THE number of CCTV cameras in Newcastle has reached around 22,000, with one camera for every 13 people as the popularity of public surveillance, home CCTV and doorbell cameras increases.

The number is rising year on year as the cost of technology comes down and the popularity of sub £200 surveillance camera systems and doorbell cameras increases.

Anxiety over lockdown and the increase in mail order purchases has driven the use of DIY CCTV systems at home for monitoring and security purposes.

James Ritchey, from Yorkshire-based CCTV firm, CCTV.co.uk, said: “It won’t come as a shock to most people that the number of CCTV Cameras in Newcastle has hit a new record high, driven mainly by residents installing home CCTV in the last year.

SEE MORE: easyJet customers ‘disgusted’ over refunds for cancelled Newcastle flights

"The popularity of doorbell cameras is relentless.

“The technology is getting much cheaper, and when we look at the number of doorbell cameras, DIY CCTV and Home CCTV systems being installed by Newcastle homeowners currently, we recon the numbers have risen a lot this year”

The difficulty is in calculating just how many CCTV cameras there are in Newcastle.

There is no exact number available as to how many CCTV cameras there are in Newcastle, as a camera does not need to be officially registered – anyone can install CCTV to protect their property.

But the firm now thinks that as many as 1 camera per 13 Newcastle residents is where the number lies based on historical data and the upsurge in camera use in 2020.

Generally, there are 4 types of CCTV camera systems used in Newcastle:

- Local Authority/Council/Police CCTV camera monitoring systems

- Corporate and business CCTV Systems

- Home CCTV Systems

- Non-installed Doorbell and wireless cameras

What the experts have said

Surprisingly though, based on National averages almost 96 per cent of the total number of cameras in Newcastle are owned by private businesses and homeowners – not the Government.

Mr Ritchey added: “These numbers may send shivers down the spine of those worried about state monitoring, however the Government controls less than 4 per cent of the total CCTV cameras in Newcastle – most are just homeowners protecting their property."