Future in the frame; Chronicle COMMENT.

THE debate about the virtues of CCTV cameras is a vigorous one which will continue for some time to come.

Opponents of the technology, which looks down on a good deal of what we do in daily life, claim a breach of civil liberty. They fear we are being drawn inexorably into a Big Brother society where the cameras exceed their initial brief and are used to snoop at will.

However, supporters of the cameras point to criminals who have faced justice with the case against them significantly bolstered by footage of the incident in question.

The CCTV industry was in Newcastle yesterday to swap ideas about the best way forward.

They heard about the success of cameras in the city, including redeployable units which allow crime hotspots to be targeted.

The argument put forward about the dampening effect on the will to commit crime is a powerful one.

It is important that the use of surveillance is regulated and cameras are not used to look into the everyday lives of the law-abiding majority.

But with the prospect of compelling evidence providing a deterrent to crime in areas covered by CCTV, it is clear the cameras are here to stay for the long term.