Candid camera

Up to 90% of Britain’s 14.2m closed-circuit television cameras may be illegal, according to CameraWatch, a national advisory body for the industry, which has the backing of the police and the Information Commissioner’s Office. Chairman Gordon Ferrie says his organisation’s research shows that the vast majority of CCTV is used incorrectly and could potentially be inadmissable in court. Most CCTV cameras in public areas, he says, breach the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA 1998) and, in some cases, the Human Rights Act 1998. The most frequent breach is the failure to keep camera tapes secure as required by DPA 1998.