HEROIN CENTRE CLAIMS CAMERA INTIMIDATION

A SHOPKEEPER has set up a camera allegedly to record the identities of
people entering Australia's first legal heroin injection room at King's
Cross.

The Uniting Church said it would be forced to take legal action against
the shop owner after he ignored repeated requests for the camera to be
removed.

The latest challenge to the Medically Supervised Injecting Centre came
as the King's Cross Chamber of Commerce decided to drop all legal
appeals against the decision to allow the centre to open.

In the first two months of the 18-month trial, 600 addicts have
registered. Staff have handled more than 1500 injections and revived 11
people who overdosed. The facility has expanded its hours.

About 65 people went through yesterday morning.

But director Ingrid van Beck said clients were being harassed by a
closed-circuit television camera erected by the owner of the photography
shop next door.

"If there was a sincere concern about security surely you would train a
camera on your own premises," Dr van Beck said. "It feels like it is
being done to intimidate people using the centre."

The local council is considering legal action because the camera was
erected without permission. Privacy commissioner Chris Puplik advised
the centre to seek an injunction after visiting the site.