Discover the Number of CCTV Cameras in the UK
But are we really a Big Brother state?
You may think that the government is behind this high level of surveillance, but the BSIA found that only around 1 in 70 cameras are owned by local authorities. Instead, the majority of CCTV systems are owned by private businesses and organisations who recognise the need to keep themselves safe from crime. With everywhere from corner shops to private homes now protecting themselves with CCTV, it’s hard to arrive at an accurate total, but rest assured that the police can only request to view footage if a serious crime has been committed.
CCTV across the country
It’s often stated that the average person will be recorded by 70 CCTV cameras in a typical day, but the picture could be very different depending on where you live. According to the Office for National Statistics, there are around 13,900 CCTV cameras monitoring public spaces in London, with Bristol coming in second place with a significantly lower number of 658. Oxford and Newport are the least-watched cities with just 45 and 39 public cameras respectively.
