Who is really behind children filmed in parks rumours?

Two men aged 27 and 29 appeared at Paisley Sheriff Court on Wednesday, April 2, charged with behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at Barshaw Park on March 30.

The summary sheet alleges their actions included loitering near the children’s play park and taking images and videos of children “unknown” to them.

A warrant was also granted by the court for officers to search their homes in Paisley and Glasgow.

Following the incident, reports have sprung up across the country of people - usually Asian men - filming children.

However, very little in the way of evidence has been provided to substantiate this.

Police Scotland said last week that having investigated "a small number of unconnected reports" no criminality was established, with all having been either parents filming their own children or individuals who were not filming children.

Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton said: “I would encourage responsible use of social media and ask people not to share speculation or inaccurate information. Please think twice about what you read, share and believe from online sources.

“It is not illegal to take photographs or video footage in public places unless it is for criminal purposes."

Read More:

• Erskine hotel asylum seekers row: inside a community meeting

• 'In your face violence' after Police Scotland stop attending Erskine hotel demos

• 'They want to contribute': Meet the barber who cuts hair for Erskine asylum seekers

One of the key spreaders of information on alleged incidents of filming is a group called Fighting Justice Against Predators, which at the time of publication had more than 23,000 followers.

The heads of the group, including spokesperson Joanne Drennan, were heavily involved in protests against the housing of asylum seekers at the Muthu Hotel in Erskine.

Those protests were backed and attended by members of the far-right group Patriotic Alternative, whose Scottish members split to form Homeland in April 2023.

The group, which registered as a political party in January 2024, has been described as "the largest and most energetic fascist organisation in the UK" by anti-racist group Hope Not Hate.

Homeland leader Kenny Smith is a former BNP candidate and Scottish organiser for PA from Skye whose wife, a fellow nationalist, previously ran a soap business from the island named Clean & Pure.

Homeland leader Kenny Smith speaking at an Erskine protest (Image: .)

Speaking at the 2022 PA spring conference he said: "We naturally want to preserve our own race and way of life, and to do that we must discriminate against other races and cultures.

"There is nothing wrong with discriminating, like intolerance it's a healthy survival instinct - I discriminate in favour of my own race."

Other Homeland members to have regularly attended the demos include Simon Crane, who has said that Jewish people are "overrepresented and essentially in charge of the West", and James Costello, who was sentenced to five years in prison in 2023 for 18 offences of stirring up racial hatred.

While there is no suggestion that the leaders of Fighting Justice Against Predators are members of Homeland, they previously stood alongside them at the Erskine protests where members including Mr Smith were regular speakers.

Joanne Drennan alongside Simon Crane of the Homeland party (Image: Newsquest) In one Telegram group calling for the asylum seekers to be removed, which included Mr Crane, a user who posts regularly on Fighting Justice Against Predators said: "UK is a soft touch... we are paying for all the blacks".

In addition, a number of comments in the organisation's group, many liked by the administrators, suggests that while it is not specifically aimed at people of colour, there is a particular focus on immigrants.

Following the arrest of two men in Paisley one commenter said "these people get free phones and have all the time in the world to film children while taxpayers are out working all day keeping illegal (sic) safe". There is no evidence either man charged is an immigrant, far less an illegal one. The comment was liked by the Fighting Justice Against Predators page.

Another comment relating to the incident and liked by the administrators said "the whole country is rife with these scum and the government let them in house them and feed them free bus pass (sic) so they can roam about creeping on kids"; a third, also liked by the administrators said "illegal multi culturalism being enforced upon us. Islam does not integrate."

One of the comments liked by the adminstrators (Image: Newsquest) In response to a different alleged incident shared by the page involving "guys of ethnic race" filming children playing football in Paisley one commenter said "it's an invasion of beasts", a comment liked by the administrators.

Police Scotland said: "Enquiries were carried out into this report, however, no crime was established."

A post shared by the group related to a woman whom "hate crime laws prevent us giving a description (of)" allegedly attempting to take the hand of a child in a park in Kilmarnock.

Police Scotland said "enquiries were carried out and there was no criminality involved."

Another post by the group featured a woman of Asian descent in Paisley and an unidentified person claiming the woman had attempted to take their daughter's hand while speaking to someone on the phone, as the parent left the child to put something in a bin.

As was pointed out by commenters on the page, no evidence was provided that this incident took place and, if it had, it could have been explained by the woman looking to help a child who she thought was alone next to a busy road.

Comments on the post on the Fighting Justice Against Predators page (Image: Newsquest) The administrators of Fighting Justice Against Predators, however, posted "last year our group wanted to put a stop to these people being moved into the area and as we mentioned a group who could help the community backed off".

As well as there being no evidence that the woman in the photo had committed, or attempted to commit, any crime there is also no evidence she is a refugee or an asylum seeker.

The group mentioned appears to be Homeland.

The administrator posted: "We done (sic) the Erkine hotel with PA and Homeland, as soon as we mention these groups everyone backs off" adding "they wouldn't cause any trouble or issues while with us".

A post in the group (Image: Newsquest) This weekend the group is attempting to organise "a peaceful gathering in the Paisley area" to "take our streets back".

Initially, this had been planned for the car park of the Watermill Hotel. The hotel is currently housing asylum seekers.

Asked why that location had initially been chosen, Ms Drennan refused repeatedly to answer.

A counter-demonstration will be held at Paisley Cross by the group Stand Up to Racism at 1pm.

All of the above information was put to Ms Drennan and the group.

Fighting Justice Against Predators said: "Sorry, we only deal with our own reporters.

"We don't deal with silly wee reporters who don't have proper experience we only deal with High Court or Sheriff Court reporters."

They also included a middle finger emoji.