Pubwatch backs facial recognition use for pubs

A Surrey town could incorporate facial recognition into its CCTV system to help keep troublemakers out of pubs.

The suggestion came up during a meeting between Kingston Pubwatch, the police, council and others.

Existing CCTV in the town centre would need to be updated to recognise faces.

Council staff would radio pubs and bars and give them descriptions of the troublemakers in the area.

"It's a really good idea," said pubwatch chairman Mark Byford, who also runs McCluskys club in Kingston.

"Instead of doorstaff going through 40 to 50 photos of banned people every night to refresh their memories, they would just be told who was around."

Forty to 50 people are currently banned from Kingston's pubs and clubs. Byford said pubwatch licensees, police and the council were behind the idea, despite Kingston having a "very low" crime rate.

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National Pubwatch chairman Steve Baker said he could see the benefits.

"We are aware many town centres make use of CCTV operatives to identify known troublemakers. We watch developments with interest."

But a spokesman for civil liberties group Big Brother Watch said: "This proposal goes too far. People should be able to go out without being expected to hand personal information to doorstaff.

"Facial recognition software and fingerprint scanners should only be used by trained security professionals, not licensees."

Meanwhile, the Home Office has released details of a proposed code of practice for maintaining CCTV. It includes urging businesses to establish a kitemark-style accreditation system for cameras, and to agree data protection procedures.