Southend-on-Sea City Council has confirmed it operates 267 security cameras across the city centre (confirmed by the council in February 2026). The cameras are operated from a control room that runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to provide a real-time response to crimes and safety incidents in the community.
The council retains recorded footage for no more than 31 days, unless it is required as evidence, in which case it will be kept longer. This month-long window is important for residents and local businesses to remember: any requests for evidence or enquiries should be made before footage is permanently removed from the system.
Local business owners and shops can use the camera network to help with insurance claims or to assist the police with evidence for criminal cases. If footage is located, the council will invite a solicitor or insurer to contact them (there are administrative charges), while footage required for criminal investigations is supplied to police or the Crown Prosecution Service via authorised channels. The cameras are concentrated in high-traffic areas such as the high street and the seafront to help keep the city centre safe for visitors and shoppers at all hours.
People who wish to see footage of themselves can follow the official legal process for requesting CCTV data through the council website. The council notes that a subject access request is unlikely to succeed in many cases, and sets fees for searching and supplying images or footage.
The CCTV system is supported by a maintenance contract that began on 1 April 2025 and runs to 31 March 2028, with an option to extend to 31 March 2030. The council says the maintenance arrangement, and ongoing partnership working with Essex Police and local business groups, is intended to help reduce anti-social behaviour and support the local economy.
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