CCTV that shows you what actually happened

Fewer than most people are sold. What matters is covering the points everyone has to pass through — doors, tills, gates, the alley down the side — rather than trying to see every square foot. On a typical shop or house that is usually four to six. We work it out on the site visit and tell you if you need fewer than you thought.

Only if the camera is the right one, in the right place. A camera high on a wall gives you a lovely view of the top of somebody’s head. Recognition needs cameras at face height at the points people funnel through. That is the single biggest reason cheap systems disappoint, and it costs nothing extra to get right.

Yes. Live view and recorded footage on your phone or tablet, wherever you are, set up before we leave. We will also show you how to pull a clip off and send it to somebody, because that is the bit people always need at the worst possible moment.

Usually somewhere between two weeks and a month, depending on how many cameras you have and how big the recorder is. It then overwrites itself oldest-first. Businesses should not keep footage longer than they have a reason to, so we set the retention deliberately rather than leaving it on whatever the box came with.

If you are a business, yes — signs need to be visible, and you also need to be registered with the ICO and able to hand over footage of someone if they ask for it. At home you are fine if your cameras only cover your own property. The moment they take in the pavement, a shared drive or next door’s garden, the same rules start to apply to you. We set cameras and signage up with that in mind, but we are installers rather than solicitors, so we will point you at the ICO’s own guidance too.

Wired, in almost every case. Wireless cameras are quick to put up and then drop out, run flat, and lose the footage you actually wanted. Running cable properly takes longer on the day and saves you the aggravation for years. If a wired run genuinely is not possible somewhere, we will say so.

Ring us. The equipment carries its manufacturer warranty, and since we fitted it we know exactly what is where. We would rather come back and sort it than have you lose confidence in a system you have paid for.

Not at the moment — we supply and install complete systems, so we know the kit and can stand behind it. If you have an existing setup that needs looking at, ring us anyway and we will tell you honestly whether it is worth extending or starting again.