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I've been reading the comments and views with interest over the past few days and wanted to clarify a few issues that have been raised.
It was very interesting what White Flag Man had to say. Although he definitely did not talk to me as I was not at the back of the car and I wasn't near any members of Andrei Bgatov's team or his friends.
Responding to other remarks - I did not impede any member of the rescue team or stick my camera in their faces or anyone's for that matter. I was already a discreet distance from the car before being asked to move further back.
The comments about 'proper journalists' always carrying ID are laughable. Outside work I never carry any ID and have never found that a problem in the 20+ years I've been a journalist. If I'm in a situation where a story is happening I explain to police/fire/officials etc who I am and who I work for and they take it at face value - no-one has ever questioned my motives and employment status.
The fact is I was at Brands Hatch on a day off - no media accreditation needed. I was filming for fun - I've been doing that for more than a decade. I don't think MSV or any other circuit is going to give me a bib and let me film trackside for my personal collection are they? If they would I'd be there like a shot.
But when Andrei Bgatov's car cleared the fence and landed in the spectator area that's where my journalistic instinct kicked because as I wrote in the previous post it could have been a major news story.
And no I would not have made any money from my film because I would have given it to my employers free of charge. They could have sorted out the picture rights issues if necessary.
I've been talking to my friends and colleagues in the newsroom and at our rivals about the way I was treated at the track and the comments on this forum and they are flabbergasted by the largely hostile reaction. Is it because we are all hard-nosed journalists de-sensitised by covering one disaster after another? I don't think so. I think the media has moved on very quickly and the days of reporting that the Queen has a sniffle are all but over.
One poster said about responsible photographers etc giving names to officials/police for further investigative purposes. I have no issue with that & I would always leave contact details if asked.
The general feeling here seems to be that I have acted without taste or decency and intruded on someone's pain. To be honest after reviewing what I actually filmed I still don't believe I have but the majority on this forum do think I've overstepped the mark.
The comments I really don't understand are from people questioning who I work for and assuming that I'm some inexperienced oik working for a tinpot firm without morals. The reality is far from that but because I choose to enjoy the anonymity on here there's little I can do about that.
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