Social Media Auditors and Community Protection Notices

On this bitterly cold wintery day, I bring some news that will hopefully warm the cockles of your heart.

A prominent social media auditor has had his wings clipped by the court.

If anyone isn't familiar with social media auditing and Community Protection Notices (CPNs) then they might like to refer to my earlier articles for a bit of context.

A CPN can be issued by the police (or local authority) to an individual or business whose conduct is unreasonable and has a detrimental effect on the quality of life of those in a particular locality. That conduct does not need to be criminal in its own right, but breach of a CPN is a criminal offence.

I should also say that YouTuber Street Video Reviewer, who opposes the banal pastime of social media auditing, has provided the material for this article. I am grateful to him for his endeavours in this regard.

Philip Scott, 64, of Impala Way, Hull, was convicted of eight offences of failing to comply with the conditions of a CPN when he appeared at Leeds Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, 16th September 2025.

Failure to comply with the conditions of a CPN is an offence under section 48(1) of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. It has a maximum sentence of a fine at level 4 (£2,500), but more significantly allows the court the opportunity to make a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO), should the prosecution successfully make such an application.

Scott is the "brains" behind the BP Visits YouTube channel, through which he engages in social media auditing. He travels to various business and Government premises, positions himself at the gate, films whatever he can see and flies his drone over the top.

Most auditors pretend to carry out their activities for the noble purpose of defending the right of public photography. However, what really motivates them is a desire to provoke a response, thereby generating clickbait content that they can monetise to within an inch of its life.

To be fair to Scott, his content is very much at the milder end of the spectrum. Irritating as his visits might be, he is generally quite calm and innocuous. He generally respects private property and in the event that he wanders where he shouldn't he will leave, without argument or resistance, as soon as he is asked to.

Most of Scott's issues arise from the way he edits and shares his content to YouTube. His videos, like those of every other social media auditor, often attract very abusive, unjustified and ill-informed criticism of those featured in them.

As a consequence of his auditing activities Scott was made subject to a CPN on 11th April 2025. The conditions of the notice, too numerous to repeat here, can be viewed in this accompanying document. It is a very comprehensive notice, which is no doubt due to Scott being a bit of a "smart arse".

On 12th April 2025, the day after being served the notice, Scott was in breach by failing to remove YouTube videos as instructed.

He further breached the notice on 18th April, 25th April, 2nd May, 5th May, 9th May, 12th May and 16th May 2025, by uploading footage to YouTube without the prior documented consent of people featured therein.

Scott was fined £266 and ordered to pay £106 surcharge and £85 towards prosecution costs.

He's done quite well there, as the court could have fined him for each of the breaches instead of in totality.

Elsewhere in auditor land, self-appointed "hotel inspector" AY Audits, real name Anthony Barnes, 45, of London, denied an offence of failing to comply with the conditions of a CPN when he appeared at Guildford Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, 18th November 2025.

It is alleged that Barnes breached a condition excluding him from Surrey. He denies the matter on the basis that he never received the notice. The prosecution say the notice was correctly served, with someone having signed for receipt of it.

The matter has been listed for trial on 26th September 2026 and Barnes was granted unconditional bail until that date.

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Perverted Headteacher Used AI to Generate Indecent Images of Children

A perverted headteacher used artificial intelligence to generate indecent images of children.

Dean Juric, 54, of North Tyneside, admitted the following when he appeared at North Tyneside Magistrates' Court on Friday, 21st November 2025:

• One offence of distribution of an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child;
• Three offences of making an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child.

Making an indecent photograph of a child, which is the most serious of the two, is an offence under section 1 of the Protection of Children Act 1978. It is an either way offence with a maximum sentence of 10 years' custody on conviction on indictment, 12 months' custody and/or an unlimited fine on summary conviction.

Juric, who was previously the headteacher of St Robert of Newminster Catholic School in Washington, was suspended from the role in a shroud of secrecy in mid-January 2025. St Robert's is an 11-18 mixed comprehensive school with around 1,600 students on roll.

The 54-year-old was snared by an undercover police officer posing as the grandfather of a 7-year-old girl. He sent the undercover officer still and video images, including several featuring penetrative sexual activity involving children (Category A). The children shown on the images were estimated as being aged between 12 and 15-years-old.

Juric was arrested on 17th January 2025. A search of his devices yielded 380 indecent images of children, of which 31 were Category A.

Magistrates were of the view that their sentencing powers were insufficient, so sent the case to Newcastle Crown Court for sentencing on Monday, 22nd December 2025.

Juric was granted unconditional bail until then.

A spokesperson for the Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust, which manages St Robert's, said: "In January 2025, Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust was informed by the police that a headteacher from a Trust school was subject to a police investigation.

"The Trust took immediate action by suspending the headteacher and appointing an executive headteacher to support the school's leadership.

"We understand that the allegations do not relate to any school or individual in Bishop Wilkinson Trust. The Trust no longer employs the headteacher."

Cumbrian Woman Convicted of Drink Driving on Mobility Scooter

A Cumbrian woman has been convicted of drink driving on a mobility scooter.

Emma Brady, 29, of Dan Wilson Avenue, Maryport, admitted driving a motor vehicle when the amount of alcohol in her breath exceeded the prescribed limit when she recently appeared at West Cumbria Magistrates' Court.

This is an offence contrary to section 5(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and has a maximum sentence of 26 weeks' custody and/or a fine at level 5 (unlimited) on summary conviction.

Magistrates heard that police spotted Brady riding the silver scooter in Maryport during the early hours of Monday, 13th October 2025. No doubt the pillion passenger served to heighten the officers' suspicions.

The officers illuminated their blue lights and caused the scooter to stop. On speaking to Daley, they had reason to believe she was under the influence of alcohol. The 29-year-old failed a roadside breath test and was arrested on suspicion of the offence.

At the police station Brady provided an evidential specimen containing 67 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, which is almost twice the prescribed limit of 35 microgrammes.

John Cooper, mitigating, explained: "She didn't know herself she wasn't supposed to be on it if she'd had a drink. It was her friend's. Her friend let her have a go on it in the early hours of the morning."

He added that the scooter had a top speed of 8 mph and there had been no-one else around at the time.

Brady was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 towards prosecution costs and £34 surcharge.

She was disqualified from driving for 17 months.

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Romanian Fraudster Tried Twice to Cheat Driving Theory Test

A Romanian fraudster tried twice to cheat his way through the driving theory test.

Marian-Mihai Lungu, 31, of Orchard Street, Boston, Lincolnshire, admitted two offences under the Fraud Act 2006 when he appeared at Boston Magistrates' Court on Monday, 17th November 2025.

Magistrates heard that the Romanian national first tried to beat the system at the North Finchley Theory Test Centre in north London, where he attended a test booking on 22nd November 2022.

Given his rudimentary grasp of English, Lungu requested a headset that would read the questions aloud to him. His plan was to use a Bluetooth device to relay the questions to an accomplice, who would then feed him the correct answers via the headset.

The 31-year-old was rumbled when staff noticed him retrieving the Bluetooth device from his trousers and putting it into his ear. Lungu was turned away from the Test Centre without completing the test.

The second fraud took place at the Coventry Theory Test Centre on 7th March 2025. Lungu was booked in for a test, which he appeared to pass. However, investigations later revealed that someone else had completed the test in his name. Lungu had provided his driving licence to the impersonator, who clearly had a very similar appearance.

Lungu admitted an offence under section 6(1) of the 2006 Act in relation to the first incident and an offence under section 7(1) in relation to the second incident.

The section 7 offence, which is the more serious of the two, has a maximum sentence of 10 years' custody on conviction on indictment; 12 months' custody on summary conviction.

Anton Balkatis, prosecuting on behalf of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, told the court that the Agency only decided to prosecute once Lungu's involvement had been identified in the second offence.

"These are serious offences," Mr Balkaltis told the court.

Magistrates ordered to preparation of a pre-sentence report.

Lungu was granted unconditional bail until his sentencing hearing at the same court on Wednesday, 17th December 2025.

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