Met police to begin using live facial recognition cameras in London

Civil liberties groups condemn move as 'a breathtaking assault on our rights'

• What is facial recognition - and how do police use it?

The Metropolitan police is to start using live facial recognition (LFR) cameras linked to powerful computers on London's streets despite scepticism from experts over how efficient the system is and widespread concerns over civil liberties.

The Met rejected claims the scheme was "a breathtaking assault on rights" and claimed that 80% of people surveyed backed the move. It said the system would launch next month and would be aimed at catching serious criminals and tracking down missing persons.