According to studies conducted by various research groups, Britain has far more watchful eyes trained on its population than other countries. And surveys carried out following the riots which hit the UK last summer suggest that public support for CCTV surveillance has grown.

But Abbey Petkar, managing director of Magenta Security one of the countrys largest private security firms - says that while footage from CCTV can certainly help in the fight against crime, it is a tool to aid enquiries rather than a preventative measure.

He comments: CCTV cameras dont prevent crime, they only aid an investigation. They can help security staff on the ground, and its use can deter troublemakers if they know they will be caught. In my opinion, to make sure members of the public are protected it is better to have well trained staff on the ground. Our staff are highly trained and have a strong commitment to protecting people and we work with a variety of local agencies and other organisations to make environments safe and secure. However, as a leading security company we use a variety of methods to assist us in carrying out our security operations efficiently, and CCTV is just one of the tools we use. And of course, in order for CCTV to provide the best results it has to be monitored by trained staff that can identify suspicious activity.