BBC NEWS | UK | How we are being watched

BBC NEWS | UK | How we are being watched: "CCTV in Britain's streets can trace its genesis back to a limited system set up for the Queen's coronation in 1953. By the 1960s there was permanent CCTV in some London streets. Now there are an estimated four million cameras in the country, viewing us as many as 300 times a day.

CCTV in Westminster
CCTV is everywhere

CCTV cameras in stores monitor shoplifters, those in cash machines look for fraud gangs, those on public transport watch vandals and thugs. But they also watch ordinary people at the same time.

Digital CCTV systems can be configured to use face-recognition and look for criminal suspects.

An estimated �500m of public money has been spent on installing CCTV in the last decade.

AUTOMATIC NUMBER PLATE RECOGNITION

Cameras that could recognises the registration plates on suspect vehicles were first used to track IRA suspects in London. Now the technology is used for speed cameras, traffic enforcement cameras and in London's congestion charging zone."