Police with body camera recorders on uniforms out on patrol in east London

Police officers on the streets of Shoreditch are among the first in London to wear video recorders as part of their uniforms.

The videos are being issued to 500 officers and community support officers in the Met’s Hackney division, including Shoreditch High Street, Old Street and part of Hackney Road.

All recorded footage is automatically uploaded to secure computer servers and subject to legal safeguards once the device has been docked and flagged for use as evidence at court.

Anything recorded that’s “not retained as evidence or for a policing purpose” is automatically deleted within 31 days, Scotland Yard has assured.

“These cameras are important to combat crime,” Det Insp Lee McCullough said. “It can be difficult to articulate what officers have witnessed, but the cameras with audio and visual capability give context to evidence.”

The public can view footage taken of them by written request within 31 days of an incident, under freedom of information and data protection laws, unless it has been marked as police evidence.

The cameras attached to uniforms are not permanently switched on, but the public is told when they are being recorded. A visible flashing red circle is seen on the camera and a frequent beeping noise is heard when activated.

They are being issued to officers right across London by the summer, including firearms officers.