One Direction star wins harassment order against paparazzi

Does 1D member Harry Styles want to go solo? Photo / AP

Singer Harry Styles has won a court order stopping the paparazzi from harassing him.

The 19-year-old One Direction star had applied to the British High Court as a last resort after trying to persuade a number of photographers to stop their behaviour voluntarily, said counsel David Sherborne in London.

He told Mrs Justice Nicola Davies, who first granted the order against the unidentified individuals last Monday: "This is not a privacy injunction. Mr Styles is not trying to prevent fans approaching him in the street and taking photos. He remains happy to do that, as he always has.

"Rather, it is the method or tactics which have been used by a certain type of photographer.''

The injunction against "Paparazzi AAA and others'' prevents them from pursuing the singer by car or motorcycle, placing him under surveillance, loitering or waiting within 50 metres of his place of residence to monitor his movements or take photos of him in such circumstances.

Sherborne said the case concerned a series of paparazzi photographers - four of whom were in the process of being identified.

A request had been made to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency seeking the names and addresses of the keepers of the vehicles which were identified as belonging to the four and a letter had been sent to the photographic agencies which engaged them or used their photos.

The judge continued the injunction until another hearing in the week beginning January 13 which will decide how the action should proceed.

Styles, who was in the UK this weekend for the X Factor final, did not attend the brief hearing.

- AAP