Police force to wear body cameras

Many forces have already introduced head-mounted mini-cameras

Police officers in the Thames Valley have begun wearing body cameras to help in the fight against crime.

The force, which covers Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, has bought 120 mini-camera kits with funding from the Home Office.

Officers have been trained how to use the equipment and six officers in Banbury, Oxfordshire, started using the equipment on Friday.

The digital camera is mounted on an officer's uniform and has a microphone.

Pc Mike Ellis, the force's anti-social behaviour coordinator, said: "The cameras will give first-hand evidence of any anti-social behaviour and are an excellent visible deterrent.

"If people know they are being recorded, they are less likely to misbehave.

"During both the local and national trials it was found that incidents of alcohol-related crime and disorder and aggressive behaviour was greatly reduced wherever the equipment was deployed."

Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) will also wear the cameras.