- Permanent live facial recognition (LFR) cameras are set to be installed on London's Oxford Street in December to scan passers-by against suspect watchlists.
- The deployment coincides with plans to pedestrianise the iconic shopping destination, which attracts approximately half a million visitors each day.
- Human rights organisation Liberty criticised the move, warning that thousands of Christmas shoppers will be subjected to unregulated surveillance technology without consent.
- The Metropolitan Police defended the technology, citing a Croydon pilot that reduced crime by 10 per cent and noting over 2,000 LFR-assisted arrests since early 2024.
- Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch expressed support for the expansion of LFR, to speed up suspect identification and assist officers.
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