Castlegate are based in an old BT building on Fenton Street, about 200 yards from the castle so also in VLOS. It’s a while since I checked with the city council but at the time, their drone policy is follow the code. No drone signs have appeared anywhere so I assume the same still applies.
“BodyCam” needed … streaming live.
If Jonathan @Jenal763 is around and weather permitting i’d be up for a brief meet up, to prove a point.
Whilst I agree entirely that the vast majority of security, and indeed the police, need educating on drone laws. I disagree with some of the sentiment Im afraid. Jobsworth Scum in my opinion is a little harsh. A guy doing a shitty job for shitty money, trying to earn enough to possibly feed a wife and 2 or 3 kids. It’s not really his fault he’s not had the correct training and been fed crap info from those above him. I know this one in particular might have been overly aggressive, but put the shoe on the other foot sometimes, see things from a different perspective. Hes being paid to be security and he sees you and your drone as a threat. He is of course wrong, but hes just being paid to do the job hes told to do with no training and no clear instruction on drone laws. It’s not the security guards that need targeted, it’s their employers.
@DazC Fair enough mate. The gun threat wasn’t acceptable but everything else I would have to agree. Explains why the company head office blanked me for so long. Took them a while to repond and two and a half weeks later still no response. They obviously want nothing to do with me.
No the gun threat bit was definitley a BIG no no. Its the kind of threat that could end up with armed officers turning up and not a very clever thing to say. How would I have responded? I don’t know to be honest, I’ve not had that much drone aggression angled at me. But I “think” if someone threatened to use a firearm or shotgun to shoot my drone out of the sky? There are two responses, phone the police, or find a chair/brick/bottle to smack them with. But make sure you have recorded the gun threat on camera or through sound
@DazC That was the frustrating thing. I didn’t record it because I wasn’t expecting him to approach me. He’s extremely lucky because you can land in prison for a few months with stuff like that. Think of the distress it would have caused other members of the public (families and children visiting the castle for a family day out) not just me. I wouldn’t have minded him asking politely and expressing his concerns. I’d have explained everything and tried my best to be reasonable. Got a spare phone and a body mount to act as a bodycam to ensure nothing like that happens again.
Sometimes its better just to smile and walk away. You know you can go back and get more whenever you want. I’d make a point of letting them know though, not asking for permission. Telling them " im going to be taking some photos and videos by the way, I’ll sell you some if you like"?
With the threat of a firearm I would of 100% involved the police.
Completely and totally, 100% ignore them/him. There is absolutley nothing more frustrating than to try and impose your thoughts and will on another person and be totally blanked. Act as if they’re not there. Look through them, not at them. Do not make eye contact. Don’t respond to them in any way shape or form. I 100% guarantee this will do more to piss them off than any argumentative response you can give.
Oh, and 100% record everything they say and do. A cheapish tap to record body worn camera is a must.
If someone threatened me with a firearm I’d immediately ring the Police and that’s what you should do, even after this time. They take a dim view of things like that! If you’d called 999 from the scene there’d have been an armed response and I’d have loved to have seen the security guards face!
Thinking about the prison comment, I remember reading about the formal handover back to the Duchy which resulted in the Queen visiting to see it. However, the court is still very much active and as such could have prisoners on-site. I still see no grounds whatsoever that would allow them to carry a gun. I don’t believe even prison service officers are armed.
The big red flag for me is the threat of shooting it down. 999 and tell the police there’s a guy with a gun at Lancaster Castle. I would do that but I get all you wanted to do was film. I’m a therapist and if you would like a free chat about your social anxiety please get in touch. I’m not selling just offering to help. David
@Crackerjack Very true. There may not have been a gun. He threatened to use one but there was no evidence there was one in his possession. May have been an empty threat to try and intimidate, regardless totally unacceptable either way. Most prisoners going in and out the crown court will be escorted in by a prison van, taking in with a few guards and then they’ll have their hearing and come back out and back into the van to be transported back to prison. I can just about picture someone knowing when a prisoners court hearing was and dropping drugs or weapons next to the prison van but they’d be all tied up and there would be guards everywhere. One of them would have been seen it and stopped it. It’s a low risk overall.
Agree, doubt there was a gun and security is tight when there are cases being heard. Easier way to get drugs to a prisoner, stuffed in a dead gull and thrown into the exercise yard was one.
The threat of using a weapon should be enough to call the Police in my view if even for a ‘little chat’
Weather forecast for tomorrow and Sunday isn’t looking too shabby.