CCTV overlooking my garden

Bromhead

Bromhead

Bromhead

Associate
Joined
11 Nov 2012
Posts
1,408
Location
Staffordshire
Hi guys

So I recently bought a house and we've been there for a few weeks now.

I've noticed what I believe to be a webcam/CCTV from a bedroom window pointing directly at our garden. I can't be 100 percent but I am fairly sure.

Should it be a cam, it would likely be wired as it is indoors behind their window. I'm unsure where I stand with this as it's sole purpose appears to be pointing at our garden.

I guess the first step would be to ask them about it, any other advice, things I need to know.

How would you approach this and what are my options should I not make any progress?
 
Anything interesting going on in your garden?

Could it be simply stored on the windowsill, the lens just happening to be pointed in your direction?
 
Edrof said:
Anything interesting going on in your garden?

Could it be simply stored on the windowsill, the lens just happening to be pointed in your direction?
Click to expand...

This is a possibility. It went into the window a couple of days ago and it was pointing into the sky lol. It is now pointing directly at our back door..so it may be that it wasn't set up before...or as you said just stored there.

Since I can't be sure not sure how to approach it.
 
Just go and speak to them about it. If they get all defensive and tell you to F-off just dial 101 and say you have a peeping tom filming you.
 
Get your wife to frolic naked with a cut-out of Justin Bieber, some cute kittens and a mysterious safe and see if anything goes viral on Imgur.
 
I think I might go introduce myself but not mention the cam yet. If they see I'm not evil it might resolve things and reassure them. They must feel threatened in some way.

Just need an excuse...any ideas...I'm your new neighbour...how's things going...want to come round for a bbq. Etc. Ideas?
 
I'd just ask them politely why they have a camera pointed at our garden.

I'd imagine if it was anything dodgy then they would have tried to hide it, rather than having it in plain view.
 
items required

1. Very hot sunny day.
2. A few beers (to help pass time)
3. Mirror

Sit in your garden drinking beer , while using the mirror reflect sunlight onto the camera to burn out the CCD in it
 
For a start, if a neighbor has CCTV cameras on their property and they are pointing in the direction of your property, whether it be overlooking your garden, door, window etc then your neighbor has a duty to make sure anything of yours showing in the video stream must have a privacy mask added to it. Privacy mask simply means blacking out the areas of your property and most cameras have this option to apply it in the settings.

You are within your right to ask the neighbor to look at the video stream and ask them to apply privacy masks on any parts of your property. If they decline to do this, you then have a right to report it to the Police as invasion of privacy.

I have IP CCTV on both the front and back of my house. The rear camera does catch a small amount of the neighbors garden and patio area. The camera let's me apply 3 privacy masks on the stream so I blocked anything belonging to him and showed him the stream so he could see himself that I was not recording anything of his property.

Good job also as he tells me his 54yr old wife likes to sunbathe topless in their back garden :eek:
 
The camera has to be showing at least 75% of there property and no less. If pointing at your garden I would be knocking on their door asking them to ever move it or remove it.


I had this as I had to have cctv at my old house with waste of time parents and out of control kids abusing my house at their will. I was told 75% less and I could be done for it If pointing rite to others houses and property I could be forced to remove it or get fined.

I would just knock on the door and ask if it's a cam and if so can they not point it to your property.
 
Wiggins said:
For a start, if a neighbor has CCTV cameras on their property and they are pointing in the direction of your property, whether it be overlooking your garden, door, window etc then your neighbor has a duty to make sure anything of yours showing in the video stream must have a privacy mask added to it. Privacy mask simply means blacking out the areas of your property and most cameras have this option to apply it in the settings.

You are within your right to ask the neighbor to look at the video stream and ask them to apply privacy masks on any parts of your property. If they decline to do this, you then have a right to report it to the Police as invasion of privacy.

I have IP CCTV on both the front and back of my house. The rear camera does catch a small amount of the neighbors garden and patio area. The camera let's me apply 3 privacy masks on the stream so I blocked anything belonging to him and showed him the stream so he could see himself that I was not recording anything of his property.

Good job also as he tells me his 54yr old wife likes to sunbathe topless in their back garden :eek:
Click to expand...

wouldn't like to have that conversation with neighbours, "i want to point a camera at your garden where your mrs is often topless" cant see that conversation going well :)
 
whitetop said:
The camera has to be showing at least 75% of there property and no less. If pointing at your garden I would be knocking on their door asking them to ever move it or remove it.


I had this as I had to have cctv at my old house with waste of time parents and out of control kids abusing my house at their will. I was told 75% less and I could be done for it If pointing rite to others houses and property I could be forced to remove it or get fined.

I would just knock on the door and ask if it's a cam and if so can they not point it to your property.
Click to expand...

Where does this 75% come from? for a residential property there is nothing to stop you having a webcam pointing out your window at another garden in the data protection act. The human rights act and "The Right to Respect for Private and Family Life, Home and Correspondence" would enable action to be taken - but there are no specific guidelines regarding this issue and no mention of a 75% threshold before action can be taken.

Asking about the webcam would be the first step - whether you put a letter through the door, knock and ask or invite them round for a bbq and get to know them better before asking is up to you, hopefully if it is just stored there they will understand your concern and move it. If they refuse to move it then you should be able to take action under the human rights act and report to police for invasion of privacy.

If the police don't even have a right to see pictures or videos I have taken from a public place or my property then what right would there be to see their video stream?
 
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