Youtube vlogger admits Macclesfield police car park 'audit' trespass

Police said Tench was wearing a balaclava when he entered the car park and had ignored requests for him to leave

A YouTube vlogger who filmed police cars as part of a "national craze" of auditing police buildings and posting footage online has been sentenced.

Cheshire Police said Lee Tench, 35, entered Macclesfield police station car park in August and uploaded videos of police cars to the video-sharing site.

Tench, of Telford, Shropshire, was arrested when he refused to leave and admitted aggravated trespass in court.

He was given a criminal behaviour order at Crewe Magistrates' Court on Friday.

A Cheshire Police spokesman said Tench was wearing a balaclava when he entered the car park and had ignored requests by officers for him to leave.

The police station's car park has barriers to stop unauthorised people entering and warning signs

Investigating officer PC Brett Oliver said Tench "knew he was trespassing and admitted to entering the grounds of the police station, despite noticing signs that state the public must not enter".

"He believed he was above the law and could film police buildings and vehicles to put on YouTube, but this is simply not the case," he said.

"Auditing, or police auditing, has been a national craze whereby members of the public film police stations, or facilities and wait for members of staff or others to interact with them.

"Videos of these interactions are uploaded on to social media to attract large numbers of followers."

He said the five-year order given to Tench, of Burford, Brookside, should "send a strong message to other auditors who think that they can... seek out officers and obstruct their policing activities for the sole purpose of 'likes' on social media".

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