Loose Women star Kaye Adams said she was stopped and questioned by a plain clothes police officer at the Cop26 climate conference in Glasgow yesterday for allegedly ‘acting surreptitiously’.
The 58-year old TV personality of Scottish descent was filming crowds outside UN-run global summit sites on her Instagram Story when she was approached by an unknown officer.
Ms Adams posted on her Instagram story, “Just slightly concerned to have been stopped and questioned by plain clothes police officers who thought I was dodgy”, while being quizzed.
She later tweeted: ‘Just got stopped and questioned by a plain clothes police officer near #COP26 for acting ”surreptitiously”. Never been accused of that before!’
When a Twitter user asked: ‘Were you being suspiciously surreptitious?’, the Loose Women panellist replied: ‘Secretive filming apparently. I had my secretive iPhone in my secretive hand.’
Loose Women star Kaye Adams said she was stopped and questioned by a plain clothes police officer at the Cop26 climate conference in Glasgow yesterday for allegedly ‘acting surreptitiously’
The Scottish-born TV personality, 58, had been sharing videos from outside the site of the UN-run global summit on her Instagram story when she was apparently approached by an undercover officer (grab of the video above, not images of the plain clothes officer)
Later, she tweeted: “Just got stopped by a plain-clothes police officer near #COP26 and interrogated for acting’surreptitiously. Never been accused like that!
People wait outside the security gates at the Cop26 climate summit, Glasgow
Ms Adams was lighthearted about the incident but the policing at Cop26 has come under scrutiny. There were an average of 10,000 officers from Police Scotland, forces around Britain, on duty every day for three week, and the UK Government paying the bill.
It comes as Police Scotland was forced into an apology after scores of women had to walk home through a “pitch black” park following the Cop26 road closings.
MailOnline reached out for comment to Police Scotland
Ms Adams filmed activists who gathered in the Blue Zone, on the north bank the River Clyde. The key negotiations between world leaders are taking place, and security is on high alert.
She then showed the gates guarding the Scottish Event Campus, where thousands of officers have formed a ‘ring of steel’ in a £100million policing operation – the biggest on record in the UK.
On her Instagram story, she wrote: “Amazing that the future is being discussed behind these turntiles,”
However, she was stopped midstream video by a man she claims to be a plain-clothes officer who could be heard introducing herself to her.
Ms Adams wrote on Instagram that she was filming the ground and was “just slightly concerned” to be stopped by plain clothes officers who thought she was dodgy. (Grabs of the video, images of the plain clothing officer).
Ms Adams filmed activists gathering in the Blue Zone on North Bank of River Clyde. This Blue Zone is where the key negotiations between world leaders are taking places and where security is on high alert. (grab the video, images of plain clothes officer)
Yesterday, Police Scotland apologised after scores of women were forced to walk home through a ‘pitch black’ park after the Cop26 road closures.
Residents of Glasgow reported that officers had instructed them to use alternate routes, including Kelvingrove Park or the sidestreets. This was after cordons were placed on main roads to allow COP delegates safe driving.
Road closures were necessary because hundreds of world leaders attended Monday’s largest gathering of Government representatives since the founding of the UN at Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Museum.
One woman took to Twitter to say: “Hey @GlasgowCC. We understand closing Kelvin Way for the COP16, but being forced to walk through Kelvingrove park in darkness is not safe.”
“So many generator lamps are being used by the police, can’t you not light at least the main path for them?”
Another person stated: “Wow, Finnieston residents living on the north end of the street are being told to cross Kelvingrove, to Byres road to Partick, and then back to Finnieston, to get to their flats 100 meters away. It’s dark.’
One person wrote, “I know that COP26 poses a huge logistical challenge, but it is a very real problem for women on foot. I have heard firsthand that women walking alone through Kelvingrove Park are being directed to walk in the pitch black as Argyle St/Dumbarton Rd lies close.” It’s not safe.
Another: “Walking alone through Kelvingrove Park last night in the dark.”
“All the police they’d brought in from England didn’t know anything about the area. They responded to single women asking them for directions by saying, “I don’t know sorry, just walk around and find it.”
Gary Ritchie, Assistant Chief Constabulary, said that residents were diverted to their destination, including walking through Kelvingrove Park after real-time changes in operational plans Monday night.
“While we accept that late changes and some disruption are inevitable when policing an event of the scale and magnitude of COP26, our understanding and apologies for the concern these changes caused as well as for the inconvenience caused to those who were diverted.
“We acknowledge and recognize the comment made by some women who walked alone through the park last evening. We want everyone safe, and we know that it is our responsibility to identify when we can offer more support and visibility to reassure those in our communities.
She then showed the gates guarding the Scottish Event Campus, where thousands of officers have formed a ‘ring of steel’ in a £100million policing operation – the biggest on record in the UK
Cordons were installed on the main roads in preparation for Monday’s COP26 reception
“The diversion has been removed and no plans to reintroduce. To provide reassurance, additional patrols will be established in the area if additional diversions are needed.
“We will collaborate with Glasgow City Council to examine whether lighting in Kelvingrove Park might be improved.”
Police anticipate making 300 arrests per hour, but sources warned that if this number grows, the custody suites may be overwhelmed.
A report last week revealed that nearly half of Scotland’s officers experienced fatigue during the previous fortnight. This is not good news for a three-week conference where many will be required to work 12-hour shifts.
Scotland’s lawyers also vow to boycott weekend custody court amid ongoing legal aid cuts. The sheer number of people arrested at this event could cause chaos in the justice system.