Busker ordered to move on by police before he played a single note

A prominent busking campaigner who advises the Mayor of London has criticised the Metropolitan Police after an officer banned him from part of London – to prevent him performing in the street.

Folk singer-songwriter Jonny Walker accused police of “misusing” special dispersal powers meant to protect the public from crime and disorder, after he was accosted by an officer while setting up his guitar and amplifier in Romford town centre, north-east London.

He was issued with an order which required him to immediately leave the town centre and banned him from returning within 48 hours – and threatened with arrest if he did not leave.

He says he had not played a single note when the officer interrupted him and made the order on the grounds that he was “obstructing [the] footway, busking with amplifier and speakers”.

Mr Walker filmed the officer telling him: “You are banned from [Romford town centre] for 48 hours, you have to leave immediately… That’s the end of the matter. Okay?”

When Mr Walker protested that he had not committed a crime, the officer added: “You haven’t got to commit a crime.

“Like I said this is a preventative measure, I’ve explained it several times. I asked politely but you gave me no option… If you fail to leave I’ll arrest you.”

Mr Walker responded: “I hope nothing serious has happened while this has been going on. I hope no actual crime has been committed.”

Mr Walker, 35, is a prominent campaigner who won the support of celebrities such as Bill Bailey, Billy Bragg and Mark Thomas when he took Camden Council to the High Court in a failed attempt to stop its introduction of £1,000 fines for busking without a licence in March 2014.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson invited Mr Walker, founding director of the Keep Streets Live! campaign group, to join his Busking Taskforce after the campaign against Camden.

The Romford town centre ban was issued in South Street on Friday at about 9pm.

Mr Walker told the Standard he has been busking all over the country for 15 years and has never been banned from an area by the police.

He claimed the officer initially asked him for his “paperwork”, despite the fact that busking does not require a licence or any documentation in most areas. Camden and Hillingdon are the only boroughs in London to have introduced busking licences.

The police officer then made the order under Section 35 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.