My paedophile ‘neighbour from hell’ is using a secret camera to ‘spy’ on my 12-year-old grandson – and cops said it’s OK
A GRANDAD claims his paedophile "neighbour from hell" is using a secret camera to "spy" on his 12-year-old grandson - and cops said it's OK.
Martin Prior first contacted cops on December 22 when he noticed a menacing spy cam on a lane near his home.
But when officers came over to check the lens they said it was totally legal and refused to lop it from the fence.
Martin, from Herefordshire, told The Sun: It's infuriating and unbelievable.
"I reported it to police because I was worried it had been put there by one of our neighbours who is a convicted paedophile.
"Police have lost interest in this matter and won’t do anything. It is unacceptable."
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Martin's paedo neighbour was previously jailed for nine months for possessing indecent images of children.
But in December the grandad found a spy cam attached to a third party fence on what he says is a mixed private and public road.
He claims the black box points "towards a treehouse" used by his 12--year-old grandson and young friends when they visit.
The 65-year-old explained: "Our grandson is semi-resident with us; until this camera was placed, his young friends and relatives, male and female, came to play here.
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"But we have had to severely curtail these visits to protect these children from the possibility of being filmed.
"Our niece is not allowed to visit us at all while this horrible situation persists."
Incredibly, when cops questioned the sicko, he claimed he put it up under advice from West Mercia Police.
Martin added: "He didn't deny he has put it up but said he was filming in connection with a past dispute over boundaries between our two families."
Martin has not confronted the resident himself, whom he described as a "neighbour from Hell” who is “very intimidating and aggressive” and feared by other locals.
“Some people around here are too scared to walk their dogs in case he comes out and pounces on them", he said.
He was also concerned there may be other hidden cameras aimed at his home.
"I discovered a covert camera on a gate post on land between our two properties and pointing in the direction of mine, towards the tree house where my grandson and his young friends play in the treehouse when they visit.
It remains in place attached to a fence post on land which is not owned by the sex offender and does not cover his property.
The paedo was released from prison last autumn after a nine month sentence for possession of indecent pictures of children on his work laptop.
Martin insists his “neighbour from Hell”, a 51-year-old, is responsible for placing a camera there.
He explained: “Police came out to investigate and spoke to the man concerned.
"He didn't deny he has put it up but said he was filming in connection with a past dispute over boundaries between our two families.”
"I reported it to police because I was worried it had been put there by one of our neighbours who is a convicted paedophile."
But when officers came over the next day to speak to its owner - a convicted sex offender - they said they couldn't do anything.
Horrified Martin said: "We are worried that the sex offender may have concealed other cameras aimed at our property.
Correspondence between Martin and the police shows the Safer Neighbourhood Team refusing to investigate the camera, despite the granddads concerns over the "gross invasion of privacy".
In one email to Martin, the Safer Neighbourhood Team said: "I am unaware of the advice upon which he may have chosen to site CCTV cameras.
"Matters regarding the use of CCTV are for the Information Commissioner's Office to oversee and address."
Martin says the police response to the report as "off-the-shelf" and "unacceptable".
He has now complained to West Mercia Police's professional standards department.
A spokesperson for West Mercia Police said: "We are aware of a concern raised about the placement of a CCTV camera.
"However, no crime has been reported to us and therefore it is not a police matter. CCTV concerns need to be raised with the Information Commissioner's Office.
"We can neither confirm nor deny the location or identity of a registered sex offender in the community."
Online advice from the Information Commissioner's Office says CCTV used to film other property is not a breach of data protection.
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They say owners should try and point them away from their neighbours' homes, shared spaces, or public streets and if you're concerned you should contact the police.
The Sun approached West Mercia Police for comment.