Students are now being watched more than ever as Edinburgh sees the largest annual increase in CCTV cameras in its history. In the last year, 40 new closed-circuit television cameras have been introduced around the city and 15 on University-owned land - the highest number that either the city or the University have ever recorded in just one year.

Students are now being watched more than ever as Edinburgh sees the largest annual increase in CCTV cameras in its history.

In the last year, 40 new closed-circuit television cameras have been introduced around the city and 15 on University-owned land - the highest number that either the city or the University have ever recorded in just one year.

With the second largest surveillance system in Scotland, Edinburgh now has over 830 cameras scattering the city, with a further 220 CCTV cameras inside and outside University buildings and ground.

When asked, some students said they were not aware of the number of CCTV cameras around University and seemed surprised over the recent increase.

"There should be more notices warning students of cameras, which would both alert us and act as a deterrent," said Jessica Summer, a fourth year student at the University. "I think the whole thing at the moment is just too secretive."

The University's Security Division controls the hundreds of cameras on University property, and said that the equipment is used to protect students and not as a surveillance or spying tool.

"I am trying to keep staff and students safe and produce a safe working environment," said Adam Conn, the chief security officer for the division. "I am certainly not using the cameras to spy on people for the government, I just want to prevent and detect crime."

Conn, who is ultimately responsible for all university-run CCTV, said the increased number of cameras is due to the construction of two new University buildings in Bristo Square.

"As more and more modern buildings are created for University purposes, there will be an increased expectation of more CCTV coverage", he added.

While CCTV is used in all University property around the city, there are around 22 cameras operating in and around George Square, the highest number in any concentrated area.

Conn said he could only remember 20 incidences where police may have used their CCTV footage over the years, but added that the cameras have helped stop incidences of theft on campus, identified wanted criminals and helped to put them in jail.

A local campaigner who opposes the idea of increased city surveillance said that one must question how long certain images are kept for, who can see them and to what ends they are used.

"It is the building up of information about each one of us that concerns me and the uncertainty about what ultimately happens to the data," said John Welford, the Edinburgh coordinator for No2ID, a nationwide group opposed to the government's planned ID card and National Identity Register.

According to the University Security Division, footage from the cameras is held between 7 and 14 days, and then is automatically erased from the database, in accordance with the Data Protection Act guidelines.

Conn said that he has received requests from staff and university officials to look at data from time to time, but would not allow them to access footage without filing an official police complaint and filling out the required police-authorised forms.

While University officials would not reveal the amount they annually spend on CCTV, the City of Edinburgh Council, who operate 180 CCTV cameras in the city, said they spent £1.5m to erect the 40 new cameras and spend at least £800,000 a year in equipment maintenance.

According to Council officials, the role of CCTV is largely preventative and its results can be hard to measure.  In 2007, there were 16479 incidents logged by their CCTV cameras, and 2157 of these resulted in arrests.

"Most areas of this city will have a number of cameras which are coming back to ourselves," said Frances McCormack, the Council's Strategic CCTV Manager. "We are about safety though, and not surveillance."

Both members of the Council and the University Security team said there had been talks to link their technology, so that they could track someone over the entire city, from its perimeters to university grounds.

Most of the University's CCTV footage is streamed into a central control room in Appleton Tower, but unlike the City Council, they do not monitor footage continuously over 24-hour periods.

In accordance with the Data Protection Act, all CCTV cameras must be have clearly visible signs warning people that they are entering an area of surveillance. Conn said that no student acting lawfully would be penalised by a camera's footage.

"I know it's a personal thing, and there will be students who worry about CCTV,"  he said. "But, if you are not doing anything wrong, the you have nothing to worry about."