The UK's first ever dedicated centre for the training of CCTV operators has launched in London and is already producing graduates.

NCP Services and Islington Council have joined together to set up the CCTV school, which will meet the increasing demand for trained operators to oversee the use of the growing numbers of safety and security cameras on Britain’s streets.

The centre in Old Street will teach students from NCP Services and other companies in the proper use of CCTV systems along with techniques for recognising potential problems developing on the street.

Students will sit classes in body language, community safety and human rights legislation to prepare them for life monitoring our streets and communities. The centre, called the Centre for Training Excellence, will specialise in the supply of CCTV training but will also offer clients a wide range of specialist training courses in such subjects as security guarding, door supervision, and vehicle immobilisation.

Already four students have concluded Btec qualifications in the use of CCTV equipment at the centre and they are set to be the first of many as the Islington base will become a centre for the training of CCTV staff from across the capital and the rest of the UK.

Michael Jasper, Training Manager from NCP Services, said the establishment of the centre was long overdue, "CCTV has transformed the way we police, manage and protect our communities in the UK in the last decade or so and until know training has been something done in a fairly ad hoc fashion. "Some organisations are very good at preparing their people for what they will be required to do, others less so, what this centre does is move the whole sector towards a much more consistent footing," he said.

"It is a mistake to think that all you need to do with a camera is point it in the right direction. Operators need to know what they are looking for, how to interpret situations and how to gather the kind of evidence that will be helpful to the police.

"There is also an increasing importance placed on human rights legislation and the general legal requirements staff are under and the courses students study will also cover those crucial issues." Cllr Marisha Ray, Islington Council's Executive Member for Community Safety, said: " I welcome any initiative that ensures people who operate CCTV security systems are properly trained. As a council, we insist on proper training for CCTV operators in our control room."

For further details contact James Pritchard, 07793 697 409 or 0207 290 6218.