A Home Office review of research found today that CCTV was effective in tackling vehicle crime in car parks but had limited effect on other crimes and in other locations. Improved streetlighting recorded better results in a parallel study

John Wadham, director of Liberty:

"CCTV systems can be a valuable weapon in tackling crime in certain situations; but we need clearer controls in law so that the data they gather isn't misused to intrude on people's privacy or infringe their rights.

"Despite its vast financial commitments to CCTV, this Government has consistently failed to address this issue. There remains no remotely adequate regulation of CCTV systems in law. The danger of misuse of cameras and the pictures they take has been illustrated already both by research and by court cases.

"By all means use CCTV cameras where there is a real crime problem that CCTV will help tackle; but we must have powerful, enforceable law to ensure they are only used for the right purposes.

"We have to get the balance right on the use of CCTV and other surveillance equipment in public places - between protecting people's safety and protecting their privacy. The law should require clear impact assessments, so that CCTV is only used where it will work and will justify the intrusion.

"And if CCTV is less effective than people have been led to believe, perhaps we should actually be spending more of this money on less cameras and more on street lighting or police officers on the street".