Big Brother Britain 2025: CCTV Cameras in The UK

1. Hackney - 1,315 Cameras per 100,000 People

Hackney had the highest number of public CCTV cameras compared to its residents, at 1,315 cameras per 100,000 people. This means Hackney residents benefit from the most public CCTV coverage.

2. Middlesbrough - 651 Cameras per 100,000 People

Up next was Middlesborough, with 651 cameras per 100,000 people. The area’s relatively low population compared to the London boroughs in the top three could explain its high proportion of public CCTV cameras per capita.

3. Camden - 614 Cameras per 100,000 People

In addition to one of the highest totals overall, Camden had the third-highest proportion of public CCTV cameras per 100,000 people in the UK, at 614. This high total of public space CCTV cameras may be why the borough ranks third.

1. Croydon - 25 Cameras per 100,000 People

Croydon had the lowest proportion of public space CCTV cameras in the UK. This could be due to the area’s high population density. With 98 public CCTV cameras, residents have just 25 public CCTV cameras per 100,000 people.

2. Sheffield - 29 Cameras per 100,000 People

Sheffield had the second-lowest proportion of council-operated public CCTV cameras per capita in the UK, with only 29 per 100,000 people. The city had only 167 council-operated public CCTV cameras to cover a population of over half a million, which could lead to blindspots in its surveillance network.

3. Birmingham - 39 Cameras per 100,000 People

Birmingham rounds out the local authorities with the lowest number of council-operated public CCTV cameras compared to the population. This comes as no surprise, as the city had the UK’s second-highest population and only 450 public space CCTV cameras, resulting in a rate of 39 CCTV cameras per 100,000 people and relatively low CCTV coverage.

1. Croydon - Proportion of Faulty or Out-of-Operation Cameras: 58.2%

At 58.2%, most of Croydon’s council-operated public CCTV cameras were faulty or out of operation at some point in 2023. This could have compromised the effectiveness of the borough’s surveillance network and overall public safety by providing unreliable surveillance footage.

2. Camden - Proportion of Faulty or Out-of-Operation Cameras: 55.7%

Camden takes second place. The London borough had the second-highest faulty or out-of-operation cameras in 2023. 755 out of a total of 1,356 were faulty at some point, or 55.7%. This could have impacted public safety in the borough, as it had fewer opportunities to detect crime.

3. Richmond upon Thames - Proportion of Faulty or Out-of-Operation Cameras: 55.0%

Another London borough, Richmond upon Thames, completes the top three. Richmond operated 111 CCTV cameras in 2023, of which 61 were faulty at some point, a rate of 55.0%. Five of the areas with the highest proportion of faulty or out-of-operation public CCTV cameras are London boroughs, and seven are in the top 10.

1. Gloucester - Proportion of Faulty or Out-of-Operation Cameras: 1.0%

Gloucester is the local authority with the lowest proportion of faulty or out-of-operation CCTV public cameras at any time. The city had only one faulty or out-of-operation camera out of a possible 97, approximately 1%.

2. Portsmouth and Sunderland - Proportion of Faulty or Out-of-Operation Cameras: 1.8%

Two local authorities share second place, with Portsmouth and Sunderland having 1.8% of their public CCTV cameras faulty or out of operation at any time. Out of Portsmouth’s 169 council-operated public CCTV cameras, three were faulty or out of operation.

Sunderland’s proportion could be due to the area’s relatively low total of 165 cameras. Three were recorded as faulty during this time, a proportion of less than 2%.

3. Sutton - Proportion of Faulty or Out-of-Operation Cameras: 2.0%

Eight of Sutton’s 395 council-operated public CCTV cameras were faulty or out of operation at some point in 2023. This brings the city to fourth place with a proportion of 2%. Sutton Borough Council spent over half a million pounds installing new CCTV cameras in 2023, which could explain why this proportion is so low.

1. Camden - CCTV Expenditure per Capita: £4.05

Camden spent the highest annual combined amount on maintaining and installing public CCTV cameras per capita, at £4.05. This could be due to the borough’s relatively low population and high overall expenditure of £895,016, the highest on the list.

2. Sutton - CCTV Expenditure per Capita: £2.86

Sutton had the second highest council-operated CCTV camera expenditure per person at £2.86. Like Camden, the London borough had a high overall expenditure on council-operated public space CCTV cameras and a relatively low population, resulting in a higher spend per person.

3. Merton - CCTV Expenditure per Capita: £2.57

In third place is Merton, which spent £2.57 for each borough resident. This is £553,200 spread between just over 215,200 people. This means all three areas with the highest spend per person on public CCTV cameras are in London, and seven of the top 10 are also London boroughs.

1. Gloucester - CCTV Expenditure per Capita: £0

Gloucester City Council had the lowest spend of any council area for which data was available. This could be due to its relatively low number of cameras (97), which would reduce the maintenance cost to nothing in Gloucester’s case.

2. Sheffield - CCTV Expenditure per Capita: £0.002

Sheffield spent the second-smallest amount on public CCTV cameras per capita. The Yorkshire city spent the second-lowest amount overall on its public CCTV cameras, at just £1,183 for maintenance. Split between a population of more than half a million, this equals only £0.002 spent per person.

3. Newport - CCTV Expenditure per Capita: £0.037

The Welsh city of Newport had the third lowest CCTV spending per capita, at £0.037. The city is one of the smaller areas for which data was available. Its population of around 163,600 could make the £6,000 it spent on public CCTV cameras go further than in larger council areas.