children despite the signs. He said: "The signs are provided so security staff can deal with anybody they feel might be taking inappropriate photographs.
"Basically, anybody taking family snaps isn't going to get stopped. There is no problem about taking photographs on the beach." He added: "You cannot take food on to the beach. It's to do with keeping the beach clean, that's why it has been designated out of bounds for food."