Norbain sponsored CameraWatch grants first Platinum Level-1 Award

Norbain supported CameraWatch TM, the UK's leading independent authority on CCTV Data Protection Act (DPA) compliance, has granted its first Platinum-Level 1 award to North Lanarkshire CCTV Ltd - the first public space monitoring company in the UK to be certified by the scheme.

Sponsored from its inception by Norbain, CameraWatch the UK-wide, not-for-profit advisory body, aims to improve all aspects of CCTV surveillance regarding the legal obligations under the DPA 1988 and the ICO (Revised Edition 2008). The CameraWatch Assessment Scheme is intended to raise standards, influence policy, support prevention and detection of crime, and help reduce the risks associated with non-compliant CCTV systems.

CameraWatch CCTV Assessment at Platinum Level-1 means that North Lanarkshire CCTV Ltd (a subsidiary company of North Lanarkshire Council), who watch over 330,000 people from their state-of-the-art control centre, is the first CCTV company in the UK to be rated by CameraWatch to be 100 per cent compliant with the DPA relating to CCTV.

The award is the result of a successful in-depth audit of the organisation's legal responsibilities by the CameraWatch Compliance Team, assessing its performance, yearly objectives and DPA compliance for the viewing and recording of public images. Commenting on their success, Emma Walker, North Lanarkshire's CCTV Manager, said: "We are delighted to be the first Public Safety Control Room in the UK to receive such a prestigious award. Being responsible for the custody, care and protection of public images is of the highest importance. We are delighted to receive this recognition as a benchmark of public confidence in CCTV good practice."

Norbain fully supports all efforts to ensure best practice and compliance with regulatory bodies. "We have been happy to sponsor the CameraWatch initiative from the outset, and feel it is very important to offer our support and invest in improving standards in the industry," says Alun John, Norbain's CEO. "It is fantastic to see the values of CameraWatch making a positive impact on the industry, and we hope this award marks the start of many more to come."