Photography and model-release laws in the UK

The rights of a photographer according to the law of the United Kingdom:

1. The photographer owns the copyright of any photo s/he has taken, with the exception of photos taken as an employee of a company for his or her employer, or under instruction from an employer or employee of a company;
2. A picture of an individual or individuals may be taken from any public area and/or in any situation where the subject(s) may reasonably expect to be observed, or from any private premises unless permission is expressly denied beforehand, or where instruction is otherwise reasonably signposted;
3. A photographer does not require a model release for commercial use of photographs in which the subject’s face is not clearly visible and/or recognizable.

Photographers have more rights than you might expect. Visit this site for more information.

In addition to the main laws that I have outlined above, interfering with your equipment is criminal damage.