Pushing his wife in her wheelchair, Anthony Richards hardly looked like a terrorist on a mission. But the shopping centre security guards were taking no chances.

Spotting the 79-year-old pensioner taking a photograph of his wife at the entrance of a new £200million retail centre in Hull, they swooped instantly.

"You are not allowed to take photographs," one said sternly.

Mr Richards and his wife Betty were told the ban was to stop terrorists gathering intelligence, and staff were instructed to follow "anyone acting suspiciously".

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A few minutes later, the couple left the St Stephen's Centre, still holding their camera but baffled as to why anyone would suspect them of being a threat to security.

Mr Richards, a retired ambulance worker from the city, said yesterday: "It's quite ridiculous. It makes you wonder what is happening to the world.

"They don't stop people taking photographs in Paris of the Eiffel Tower or the Millennium wheel in London.

"It makes you wonder if Hull has any ambition. This sort of thing can put visitors off.

"I was taking some pictures to send to my daughter but they weren't very good anyway."

Mrs Richards, his 75-year-old suspected "accomplice", was injured in a serious road accident years ago and needs to use a wheelchair when she goes out.

Mr Richards said: "Betty couldn't help making a joke of it. She was laughing at the thought of being considered a terrorist.

"I told her not to make any jokes about bombs under her wheelchair or we could have got locked up.

"I can't blame the security guard. He was quite nice and held the door open for us when we left. It's just the instructions he was given."

Centre manager David Laycock backed his guards' vigilance. He said: "It's our duty of care to check that all pictures taken are for legitimate reasons."

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