Camera traps ‘may be illegal’

DEPLOYING roadside cameras to snare drivers of polluting vehicles may be illegal, a watchdog has warned.

The remarks by the Government’s independent biometrics and surveillance camera commissioner cast doubt on the growing use of CCTV to enforce so-called ‘low-emission zones’.

The commissioner, Professor Fraser Sampson, called for a ‘democratic debate’ over such ‘intrusive tactics’.

London’s ‘Ultra-Low Emissions Zone’ (Ulez) was introduced in 2019 and expanded last year.

Other cities including Birmingham and Bath have also introduced ‘clean air zones’.

The systems work by using automatic number plate recognition technology.