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This short guide to CCTV for the Home and Small Businesses was updated in July 2015. It contains information that will be useful to both the DIY enthusiast and the person who is to use an accredited installer.  It is not, by any means, a comprehensive guide and you will have to seek further advice from specialist CCTV websites, including those operated by companies that install systems and those that retail CCTV for the DIY market.

This guide does NOT GIVE instruction on how to electrically install a system, but does provide sufficient information to enable you to design an operational requirement for your own use or for use by a qualified installer.

For those residents in England and Wales who are planning the installation of a CCTV system, where additional external lighting will be required, your attention is drawn to Building Regulations in respect to lighting installations being carried out by a competent person.  Please follow this link for more information.

For those of you reading this who are not resident in the UK it is highly likely that your country will have its own legislation in respect to data protection and privacy.  You are advised to investigate your own country’s legislation before embarking on a CCTV project.

This CCTV section is divided into four parts:

  1. This Part
  2. The benefits of CCTV
  3. Planning a CCTV system
  4. Selecting CCTV cameras 

Please visit our DIRECTORY for relevant products suppliers and installers

Further advice and information

Information Commissioner’s Office

Information Commissioner’s Office When is CCTV covered by the Data Protection Act?

Information Commissioner’s Office CCTV Code of Practice PDF to help organisations stay within the law

Association of Chief Police Officers Practice advice. PDF The Use of CCTV in Criminal Investigations 2011

Citizens Advice Bureau CCTV Monitoring at work guidance

Home Office PDF CCTV Supporting Small Businesses 2013

CCTV User Group

Acknowledgements

The Crime Prevention Website gratefully acknowledges the assistance given and contributions made to this guidance by Stephen Wills of Bradling Security Limited and Securicorp Components Limited

Please use ‘Feedback on this page’ at the top of this page to inform us of any errors that you might spot or to provide additional content. Thank you.

Next Part: The benefits of CCTV

Updated July 2015