There are no laws in Bermuda to prevent web cam operators filming people in public, it was confirmed yesterday.

Joe Tee, who has installed an Internet activated camera above his wife Carole Holding's print studio on Front Street, has told The Royal Gazette he hopes to set up more cameras in other locations, including near beaches.

He said he recognised there would be concerns about invasion of privacy so the zoom lens on the web cameras would need to be adjusted to stop people on beaches from being recognised.

Closed circuit television cameras (CCTV) are operated by Police in the City of Hamilton, but there are strict guidelines regulating how the material is used.

Corporation Secretary Roger Sherratt said he was not aware of any similar laws covering the use of web cameras.

And a Government spokesman confirmed yesterday that there is nothing to prohibit people filming in a public place.

Mr. Sherratt said: "The CCTV cameras being monitored by the Police have very, very strict guidelines for their use and whatever you do with whatever information you collect.

"They must only be monitoring unlawful activity and the operators must never reveal anything they might see that is private, for example, someone walking down the street with someone else's wife.

"It is possible with these web cameras that the person who operates it could be in Australia and they could see an accident or a crime being committed on film. Would they be an eye witness?

"Could what they record be used as evidence? And are you interfering with the privacy of people when you do that?

"These are all over the world, and to my knowledge there are no restrictions here. They have them in North America where human rights issues are normally pressed to their full conclusion.

"Is it an invasion of privacy if someone sees you, and what are you going to do with that information, particularly if it is someone abroad who is checking out a view.

"That camera is not going to see anything that any member of the public walking down Front Street is not going to see. It's like anyone's pair of eyes.''