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Manchester motorists spied on by police cameras

20/05/2008

Civil liberties campaigners have expressed concern over reports that police surveillance cameras are taking pictures of nearly every vehicle that enters Manchester city centre.

According to new data, over half a million journeys are being captured by the cameras, with licence plate, car colour and journey time details being held for five years.

Police say the Automatic Number Plate Recognition system, which is only in use in Manchester and London, will help combat crime, fraud and terrorism.

James Welch, legal director of the civil rights group Liberty, said: "We have no problem with its use to locate vehicles whose owners police firmly suspect of having committed an offence.

"But it shouldn't be used for mass surveillance, or to target people the police have a hunch are up to no good."

The cameras began operating this month and are positioned on the 12 main corridors into Manchester and near the Trafford Centre.

In September 2006, a man was jailed for four months after he destroyed a speed camera in Hyde with welding equipment.

He committed the crime because he was snapped by the camera for speeding.