Council approves sound-recording CCTV cameras

Uttlesford District Council's cabinet approved a new CCTV policy at a meeting

A council has agreed to allow the installation of security cameras that can record sound.

The devices can be installed in homes, commercial buildings, gardens, vehicles and offices owned by Uttlesford District Council in Essex.

A draft of its new CCTV policy said they would only be used to deal with anti-social behaviour and crime, rather than for general observation.

Council tenants could also be asked to remove video doorbells from their homes if they were installed without written permission from the authority.

The policy said the use of audio recording would be made "very clear" but the devices could be used covertly if other ways of gathering evidence of crimes were unsuccessful.

Images and audio recordings would usually be retained for 31 days.

But in ongoing anti-social behaviour cases, the recordings would be removed within one year of a case being closed or any legal proceedings ending.

The policy also stated the council would consider less invasive and cheaper options before using CCTV.

It said the council would write to residents if cameras were to be installed on housing estates or in communal areas.

Neil Reeve, a member of the cabinet, led by the Residents for Uttlesford group, felt the policy was "very sound".

"For what this is, I think it's fit for purpose," he said at a meeting.

Cabinet members voted unanimously for its introduction.