‘Spy’ cameras: Birmingham Council tops CCTV spend

Birmingham City Council, home of the controversial Project Champion scheme which saw more than 200 surveillance cameras installed in two largely Muslim neighbourhoods, topped the list of local authority big spenders with £10.5 million on CCTV alone.

The figures, provided to the Big Brother Watch campaigners following requests under the Freedom of Information Act, showed the total £314,835,170.39 spent by 336 local councils on installing and operating cameras between 2007/08 and 2009/10 could have paid the salaries of more than 15,000 nurses.

An order to remove the cameras was made in October. West Midlands Police apologised over the Project Champion scheme and chief constable Chris Sims admitted the force got the balance between counter-terrorism and excessive intrusion into people's lives "so wrong".

The cameras, some of which were hidden, sparked anger from civil liberties campaigners and residents in Sparkbrook and Washwood Heath in Birmingham, where they were predominantly installed.

The scheme was organised by the Safer Birmingham Partnership, an initiative including West Midlands Police, Birmingham City Council and other agencies.

The partnership has acknowledged it should have been more explicit about the role of the city's Counter Terrorism Unit in setting up the network of 218 cameras.

The number plate recognition and CCTV cameras were financed under a counter-terrorism initiative but were marketed to locals as a general crime prevention measure.

Today's report showed the 10 authorities that spent the most on CCTV between 2007/08 and 2009/10 were:

1. Birmingham- £10,476,874.00. 
2. Sandwell - £5,355,744.00.
3. Leeds - £3,839,675.00.
4. City of Edinburgh - £3,600,560.00.
5. Hounslow - £3,573,186.45.
6. Lambeth - £3,431,301.00.
7. Manchester - £3,347,310.00.
8. Enfield - £3,141,295.00.
9. Barnet - £3,119,020.00.
10. Barking and Dagenham - £3,090,000.00