In praise of Big Brother...

The proliferation of CCTV in modern life has sparked fears of a Big Brother society where freedom is restricted and our every move monitored.

If it helps put thieves behind bars, then why not?

As we reveal today, two miserable misfits were caught stealing Christmas presents from a Sunderland hairdressers. The footage helped convict the duo whose actions serve only to undermine our community.

After being caught on camera, police were able to go knocking at the homes of the criminals and take them in for questioning.

Northumbria Police have made light of the burglary with quips about the pair being “put on the naughty list.” But in the same breath Detective Sergeant Gaye Martin stresses just how these crimes erode trust and goodwill. He said: “This kind of behaviour undermines the fabric of our society, so it is important that the public recognise that perpetrators who show no consideration for others will be dealt with swiftly and robustly.

“Trotter and Pearson will now be on Santa’s naughty list for many years to come, and must deal with the consequences of their actions.”

The irony is that the undermining of the fabric of our society is the criticism opponents of surveillance cameras use against their use. Clearly there are concerns with the use of CCTV which must be addressed.

But the force for good these cameras perform, far outweighs the bad.

If used correctly, they are becoming an increasingly effective weapon in the war against crime.

The more crooks caught on camera, added to the naughty list and convicted, the better.

A friendly Big Brother is always appreciated.