CCTV cameras in the Black Country and Staffordshire cost taxpayers £8.7 million over the past four years, new figures showed today.

Councils have at least 659 cameras between them, and privacy campaigners said it was evidence that Britain had an “out-of-control” surveillance culture.

Wolverhampton has 244 cameras at a cost of £1.7m over four years, while Walsall Council spent £1.9m on 130 cameras and Dudley spent £800,000 on 127. The costs are for installing, operating and maintaining the cameras.

South Staffordshire Council has 32 cameras at a cost of £700,000 and Sandwell’s budget was £1.6m, according to campaign pressure group Big Brother Watch.

Cannock Chase Council spent £1.6m but did not reveal how many cameras it has. Lichfield District Council has 81 cameras at a cost of £406,000 a year and Stafford Borough Council spends £435,000 on 45.

Birmingham City and Westminster City Councils each spent more than £10 million on surveillance cameras.

Nationally the £515m spent between 2007-08 and 2010-11 could have put more than an extra 4,000 police constables on the streets, the campaigners said.

Nick Pickles, the campaign group’s director, said: “Britain has an out-of-control surveillance culture that is doing little to improve public safety but has made our cities the most watched in the world.

“Despite millions of cameras, Britain’s crime rate is not significantly lower than comparable countries that do not have such a vast surveillance state.” But council leaders have told the group to “get a life” and said cameras protected people and property.

Mike Bird, leader of Walsall Council, said: “I would double the number of cameras if we had the money to do so.

“Property is safer because we are watching and the police are watching. Big Brother Watch need to get a life.”
Sandwell Council leader Councillor Darren Cooper added: “My view has always been, if you aren’t doing anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about.

“We see CCTV as a valuable tool in the armoury for fighting crime. I think this group needs to get a life.”

Councillor Bob Jones, who represents Wolverhampton’s Blakenhall ward and is a member of the West Midlands Police Authority, said: “I think if CCTV cameras were removed from town centres, people would shop elsewhere.

“The majority of residents in my ward ask for more CCTV, not less.

“Traders along the Dudley Road want it. CCTV helps prevent crime, detect crime and investigate it.”