This is from todays Express and Star, the local Wolverhampton newspaper. Face-recognition CCTV is now operational. Orwell did warn


Nowhere to hide for street yobs
By Philippa Tomson

A crime-busting technique which can pick out a face in the crowd, even if it is disguised, has been launched in Wolverhampton.

There will be no hiding place on the city centre streets for criminals thanks to the facial recognition system.

It works by measuring the distance between certain features on a person's face and can uncover their real identity even if they are in disguise.

The Metropolitan Police already have the £14,000 "spy on the street," which should cut crime and locate criminals who are wanted nationwide.

It is already in use in Birmingham, and now 40 cameras have been fitted with the system in Wolverhampton.

They are connected to a database storing up to 10,000 photographs and details of suspects.

If the camera lens falls on a wanted suspect then their identity will be immediately revealed on the database so officers can compare pictures.

Sgt Mark Evans, of the city centre unit, said the system's main aim was to cut crime.

"We would be a lot happier if there was no crime in the city centre rather than being told about it and keep detecting it," he said.

"We have already identified a number of offenders in the city centre in a matter of days through this system.

"When word gets around, people will hopefully stop committing crime and it will be a lot easier for us to catch people."

Sgt Evans said every part of the city centre within the ring road was covered by the cameras, so the net tightening even more.

He said the facial database would also assist with identifying those offenders captured by security cameras.

The database includes information on previous convictions, and on the suspected offence.

The facial mapping system was originally piloted in east London.

It has been criticised by civil rights campaigners who claim that it could lead to the number of wrongful arrests increasing.