Fears of excessive state surveillance are commonplace. But it seems the real spies could be closer to home – the neighbors. Members of the public have been urged to stop using CCTV to film those living next door after a surge in complaints. Tony Porter, the Surveillance Camera Commissioner, appealed to people’s ‘common decency’, saying victims feel their privacy is being invaded by lenses peering into their house or garden.

But the watchdog added that complaining to the police is often pointless because there is no law against installing CCTV on private property. The price of security cameras has plummeted in recent years, with many homeowners buying them cheaply over the internet.

However, Mr Porter said anyone thinking about putting one up should ask themselves whether they really need it.

The former senior counter-terrorism officer told the Daily Mail that complaints were on the rise, adding: ‘I’ve got a great deal of sympathy for anybody who feels that their own private space is being invaded by the use of a CCTV camera employed by a neighbour. ‘I can understand how invasive that feels. As far as I’m aware, the police have been involved on many occasions and the response has been “sorry, there’s not a lot we can do”.

Mr Porter, who was appointed in February, is drawing up official guidelines for those installing domestic cameras. They will be asked a series of questions about why they want them and if they are really needed. […]