by Alan Watkins

awatkins@thekmgroup.co.uk

Police and council officials have been accused of playing Big Brother after a photographer took pictures of the council’s controversial Smart car CCTV parking patrol.

The next day, police were knocking on the front door of freelance photographer Mike Gunnill to warn him about his “dangerous” driving.

Mr Gunnill was on an assignment for a Sunday newspaper, which wanted to follow up the Medway Messenger’s story last week revealing the council’s parking team had won a national award for customer service.

The council collects £1 million in parking penalties in a year, much of it from the two

CCTV Smart cars.

Mr Gunnill spent last Thursday tracking the cars from their Strood base and taking photographs until they were recalled by the council.

The following evening he was visited at his Upchurch home by two police officers.

For full story see today's (Friday) Medway Messenger.