Still, something should be done about the perverts behind the cameras or are they just another bunch with no accountability?

I was sitting on the top deck of a bus (a no. 19 I believe) at the bus stop opposite the Town Hall offices when I could clearly see that a CCTV camera was trained on the houses of Compton Terrace. I remember thinking it was odd as these cameras are 'supposed' to be used for monitoring traffic.

I think suggesting that it's a bunch of perverts is a red herring. These tapes are all kept on record so these operators run the risk of being sacked if they were doing such things.

I also often see a CCTV police van, marked up with stickers saying 'working with Islington' slapped on the side, parked up in areas where there are lots of CCTV cameras already. What, or who, are they recording there then?

It amazes me how people don't seem to think twice about it. It is domestic spying, nothing less.

it moved will make no difference.see.
 https://www0.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/373083.html

Here's the chance for Reading’s youngsters to win upto £100!

You’ve probably heard that Reading is soon to get Talking CCTV... cameras which will help keep us safe and be able to “speak” to people who are misbehaving in the town centre!

Well, with Reading Borough Council, we want to hear your "CCTV Rap"!

Write a 4 line rap about the new cameras – maybe asking someone to pick up their litter, or just saying how clever the talking cameras are!

We’ll play some of your raps on-air, and the competition winners will receive vouchers to spend at the Virgin Megastore, for 25, 50 or 100 pounds!

You can email your rap to  saferreading@reading.gov.uk or text it to 81722.

Don’t leave it too late – closing date is 22nd of June!

That seemed too surreal to be true. I don't know why, I should be hardened to this sort of culture-shock, where a commercial radio station holds a rap competition for a child to propagandise a speaking surveillance system. Maybe culture shock is the wrong word since Reading is hardly a cultural capital.

Remember that moment at the end of 'the Planet of the Apes' when the astronaut sees the 'statue of liberty' and belatedly realises he is on earth in a bleak future ? The funny thing is I can't even remember being an astronaut but I have no idea what planet I am living on. Anyway here is the perfect rap that they are looking for, I'm going to email it in. It was released in 1989 by Ice-T and Jello Biafra, and it seemed slightly bleak and outlandish, at the time.


We interrupt this programme with a special bulletin:
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