Requesting CCTV footage

Procedure for requesting footage recorded by CCTV

If you need to request video images because of an accident

The request must come from your insurance company or solicitor to provide assurance that the images are being used for lawful purposes. We have a legal duty to ensure images are not disclosed unlawfully under the General Data Protection Regulations and the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012.

Requests should be made to:

Private and confidential:for the attention of: Data Protection Officer, Client Unit, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, Barking Town Hall, First Floor, Barking IG11 7LU

Or by email to dpo@lbbd.gov.uk.

Information we need from you to answer your request:

  • solicitor’s / insurer’s name and address, sent from a company email account
  • the name of the client
  • time, date and place of the incident
  • vehicle details (vehicle registration, make, model, colour) of all vehicles involved
  • description of incident

We’ll respond telling applicants if there are cameras that may have caught the incident. This service is free. We can also advise you if there are any cameras in the area, but we will not release any images to them. We will only release images to the insurance company or solicitor.

If you’ve made a subject access request application under the General Data Protection Regulation, please be aware it is unlikely to succeed. You should also be aware that CCTV images are only kept for 30 days from the date of the recording in line with our retention schedule.

If you need to request video images because of an incident that has an element of crime involved

This should be first reported to the police.

For example, if you found damage to your vehicle as a result of a “fail to stop” or you returned to your vehicle and found damage then these should be reported. The police should then make enquires to us, and if we have any CCTV we would make this available to them. We will be unable to provide footage if it is held in connection with criminal proceedings. Public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing it, under Section 31(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

If there are CCTV images

We’ll invite your solicitor or insurer to contact us to make payment. Our charges are:

  • Search only. £42
  • Search and supply copy of up to 5 images. £150
  • Search and supply copy of 6 images or more. £210

Why we charge

The public surveillance camera system is installed to deal with crime, anti-social behaviour and disorder and our staff searching for the images for you would normally be searching for criminal activity. There is an administration fee for the search and production of images.