CONCERNS have been raised about the use of CCTV after it was revealed hundreds of security cameras are active in Swindon.

Privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch found there were 447 council-controlled cameras across the town, which is equivalent to 2.5 for every 1,000 people – a rate more than double the national average.

That is in addition to the hundreds of cameras used by private companies.

Wiltshire Council operates an additional 148 cameras, or 1.2 per 1,000, bringing the total to 595 cameras across both areas.

The scale of CCTV use by local authorities was uncovered by Big Brother Watch, an off-shoot of the TaxPayers' Alliance, using the Freedom of Information Act.

Its study, Big Brother Is Watching, pointed out that the true number of publicly-controlled cameras could be even higher because some authorities had devolved control of their CCTV network to town councils.

It noted: “The towns of Calne, Chippenham, Trowbridge and Warminster have a total of 68 CCTV cameras between them but do not appear in the figure for Wiltshire Council.”

The report found that 418 local authorities controlled 59,753 cameras – one for every 100,000 people and almost three times the 21,000 counted in a similar study 10 years ago.

It said Britain was one of the most watched countries in the world.

Big Brother Watch director Alex Deane said CCTV was seen as a cheap alternative to policing and claimed the rise of expensive “surveillance networks” had made little impact on cutting crime.

He said: “Local councils across Britain are creating enormous networks of CCTV surveillance at great expense, but the evidence for the ability of CCTV to deter or solve crimes is sketchy.

“The quality of footage is frequently too poor to be used in courts, the cameras are often turned off to save money and control rooms are rarely manned 24 hours a day.”

But North Swindon MP Michael Wills defended the use of CCTV in the town and said it was popular with residents.

The Justice Minister said: “I know there are concerns about the number of CCTV cameras, and their use must comply with all the protections for people’s privacy and civil liberties.

“But the fact remains that many of my constituents want them and I get far more requests asking me to secure them for their neighbourhoods than I ever do for people who want them removed.”

The Local Government Association, which represents councils across the country, added: “There is clear evidence from independent studies that CCTV deters crimes such as burglary, and it was footage from these cameras which helped bring the failed July 21 London bombers to justice.

“In tough financial times, councils are not going to spend money on installing CCTV cameras unless they genuinely believe doing so will help reduce crime, catch criminals and make people feel safer.”