CCTV In Toilet Areas Of Northants School

12 September 2012, 06:00

Manor School and Sports College in Raunds has been named by campaign group Big Brother Watch as having CCTV in school toilet areas and/or in the changing areas.

Concerned with the level and amount of CCTV in society, Big Brother Watch has turned its' attention to the use of security cameras in our schools. 

Using Freedom of Information laws, it contacted around 4000 schools and colleges up and down the country - around 2000 responded. 

Out of those, 207 responded to say they did have cameras trained on or covering the toilet facilities in pupil/student changing room areas. 

In Northamptonshire, the survey revealed the Manor School and Sports College in Raunds uses cameras in one or more locations. 

Emma Carr from Big Brother Watch told Heart, mum and dads must be told why the cameras are there and who can see the images: "One of the main concerns about CCTV is who can see the images, what the cameras are used for - and are the images stored, viewed live and is the whole system secure? 

If parents are told about the use of cameras, why they are there in the first place, and if the use is effective and does have a positive impact for the reason they were installed; then parents would more likely accept that and we wouldn't have a problem with the schools using them - but they must be transparent about their CCTV policies." 

A spokesman for the school has told heart they have "no formal response to make, but if parents do have any concerns about CCTV at the school, they should contact them directly."