Parents' fury as CCTV installed in school toilets

CCTV has been installed in a Wolverhampton school's toilets prompting complaints from parents.

But the headteacher of Our Lady and St Chad's Catholic Sports College says they were put up to stop vandalism and are not switched on.

The cameras have been put up in all four toilet blocks used by pupils at the school in Old Fallings Lane, Wolverhampton.

The school informed parents by sending a newsletter home with students.

But some furious parents have criticised the move as an invasion of privacy, whilst others are demanding to know why they were not notified before the cameras were installed.

The cameras, which are located in male and female toilets in both the science block and the main building, are situated high up on walls looking down over the facilities.

One parent, who asked not to be named, said her 17-year-old son told her about the cameras when he returned home from school yesterday.

"I couldn't believe it," she said. "It's a complete invasion of privacy and for the school to install cameras without even consulting parents or students is an insult."

The woman said staff at the school initially refused to confirm the presence of the cameras when she contacted them yesterday.

"I couldn't get a straight answer no matter who I spoke to," she said. "Eventually I was told by the principal's PA that CCTV had been installed for the children's own safety but the cameras were not actually set up to record.

"She said they were there as a deterrent, which for me just defeats the object of having them there at all.

"I can understand the need for children to be safe at school but do they really need to be spied on in the toilets?"

A pupil at the school, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "It is ridiculous they can afford to put cameras up, yet they haven't repaired the hand dryer in one of the toilets which has been broken for four years."

But head teacher Mary Keelan said the school installed the cameras after pupils had raised concerns about potential vandalism at the school, and assured parents the cameras were not wired up.

"The camera was installed in response to concerns raised by students that the new facilities could potentially suffer from vandalism, primarily out of school hours when the building is open to visitors for community use.

"The camera is directed towards the washbasins and doors only. It is not active or connected, and has been fitted solely to act as a deterrent.

"The camera has been put up for a trial period, and its effectiveness will be reviewed in due course.

"There have been cameras in public places at the school for years."

Paul Brown, spokesman for Wolverhampton City Council, said: "As part of the Building Schools for the Future Programme, CCTV has been installed at Our Lady and St Chad's Catholic Sports College for the purposes of monitoring site entrances, as well as general building and site surveillance.

"The location, operation and management of such facilities is the responsibility of the school itself."

The school caters for 794 pupils aged between 11 and 17.