Dentist branded a terrorist after taking pictures of landmark shopping centre

Andy Dolan
UK Daily Mail
Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008

When dentist Andrew Medina travelled to Birmingham for a photography exhibition, it was perhaps only natural that the amateur snapper should want to take a few pictures of his own.

But as he took pictures of one of the city's landmark buildings from the street outside, Dr Medina was approached by two security guards and accused of being a terrorist.

The dental surgeon told of his shock after the incident outside the imposing Mailbox development in the city centre.

The former Royal Mail sorting office is now a mix of designer shops, galleries, hotels, bars and restaurants, including the Malmaison hotel where Dr Medina was staying for the weekend with his girlfriend.

He said: 'I did what many thousands of people have done before: I walked out of the hotel and immediately, standing in the street I began to take photographs of this iconic Birmingham building, the building that myself and my girlfriend were happily paying to stay in.

'What happened next can only be described as horrible.'

He said he was confronted by two male security officers working for the Mailbox, and one of them proceeded to ask the 45-year-old dentist why he was taking photographs.

He described the demeanour of the security guard who questioned him as 'menacing' and said the other attempted to grab his camera. He was then told he was banned from entering the Mailbox.

Dr Medina, of Didsbury, South Manchester, said: 'I was then told that I must be a terrorist putting the Mailbox under surveillance.'

He added, 'I am sorry to say that, with respect, that is pathetic. There is no other way to describe this suggestion.

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