THE number of CCTV cameras in Reading may have reached 13,000, with one camera for every 13 people as the popularity of public surveillance, home CCTV and doorbell camera use in the town 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.

READ MORE: Remember when Giovanna Fletcher came to Reading? Send us your pictures of I'm a Celeb contestants!

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 Reading security company CCTV.co.uk, said: "It won't come as a shock to most people that the number of CCTV cameras in Reading has hit a new record high, driven mainly by residents installing home CCTV in the last year.

"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 Reading homeowners currently, we reckon the numbers have risen a lot this year."

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

CCTV.co.uk thinks that as many as one camera per 13 Reading residents is where the number lies, based on historical data and the upsurge in camera use in 2020.

Generally, there are four types of CCTV camera systems used in Reading:

  • Local authority/council/police CCTV camera monitoring systems
  • Corporate and business CCTV systems
  • Home CCTV systems
  • Non-installed doorbell and wireless cameras

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

READ MORE: Which pavements will be resurfaced first? List revealed as part of £9m project

Mr Ricthey 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 Reading – most are just homeowners protecting their property."