Councillor punished after pictures of violence

A councillor who took a shocking photograph of a man dying in the street has been removed from his post.

Ian Wilder was axed as vicechairman of Westminster City Council's management committee after being told he had "gone too far" when the picture was published in the Standard.

Today he vowed to continue his campaign to clean up the West End with more pictures, including some taken by residents who support him.

Mr Wilder patrols the areas around Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus at night, taking photographs which highlight violence, disorder and drug- taking. His latest pictures show several fights involving groups of young men.

One shows a man falling victim to a "clipping" operation, lured into handing over cash in the false belief it will pay for a prostitute. In another a man openly smokes what appears to be crack cocaine.

The images are among thousands-built up by the Tory councillor over six years. His photograph of paramedics trying in vain to save Saad Mohiuddin, 24, was published last week. The bank manager had been set upon the weekend before. A man has been charged with murder.

Mr Wilder said: "I have been fired because the police are so upset, not by the crime but by the picture in the Standard.

"This is not what councillors are supposed to do. They are supposed to sit and be quiet. But unless I take pictures no one takes it seriously because they don't go out and see what I see." Speaking about Mr Mohiuddin, he said: "I am afraid I have let this nice young man down because I didn't manage to make it a safe place.

"I want his family to know I have been trying to bring drink-fuelled violence to people's attention for years."

Council leader Simon Milton said the demotion was a party matter, but added: "We have long held a view that there needs to be an increase in the amount of police in the West End, a view I expressed to the Met commissioner."