Ever had the feeling you’re been watched?

Experts say that with the influx of cheap digital camera systems for the home, there are now anything between four and six million CCTV systems around the UK with their lenses trained on us, and there is a growing number here in Wiltshire.

There are centrally controlled systems in many of our town centres including Calne, Chippenham, Trowbridge and Warminster. These operations are designed to protect our communities, can offer valuable support to the police and are described by the Wiltshire Council website as a vital service in the fight against crime and disorder.

Personally, I am not bothered about being caught on camera. My biggest concern is what happens if the number of cameras continues to grow. The unblinking lens of a security camera will certainly not fix society’s woes.

According to the town council’s website, Trowbridge has 29 CCTV cameras in the town centre. Would more cameras make our county town safer?

I fear the temptation to increase the number of relatively cheap digital CCTV cameras and reduce the amount of on-the-street contact with police officers will become too enticing.

A new report this week from the Government’s CCTV watchdog said the public deserved more information about how cameras were being used in our streets and towns. We don’t really know the current nature of our surveillance, and just how effective the cameras are.

A recent survey of CCTV equipment by one local authority reduced the number of ineffective cameras and saved £250,000.

CCTV is increasingly called into action after the bad thing has happened. It sees the young scoundrel jogging through town with four stolen steaks shoved down his trousers, or the elderly lady after her purse has been stolen. It remains very hard to quantify how many crimes the cameras have prevented.