Neighbours CCTV issues?

[mpayne 0]

Hello all,

 

My neighbours have a hidden CCTV camera pointing out of their window to protect their car parked outside the house of which we don't mind at all.

 

Only thing is they have others in the back garden too and they can see right into our garden, not that were walking around naked or doing anything funny, we just feel like were being watched all the time.

 

The only reason I found out was a few days ago I had a small falling over accident by me over leaning on a ladder while putting up some netting, not that they came to my rescue or anything but valiantly showed a few of the other neighbours on the street what had happened of which someone else informed me a few days later, that is was not quite as funny as the neighbours video-taping it had thought.

 

Now I don't mind the CCTV outside the front of the house because it will be good if anyone here or at their house ever gets visits from buglers, I've asked them to re-move it or at least re-point it elsewhere so that it does not intrude us.

 

We've been told it's moved, but from other sources along the street they've done nothing at all about it.

 

I was wondering as this system could be InfraRed triggered could I set-up an IR light to come off-on ever minute or some kind of strobe in the garden to annoy the CCTV and in-so a way trigger it all day, waste their video tapes or hard-drives on their computer and in a few days to a week they will become bored of this activity and point it else where.

 

We've been ever so polite about this matter, in fact not long ago I walked out to my car and the neighbour has kindly put a note on someone else's car asking them to move it so they can clean their car in-front of their own house? I think it's because it has been parked there for more then 24hours and their CCTV out-front is now providing someone else with cover instead of their car.

 

All help will be welcome on this matter, We live in the UK and are not sure of the laws about CCTV covering peoples front and rear gardens or door-steps.

 

Kind regards

M payne

[Kiwi 0]

Since you have to live with them next door clearly it pays to tread very carefully.

 

Having said that, them showing their friends your unfortunate accident is a highly obnoxious act. Have you asked them yourself to see that video footage? Maybe that would offer a bit of embarrassment.

 

Perhaps you could post a picture of the camera(s) from your backyard so we can offer a more precise opinion. Of interest is if their camera is at a height that a person would not normally be viewing from.

 

I would not suggest any other aggressive tactics otherwise it could blow it all out of proportion. They will eventually get tired of looking at a screen all day.

[kensplace 0]

Im not a lawyer, but do live in the UK, and the situation as far as I can see it is as follows:

 

As its a residential cctv setup, their cameras do not fall under the Data Protection act, so you wont be able to use that against them - if they are being used for the proper purpose,protecting/securing/recording their property etc.

 

Its perfectly legal for them to use a cctv camera to protect their property, even if it covers some of your property.

 

There has even been a case where two neighbours put cameras up pointing into a house in the middle of them both, and they used the footage to take a couple to court, and won.

 

However, they can fall foul of privacy and harrasment issues if they use the system for purposes other than it is designed for. In the example above, they were not harrasing anyone, they were obtaining proof of harrasment of themselves....

 

In a situation where they are using footage of you on your property, and showing it for a laugh to other people in the street, they are clearly not using the equipment for security, but for entertainment/voyerism, and are not just invading your privacy, but showing the footage to others without your consent.

 

Where that happens, it may if all else fails, and talking to your neighbour does not work, be worth ringing the information commisioners office as the system may well fall under the data protection act, as it was clearly not being used for protecting their property, but for other purposes such as humiliating you, or entertaining them.

 

The police could also be involved under the human rights act, for protection against harrasment (the Protection against harrasment Act) etc and may be willing to ask them to move the cameras, especially if you have witnesses that are willing to tell them footage of you was shown to them.

 

Tread carefully though, as like has already been said before, you have to live next door to them, and having a friendly chat should be your first port of call in my opinion if possible.