Pubs escape CCTV registration

Many pubs will avoid red tape and cut costs following a court ruling on the Data Protection Act (DPA).

One of the effects of the ruling is it has redefined the law on small businesses registering their CCTV activities with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

In the past any business that has CCTV equipment has had to be fully registered with the ICO or face prosecution.

But now the ICO has announced businesses with limited CCTV equipment will not have to register.

According to a spokeswoman at the ICO: "The simple rule of thumb is you need to decide whether the image you have taken is aimed at learning about a particular person's activities. So if you only have a couple of fixed cameras then you won't have to register. However, if your CCTV cameras can focus or zoom in on a particular person you will still be covered by the DPA."

This spells good news for many small pubs that could not afford to register with the ICO. The process of registration, or notification as it is known, is more expensive for small businesses and many have not signed up.

This has led to a raft of robbery and assault cases getting thrown out of court, as CCTV evidence was deemed unusable because there was no official notification of the CCTV equipment.

Tony Payne, chief executive of the Federation of Licensed Victuallers' Associations, said: "The ruling sounds like very good news to me. However, I am worried that with the new licensing laws, the police might insist all businesses in their area be fitted with CCTV."