This is Woolworths on my local high street (around 500 yards from my house). While taking this shot this morning I was stopped by a member of the Surrey Police force who deemed my actions suspicious. While being reasonably polite his first questions were - "Are you English?" and "What do you think you are taking photographs of? This unnerved me a little as I have never been stopped by the police before for any reason. Answering his questions as honestly as possible (despite making a mistake about my age (for some odd reason said 32 instead of 33) I was interrupted by him saying "are you sure you're not Australian?". As I wasn't wearing a hat with corks attached and the fact that I have quite a broad Mancunian accent I became increasingly confused. He then told me that 'you' can't be too careful these days and offered a photo opportunity with the dog in the back of his van. The usual terrorist threat explanation was rolled out with some more platitudes. He then proceeds to write down my details in his little book and continued with some friendly banter about his upcoming holiday. I didn't know if I should feel intimidated, angry or secure in the knowledge that we have such an efficient police force that they know what every person in the borough is up to at any time of the day. What I did feel when walking away is absolutely furious. These guys do nothing about my mother being robbed in her car. They do nothing about kids drinking on the streets, abusing the elderly and belting lumps out of each other. They do nothing about most of the serious and petty crime that is making my area an increasingly crap place to live. What they do is stop people taking photographs in the high street and ruin a perfectly fine morning for a fairly normal, honest hard working bloke. I never really had any negative feelings towards the police before today and I know there are some integral people on the force doing a really important job. My view today is changed and I fear the day when their powers are increased so that they can be abused even further. Where are my civil liberties and what next? More than that it is a shit photo :)