The Met Police solve six crimes every day by identifying suspects from CCTV, according to a senior officer.

MPS Detective Chief Inspector Mick Neville, who co-ordinates the Met's video ID (VIIDO) teams said: "CCTV is important in the fight against crime as it helps to tell us what actually occurred. While DNA or fingerprints will show the suspect being at the scene, CCTV will show the crime happening; helps us find other evidence or witnesses and helps the court when assessing the sentence. Together with DNA and fingerprints, CCTV evidence is a vital forensic tool."

The majority of CCTV cameras in London are privately owned, usually by businesses, with the remaining cameras belonging to public authorities, such as local councils, road safety partnerships and the police.

DCI Neville continued: "It's right that our use of CCTV is checked and subject to strict guidelines and protocols. We only use it to catch criminals, find missing people and to keep London safe. We don't wish to breach the privacy or rights of people going about their lawful everyday business."

A recent report by Big Brother Watch showed that Hounslow Council spends more on CCTV than any other local authority in London with a bill of £3,573,186.45.

Commenting on the cost of CCTV, Big Brother Watch Director Alex Deane said: “This is a shocking figure. 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.”

December 28, 2010