Council chiefs have hit back after it was revealed that local authorities have spent more than £314m on CCTV cameras over the last three years.
The civil liberties group Big Brother Watch published the information after it submitted Freedom Of Information requests to 336 local authorities in England.
Birmingham City Council topped the list, having spent £10.5m on CCTV cameras since 2007, with Sandwell MBC coming second with £5.3m.
Cllr Mehboob Khan, chair of the Local Government Association’s safer and stronger communities programme, said that council’s did not install these cameras on a ‘whim’.
‘They consult with residents, businesses and police on whether CCTV is appropriate in an area,’ said Cllr Khan. ‘In many instances, councils are responding to requests from these groups.
‘As well as serious crimes like burglary, it has also proven effective in reducing anti-social behaviour on our streets, a key factor in whether people feel safe and comfortable in their communities.’
The director of Big Brother Watch, Alex Deane, said: ‘Public money is being wasted on snooping surveillance that does next to nothing to prevent or solve crime. We are being watched more than ever before, and we’re being ripped off into the bargain.
British taxpayers will be scandalised to see their money being thrown away like this in the current economic climate.’
A full breakdown of the CCTV spend can be found in the Big Brother Watch report.
