during my "tour" of ireland and france, england etc London was the only place where I didnt take out my camera, just incase of the liklihood the pigs will have something to say already in enough trouble with them as it is.

The only time I had to hide my camera in Brussels was when there was a lunatic smashing them in the Grande Place. The police were down on her like a tone of bricks.

Photography is tolerated far more in mainland Europe.

Might be because most countries don't see pedophiles every 2 metres... and common sense!

Most countries don’t see pedophiles, terrorists etc. all over the place. This country has painted itself into a corner in that respect. When I was in Soviet Russia just before the collapse of communism, there were far fewer restrictions on photography, and we had a handy Intourist guide to tell us when it wasn’t safe to get the cameras out - which was not often. In this country, it’s a lottery.