REVEALED: NEW HIGH-TECH WEAPON IN FIGHT AGAINST CABLE THEFT: Screen showing high definition CCTV images_001

Thursday 3 Sep 2009

REVEALED: NEW HIGH-TECH WEAPON IN FIGHT AGAINST CABLE THEFT

Region & Route:

Network Rail today unveiled a new high-definition CCTV system which is being piloted in the South Yorkshire area. The theft of signalling cable and other metals from the railway remains a serious cause of delay and it is hoped that the new system will help to identify and prosecute thieves.

Richard Lungmuss, route director, explained: "This system is both digital and high-definition which gives a massively better picture than traditional CCTV. That means that we can zoom in on tiny details which are not clear to the naked eye and get an image which can identify faces and even number plates.

"The theft of cable continues to cause unacceptable delay to passengers and we hope that these cameras will be a useful tool to help catch thieves and bring them to justice."

With the correct lens the system can achieve facial and number plate recognition from over 1km away.

Notes to editors



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