College doesn't have to release CCTV footage (From The Oxford Times)

Oxford & Cherwell Valley College doesn't have to release CCTV footage

7:30pm Thursday 14th March 2013 in News

A BID to get a college to release CCTV footage of pupils under Freedom of Information laws has been thrown out on appeal.

An unidentified man asked Oxford & Cherwell Valley College for footage at its Oxpens Road campus in May and June.

He made the request under the Freedom of Information Act, which gives the public a right to some information from public bodies but it is not known why he wanted the footage.

The college turned down the request, citing data protection laws and this has now been upheld on appeal by The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) which has refused to reveal the identity of the man involved.

It found it would be unfair to release the footage – for the start of the college day and lunchtime – as students had a “reasonable expectation” it would only be used for security issues. There is “no legitimate public interest” in providing the footage it added.

The applicant had applied to college, the ICO’s report added.

But it overruled the college’s refusal to provide age information for its 365 courses, saying it must give numbers aged 19 to 24, 25 to 55 and over 55 per course.

The college said this could identify people on courses with under 10 students but the ICO said this is unlikely.

College principal said Sally Dicketts said: “We have abided by our duty to keep our students safe and felt it inappropriate to provide CCTV footage that would easily identify them.

She added: “Age is absolutely no barrier to education and training.”