Legality of CCTV - Camera on my house pointing across neighbour's garden into street

anewman

After recent experiences, including http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=651703 I am considering getting a CCTV camera installed.

Only problem is to point this at my car it may have to include the neighbour's garden (the neighbour who is messing with the car anyway) across the pavement and into the street.

Surely there can't be a law against me protecting my own property? When you go into a city centre and supermarket and there's cameras everywhere. My point of view is if you're doing nothing wrong, you have nothing to worry about.

I am thinking of getting something somewhat noticeable, something like http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=220738&doy=28m12&ForceUpdate=Y to try ensure good picture quality.

DKLS

I had to put up a sign, stating i was recording, and for good measure applied for a data protection licence to record.

The way around this may be to use some software like "Gotcha", where you can screen off your neighbours garden from 'detection', mine is set up to SMS snap shots to my mobile, and automatically upload footage to my web server, whenever there is a significant movement near my car/house, which is important as you dont want hours of footage of your neighbours cat licking itself.

Edit: Ensure you have very good footage, otherwise the Police are not interested.

Inactive

A " dummy " camera is usually enough to do the trick, no laws against dummy camera's.;)

anewman

I was thinking that, but some of the dummy cameras seem to cost as much as working cameras. I'd rather have one that can record pictures and is a deterrent. The people who mess with my car seem to think they're in the right, and while a dummy camera may stop them, I'd rather have pictures if something did happen. I suppose as my car is in the road, in the unlikely event someone crashes into my car, hopefully I'd be able to get all the required details from the recording and give their insurance company something to watch.

LuciferTDark

You've hit on a problem there, you're not allowed to have the camera pointing into your neighbours garden whatsoever. Check out the forum on http://www.nfh.org.uk they'll have plenty of tips on how & where to put cameras.

anewman

I suppose I could try angle the camera such that the image is not straight, but excludes their garden. Or I could try place the camera low where the porch would mask their garden. I guess they could still complain about the camera as it would be difficult for them to tell exactly where the camera is pointing without seeing the recordings.

Thanks very much for the link, from what I can tell on Google it's a good site but seems to be down at the moment.