It did say, however, that cameras do alert police to any incidents and have helped to reduce the number of people requiring treatment at casualty departments.

A spokesman for Tayside Police said today that CCTV systems were a “great asset” to modern policing and not only helped in the prevention of crime, but also helped solve crimes.

“They do offer an effective deterrent against crime,” he said.. “The public are aware that the cameras are in operation and that they assist us in detecting incidents and offences.

“Knowledge of their capability undoubtedly serves as a deterrent against criminal activity.”

The spokesman added that CCTV footage had often been vital in securing convictions.

“In terms of detecting offences, there have been many examples of the benefits of CCTV in Dundee.

“Indeed, it is with some regularity that the local media carry the comments of a sheriff, who has reached a sentence with the assistance of what has been seen in evidence on CCTV.

“The camera network is invaluable in terms of detecting crime, the offenders of crime and the gathering of evidence. They are also effective in building intelligence in respect of what is happening in certain areas and can assist the police in the ways in which they address issues most affecting a particular community.

“They can also allow the police and other emergency services to intervene and prevent an incident from becoming more serious than it could potentially have been.”

He added, “Sadly, there is a tendency for some people to go out of an evening and drink themselves into a stupor.

“Such individuals consume alcohol to the point where they are oblivious to anything and everything around them, including the presence of the CCTV network.

“But, even in these instances, the CCTV system does assist the police, in terms of directing officers towards incidents of public disorder and also to the assistance of those people who are so drunk they can offer no assistance to themselves.”