A CAMPAIGNER and photographer launched a “symbolic” art display about black British people today at the same shopping centre he was once wrongly accused of theft.

Cephas Williams was wrongly accused by security staff at Bluewater of stealing from House of Fraser in June.

Shopping centre owner Landsec later apologised.

The 30-year-old Londoner’s project, Portrait of Black Britain, aims to create the largest collection of photographic portraits of black people living in Britain and celebrate identity and diversity.

“I can’t watch the incident in Bluewater back … there’s trauma there,” Mr Williams said.

“When [the security guard] ran up to me and grabbed me from behind, I thought somebody was trying to attack me.

“People are conditioned to approach black people with a higher level of aggression in the first instance — guilty until proven innocent.

“Putting Portrait of Black Britain in [Bluewater] is symbolic on so many levels.”

The new exhibit features portraits of 219 individuals, but Mr Williams plans to expand this collection to 1,000 with future exhibitions across Britain.

Landsec chief executive Mark Allan said: “Working with Cephas and his team has given us the opportunity to listen, learn and, importantly, take action.”