Work to remove Birmingham 'spy cameras' complete

West Midlands Police said it accepted mistakes were made in relation to Project Champion

Work to remove "spy-cameras" installed in parts of Birmingham has finished, police said.

West Midlands Police said the last camera, installed in Washwood Heath and Sparkbrook, was taken down on 27 May.

Work will now begin on removing all the supporting infrastructure and equipment associated with the cameras, a spokesman said.

The cameras, some of which were hidden, were paid for with £3m of government funds earmarked for tackling terrorism.

Members of the community were angry about the lack of consultation when the cameras were first installed in April 2010, under a scheme known as Project Champion.

Assistant Chief Constable Sharon Rowe of West Midlands Police said: "We have liaised closely with our communities to keep them informed of developments and when they can expect cameras to be removed from actual streets."

An independent report was highly critical of the Project Champion scheme and West Midlands Police over the cameras' installation.