The statistics of CCTV

Despite the revelation that there are almost one million fewer CCTV cameras in the UK than previously thought, Britain still appears to have far more watchful eyes trained on its population than other countries.

The BBC's Newsnight programme made Freedom of Information requests to almost 100 local authorities in the UK to ask how many cameras they operate. The results of their survey are plotted on the maps below, the figures showing the number cameras per 1,000 people in each of the sample authorities.

One of the most dramatic revelations is that both the Shetland Islands Council and Corby Borough Council - among the smallest local authorities in the UK - have more CCTV cameras than the San Francisco Police Department.

West Sussex has the highest number of CCTV cameras in the sample of English counties, with 0.52 per 1,000 people.

The borough of Wandsworth has the highest number of CCTV cameras in London, with just under four cameras per 1,000 people. Its total number of cameras - 1,113 - is more than the police departments of Boston [USA], Johannesburg and Dublin City Council combined.