A TRANSGENDER biker who took pictures of children in a park without their parents’ permission has been cleared of all wrongdoing.

Towering Louise Balmforth, who was born a man, had been charged with causing a breach of the peace by photographing the minors in Paisley’s Barshaw Park last year.

The 53-year-old denied she’d committed a breach of the peace by “approaching children, repeatedly taking photographs of them without consent and to the fear and alarm of persons present” and went on trial at Paisley Sheriff Court.

The court heard she was in the park on Sunday, April 5, taking pictures of primary school children, who can’t be named for legal reasons, playing in the park.

Three parents took the stand to give evidence against her.

One, a community nurse, told the court she was scared and alarmed by Balmforth’s conduct, fearing the photographs would end up “on a paedophile site.”

The others said they were alarmed by Balmforth’s conduct, but the court heard Balmforth agreed to delete photographs containing one particular child when the child’s parent asked her to.

Balmforth’s solicitor, Peter Galletly, made a no case to answer submission, saying although she had taken pictures of children without getting consent from their parents, there was not enough evidence to convict her of causing a breach of the peace.

He said that, although the parents of the children had been left scared and alarmed, someone could only be guilty of a breach of the peace if there was also a serious threat of a disturbance being caused to the community at large.

And, on the strength of Galletly’s argument, Sheriff Susan Sinclair acquitted Balmforth.

As she upheld his no case to answer submission and found Balmforth not guilty, she said: “I don’t think the conduct was serious enough to threaten a public disturbance. This is a very narrow case. I uphold the submission of no case to answer.”

She also warned Balmforth that she should think twice about photographing children without consent in future.

Balmforth, of Paisley’s McKerrell Street, declined to comment on the case as she left court.