The Nan Goldin nonsense in Gateshead

I'm afraid the police are simply making fools of themselves by seizing a photograph by Nan Goldin from the Baltic Centre in Gateshead. This reminds me of a similar story from 2001, when a photgraph by Tierney Gearon was seized by police from the Saatchi Gallery in London. The CPS concluded then that there was insufficient evidence to proceed under the Protection of Children Act 1978.

Although I haven't seen the photograph myself, so arguably there must be some small smidgeon of residual doubt from which the Northumbria police might be entitled to benefit, I'd bet anything that we get the same result this time. I think that's especially likely since according to the Independent on Sunday, this is the same Nan Goldin photo that the Met seized, along with Tierney Gearon's, from the Saatchi six years ago.

What utter nonsense. Haven't the police got anything better to do than pester artists, galleries and collectors? I'm afraid police all round the country have somehow got themselves into a position where they feel obliged to act on any complaint about indecency involving children, no matter how ridiculous: my own parents for instance were told off by an off-duty policewoman last summer for taking photographs of a village cricket match on a nice summers day - because some of the players were under eighteen.

One way of tackling this might be for Sir Elton John, whose photograph this is - and who incidentally is presumably suspected of an offence under section 1(1)(b) of the 1978 Act, read with section 1(2) - to take the police to court on the basis that their action has breached his right to peaceful enjoyment of his possessions, since seizure in these circumstances clearly fails to strike a fair balance between his interests and those of the community.

I hope he goes for it, and strikes a blow for sense.