The number of CCTV cameras in Manchester increased by 5 per cent over three years, a new study shows. The number in the area controlled by Manchester City Council increased from 612 in 2019 to 643 this year, according to a report by the UK’s largest supplier of specialist ironmongery, IronmongeryDirect.
In the same time frame, Salford City Centre saw a rise of 15 per cent, from 160 to 184.
The study used responses from Freedom of Information requests and found there were 12,960 more CCTV cameras in the UK this year than the 2019 figure of 95,573.
With the UK the third most surveilled country globally, there are now 108,533 public CCTV cameras controlled by UK local authorities, which is an increase of 14% over three years.
Dominick Sandford, managing director of IronmongeryDirect, said: “CCTV is an integral part of modern-day society, and cameras have grown more commonplace in recent years as technology and connectivity have improved.
“CCTV benefits the safety and security of both the public and businesses and the upwards trend is unlikely to stop anytime soon.” Corps Monitoring, an independent CCTV monitoring centre, predicts a further increase in accessibility to CCTV due to advancing technology.
Grant Fulton, CMC Operations Manager, said: “As technology continues to advance, so too will the application of CCTV monitoring systems.
“And as this technology increases, it drives down the cost of surveillance protection, making it more affordable and accessible than ever before.” The data was supplied from 308 local authorities.
