CCTV Security Advice

What is CCTV?

CCTV is technology which allows you to monitor your home and property. This has changed considerably in recent years.

The Internet Of Things ‘IOT’ has moved into Wi-Fi doorbells and camera systems which can be linked to your phone and tablet to alert you to any activation and view your property in real-time.

We recommend that you use products which have achieved the SBD Secure Connected Device accreditation, the only way for companies to obtain police recognition for the security of their IoT products in the UK.

This CCTV Security Advice may help you make an informed decision on its use on residential or business premises:

- CCTV, together with appropriate signage, can provide a good deterrent to intruders
- CCTV cameras should provide images of recognition quality and should be positioned in such a way that light, natural or otherwise does not interfere with picture quality
- A CCTV system should be designed to cover vulnerable areas at relevant times of the day, such as the need for infra-red technology to record nighttime activity
- For evidential purposes, the CCTV system should have a recording and storage capability of 31 days
- Consideration should be given to garden landscaping and planting to ensure that any growth through the seasons doesn’t restrict the coverage of the CCTV system during the growing season
- In high crime areas, cameras may need protection within vandal-resistant housings. The cameras should also be positioned so that they are not easily accessible
- Images should not be captured of the street scene unless the user complies with the requirements set out by the Information Commissioners Office
- The CCTV cameras including the housing must be regularly maintained and cleaned to ensure that the quality of the images are not inhibited. This could be the removal of a spider’s web or ensuring that moisture is not infiltrating the camera so that remedial measures can be undertaken.
Residential CCTV Guide
- CCTV, together with appropriate signage, can provide a good deterrent to intruders. The CCTV system may be subject to the Surveillance Camera Commissioner’s Guidelines on using surveillance cameras in public places. The Surveillance Camera Code of Practice and further information is available at: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/surveillance-camera-commissioner
- CCTV cameras should provide images of recognition quality and should be positioned in such a way that site lighting does not interfere with picture quality. Refer to the Home Office Operational Requirements Manual for CCTV at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/cctv-guidance
- A CCTV system should be designed to cover vulnerable areas at relevant times, such as the need for infra-red technology to record night time activity
- If the CCTV system is intended for prosecution, it should have a recording and storage capability of 31 days, using a format that is acceptable to the police for evidential purposes
- To prevent police investigations from being hindered, ensure that there is a member of staff who knows how to operate the system available at all times
- The design of the CCTV system should be co-ordinated with the lighting system to ensure that the quality of lighting is sufficient to support it
- In high crime areas, cameras may need protection within vandal-resistant housings
- Larger sites may benefit from an Automatic Number Plate Reader (ANPR) enhancement to the CCTV system. This is an effective way to manage vehicles coming onto site and monitoring any unauthorised vehicles that may attempt to enter
- The CCTV cameras including the housing must be regularly maintained and cleaned to ensure that the quality of the images are not inhibited. This could be the removal of a spider’s web or ensuring that moisture is not infiltrating the camera so that remedial measures can be undertaken.
Commercial CCTV Guide

Further information can be found on the Information Commissioners Office via the following link:

ICO Domestic CCTV systems

The installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) which can be linked to your television or video to view your home is an alternative*. For CCTV Advice for Commercial Premises, please read the ICO guidelines.

*If you do decide to use CCTV it is important to read the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) advice on Domestic CCTV systems - guidance for people using CCTV.

You can read that advice HERE.