Five year CBO for social media auditor

A social media auditor who trespassed Macclesfield Police Station has to adhere to a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO).

Lee Tench entered Macclesfield Police Station car park on Wednesday 11 August 2021 and used his mobile phone to video the inside of police cars – then published the footage on social media.

The 35-year-old blogger, from Telford, was approached by two police officers who told him he was committing an offence of aggravated trespass under Section 68 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and would be arrested should he refuse to leave the car park.

When he refused to comply with the instruction to leave the premises he was promptly arrested.

Tench was charged, pleaded guilty to aggravated trespass and was subsequently fined, ordered to pay associated court costs and made subject to a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO).

Tench is prohibited from:

• Entering any police station or police building including car parks and vehicles belonging to the police unless it is an emergency or to report a crime
• Using video or audio recording equipment to film any police officer or inside any police stations, police buildings, police car parks and police vehicles with the intention to disrupt or obstruct the police from their lawful activities
• Loitering within the immediate vicinity of any police station, police building, police car park or police vehicle with or without video or audio recording equipment unless it’s an emergency or to report a crime
• Wearing any kind of balaclava or similar item with the purpose of obscuring your identity inside any police station or police building or within the immediate vicinity of such a place

PC Brett Oliver, from Macclesfield Local Policing Unit, 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.

“Tench knew he was trespassing and admitted to entering the grounds of the police station despite noticing these signs that state the public must not enter.

“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.

“After he was sentenced we applied for a CBO which is designed to stop this time of behaviour.

“If Tench breaches the terms of his CBO then that is a criminal offence that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.

“I hope that the CBO imposed on Tench has the desired effect and deters him from committing this offence again.

“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.”

Anyone who encounters Tench breaching the restrictions is asked to contact Cheshire Constabulary online to report it.

Cheshire Constabulary will robustly deal with individuals who seek to intimidate, deter, obstruct or disrupt the lawful activities of others.

We are committed to taking firm action against individuals who trespass on our property and risk security of buildings and our staff.

Such actions cross the boundary of being accountable to the public.