Earlier this year, Jan Britton's Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council used its investigative powers and harvested this photograph from MY Twitter account and used it to write to the employers of a Birmingham woman with a view to getting her sacked (or at least suspended) from her job:
Even in the perverted and sordid world of Sandwell Council this beggars belief. I have spoken with some of the Hippodrome volunteers shown in the photograph and they have never been asked by Jan Britton's Council for permission to use their images in this, nor indeed, any other way. They certainly do NOT consent that their images have been hijacked for this vile purpose by a local authority.
Needless to say, the woman Britton's Council was so anxious to get sacked had absolutely no connection with this event whatsoever.
I have two related Freedom of Information Act requests in concerning SMBC's misuse of its investigative powers (and, of course, taxpayers' money) but have already had to ask for an internal review in respect of the first since it is now absolutely clear that one (or more) of Britton's employees has lied to me in the initial response.
By the way, Sandwell Council are appealing for volunteers to help at its joke "Arts Festival" this month (yes, it's giant puppets AGAIN). I should read this before you consider applying.
Here is the link to the BBC Midlands Today item on Minimum Monument:
THE SANDWELL SKIDDER - A COMMUNITY BLOG - READ THE SKIDDER, KIDDER!
email: thesandwellskidder@gmail.com twitter: @bcrover (Vernon Grant)
Confidential phone number: 07599 983737
That is a pretty shitty thing to do to say the least, someone should answer for this.
ReplyDeletep.s. as I recall, the reason I'm not in the photograph is that I'm the one who took it, & I know I wouldn't have given them permission to use my image if I'd been in it.