FREELANCE photographer Idris Martin got into a spat with the driver of a Google street view vehicle in Wool – after taking his photograph.

The controversial vehicles have been going around the country photographing street scenes to be published online.

But when Mr Martin, 58, tried to take photos of the driver after spotting the car in Wool, he was told that he had ‘better blur’ the driver’s face.

Mr Martin, a full-time electrician who has also worked in the area as a freelance photographer for 25 years, said: “I had been driving through Wool and I knew the Google street car had been around taking photographs.

“Personally, I think it’s a bit of liberty anyway – to take detailed photos specifically of the front of someone’s house.

“So when I saw it around, I started taking pictures of the guy driving the car and you could see he wasn’t happy about it.

“He said to me: ‘Here, mate, I hope you’re going to blur my face out of those.’ I just said that I might and I might not.”

Mr Martin, of Weymouth, added: “He definitely wasn’t happy, but all I really said to him was: ‘I’m taking pictures of you taking pictures of me’. If you’ve got the right to do it then so have I.’ “I would describe his manner as mildly aggressive and I do find it a bit hypocritical.”

Google street vehicles have courted controversy recently, mainly over objections over people’s privacy.

Among the images captured by the street vehicles – and subsequently removed by Google following complaints – include a picture of a man leaving a sex shop and another of a man vomiting in the street.

Concerns have also been raised over whether the technology could be used to help burglars or car thieves.

The issue was shared by Mr Martin, who added that thieves may use the technology to ‘suss out’ properties’ security measures or even the number of and type of cars outside.

Referring to the general situation regarding street photography vehicles, a Google spokesman said the technology used is legal, useful and non-intrusive.

No one from Google was available to comment specifically on the Wool incident.