Big Brother is not only watching you - now he's barking orders too. Britain's first 'talking' CCTV cameras have arrived, publicly berating bad behaviour and shaming offenders into acting more responsibly.

The system allows control room operators who spot any anti-social acts - from dropping litter to late-night brawls - to send out a verbal warning: 'We are watching you'.

Middlesbrough has fitted loudspeakers on seven of its 158 cameras in an experiment already being hailed as a success. Jack Bonner, who manages the system, said: 'It is one hell of a deterrent. It's one thing to know that there are CCTV cameras about, but it's quite another when they loudly point out what you have just done wrong.

'Most people are so ashamed and embarrassed at being caught they quickly slink off without further trouble.

'There was one incident when two men started fighting outside a nightclub. One of the control room operators warned them over the loudspeakers and they looked up, startled, stopped fighting and scarpered in opposite directions.

'This isn't about keeping tabs on people, it's about making the streets safer for the law-abiding majority and helping to change the attitudes of those who cause trouble. It challenges unacceptable behaviour and makes people think twice.' STORY CONTINUED AT SOURCE

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How do you guys feel about this?

I'm appalled that they've let this happen. Sure it's one thing to intrude on people by monitoring their every move via video surveillance, but to now have an anonymous voice tell you what to do over loudspeaker? WTF!!

"'This isn't about keeping tabs on people, it's about making the streets safer for the law-abiding majority" They've got to be joking. It's all about keeping tabs on people and controling their behaviour.

Further along in the article they state "'But Middlesbrough does have a big problem with anti-social behaviour, so it is very reassuring." So the way to cure anti social behavior is to have anonymous voices telling you what to do in public?

Would any of you find it intrusive if you had an interaction like this? What are your thoughts?