The number of CCTV cameras in Carmarthenshire has increased by 34 per cent in the last three years, according to the latest data.

The research, conducted by IronmongeryDirect, looked at the change in the number of CCTV cameras in each local authority region between 2019 and 2022.

In 2019, Carmarthenshire had a total of 890 CCTV cameras. However, the last three years has seen the county pass the 1,000 mark, now with a total of 1,196 cameras.

The increase of 306 CCTV cameras sees the county have an increase of 34 per cent, and one of the biggest increases across the country.

Only nine regions in the UK installed more cameras in the same time period than Carmarthenshire. The only Welsh region which installed more was Gwynedd, with 367 new cameras.

London topped the UK list, adding 964 new CCTV cameras, making the city’s total now at 17,709. However, this is still just a six per cent increase across the three years.

In west Wales, Ceredigion added no new cameras in the last three years, with the region still having 57.

Grant Fulton, CMC Operations Manager at Corps Monitoring, predicts that the number of CCTV cameras in the UK will continue to increase.

He said: “As technology continues to advance, so too will the application of CCTV monitoring systems. Over the next few years, CCTV technology will improve our personal safety, the safety of our homes, businesses, assets, and far more.

"Currently, CCTV is mainly used for heatmaps and people counting but, in the future, CCTV-based facial recognition will be a significant part of our world, carrying major implications for personal device security and shopping. 

“And as this technology increases, it drives down the cost of surveillance protection, making it more affordable and accessible than ever before.” 

Dominick Sandford, Managing Director at IronmongeryDirect, said: “CCTV is an integral part of modern-day society, and cameras have grown more commonplace in recent years as technology and connectivity have improved. 

“The increases revealed in our research might raise privacy concerns, but generally CCTV benefits the safety and security of both the public and businesses, and the upwards trend is unlikely to stop anytime soon.”