If you are watching on CCTV?

There is no official record kept of how many there are CCTV cameras in the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is one of the heaviest users of CCTV throughout the world, but for many shops, there is nobody to monitor cameras so that internet users are invited to contribute in return for cash prizes.

A network of CCTV cameras monitoring your central London and trained professionals and deep underground track 120 feeds, coordinating research, by terrorists for thieves.

But for smaller shops, CCTV surveillance can be intensive work too much and too expensive to be practical.

A controversial site called Internet eyes. calls on the British internet users to fill in the gaps. For £ 13 a year, subscribers can become crime fighters.

Subscribers are shown live streaming of CCTV by two convenience stores somewhere in the country. If they spot something suspicious, the owner of the shop-can be notified of a potential thief.

Please activate JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

/*-1 & & userAgent .search ("version/3.0") >-1) & &!(userAgent .search ("windows") >-1 & & userAgent .search ("safari") >-1 & & userAgent .search ("version/4.") >-1) & & userAgent .search ("android") ==-1) {bbc. fmtj. AV. emp. loadProxyPlayer ("emp_9234033");}Else {BBC.FMTJ.AV.EMP. loadEmp ("emp_9234033");}}); /*] > */Robert Stevenson explains why he joined in the eyes of the Internet

If the tip-off discovers to be correct, have earned three points. And in this schema, points mean prizes-£ 1000 for the Subscriber that most catches in a single month of bags.

"I feel that I'm contributing to public safety and crime prevention-simply by having it running in the background," says Robert Stevenson, a viewer eyes of the Internet.

"I might be using another application pretty solidly. But out of the corner of my eye, if I see something happens that will simply click the alarm button. In a few seconds the user is warned and hey presto a crime could be prevented in real time. "

Shopkeeper Kamlesh Patel has been in business for 30 years and has spent most of that time trying to beat the thieves.

"We have 16 cameras in the shop, which I think is not enough," says Patel. But its staff are too busy to serve customers to monitor the CCTV.

Artists and activists question inasmuch as it uses the CCTV

"There is no way we can keep our eye on everything," she says. "Eventually, we hope that this stops our money and goods just walk out of our store. Works as another pair of eyes "

Four of his cameras are connected to the service using the Internet eyes broadband shop. When a Subscriber raises the alarm, Kamlesh receives a text-giving you the ability to stop the thief in his store, or call the police.

Crowdsourcing crimespotters

"Small and medium-sized enterprises are losing a lot of marching through shoplifting and we arrived at a solution," says Tony Morgan, eyes of the Internet.

"Once we have experienced the problem, the owner of the shop and our viewers get a new screen and you're done. So we are not be too intrusive, they just help to make a living ".

Crowdsourcing crimespotters from the web is not a new idea. Anyone in the world can watch live images from the border between Texas and Mexico and alerting the authorities if they see someone trying to cross illegally.

In Texas the reward to spot a fugitive is simple-an act of patriotism or a greater sense of civic duty.

Amateur critics say schemes only trained officials should watch movies

But the regime of Internet eyes takes things further with the monetary reward. And that has raised the alarm with activists of civil liberties.

After all, how many people know that popping down the shops for a pint of milk first thing in the morning could be beamed to amateur sleuths throughout the network?

"If we're going to have so many CCTV cameras in this country, then we need to be reassured that they are being managed professionally," said James Welch, Director Office of freedom.

"The problem with this scheme of Internet eyes is that they are actually set it as a competition-people are going to compete to see who can get the most hits in a month-and this is intended to lead to a lot of people who accosted in stores, or anywhere for the wrong reason.

"But other than that, I think we need to be reassured that people are monitoring CCTV cameras to know what you're looking for and know their obligations under the Data Protection Act-so that they haven't had to register stuff and pass it on, use it inappropriately."

Promoted Software

A new body of research called "video analytics" could automate the process of monitoring, CCTV and help reduce privacy concerns.

Live images are analyzed and alerts are sent to supervisors CCTV, if the program detects unusual patterns that you think are worth.

Another idea involves adding microphones for CCTV cameras to detect sounds distressing as car alarms. Rather than on the volume of work, the analysis software to pitch and tone alerts then these images that there might be a problem.

But, even if it's smart, software is not yet up to make calls to mind to close.

For the moment, the surveillance is simply deep underground or assigned to an amateur somewhere at the end of a connection to the internet, keeping the bad guys at Bay still a human eye.

BBC.Adverts .Show ("storyprintsponsorship");BBC.Adverts .Show ("adsense_middle");