Villagers Block Google Street View Car

Residents of a Buckinghamshire village have blocked the driver of a Google Street View car who was taking photographs of their homes.

Officers were called to Broughton, Milton Keynes after locals complained the procedure was an invasion of their privacy and the photographs would attract burglars. Speaking to The Times, a local resident Paul Jacobs said: "I was upstairs when I spotted the camera car driving down the lane. My immediate reaction was anger: how dare anyone take a photograph of my home without my consent? I ran outside to flag the car down and told the driver he was not only invading our privacy but also facilitating crime."

He said he called on neighbours doors to rouse fellow residents. He added that the police were called and villagers stood on the road, not allowing the car to pass.

"This is an affluent area. We've already had three burglaries locally in the past six weeks. If our houses are plastered all over Google it's an invitation for more criminals to strike.

"I was determined to make a stand, so I called the police."

Thames Valley Police said: "A squad car was sent to Broughton at 10.20am on Wednesday to reports of a dispute between a crowd of people and a Google Street View contractor.

"A member of the public had called us to report that he, along with a number of others, were standing in the middle of the road preventing the car from moving forwards and taking photographs.

"They felt his presence was an intrusion of their privacy. When police arrived at the scene, the car had moved on."

The controversial mapping service, which gives 360-degree of roads and homes, has met with a number of complaints, including a man leaving a Soho sex shop and another being sick on a pavement outside a club. They have been removed.

A Google spokesman said: "Embarking on new projects, we sometimes encounter unexpected challenges, and Street View has been no exception.

"We know that some people are uncomfortable with images of their houses or cars being included in the product, which is why we provide an easy way to request removal of imagery. Most imagery requests are processed within hours."

(JM/BMcC)