G1 Ltd., a United Kingdom firm, has completed a comprehensive CCTV system that helps to protect the public areas of London’s Covent Garden Market, including entrances and exit. Situated at the eastern edge of Westminster in the heart of London, the market is visited by over 35 million people each year.

The design of the security system underwent a stringent approval process with Westminster City Council and English Heritage regarding the siting of security cameras and equipment ensuring that the 1830 building’s classical appearance – which has changed little since a Covent shopkeeper’s son named Alfred Hitchcock was growing up there – is maintained. The company installed 22 cameras from Pelco, with each camera painted with heritage colors to fit in with the aesthetics of the surroundings.

“G1 was involved in a long planning process, knew specifically what our needs were and were able to work with us and the Westminster City Council and English Heritage,” said Marcus March, operations manager at Covent Garden Market. “In the design of the security system, we required full coverage of the market and its exits and entrances. The system also needed to make the security guards proactive on the floor and in the control room to work alongside a two-way radio control link. Having invested in digital recording, we are now able to help police with the provision of good quality and high resolution CCTV images.”