CCTV tracks down the capital's attackers

Following the attacks on July 7, Alstom Transport, the management company responsible for the supply and maintenance of trains on the Northern Line, instructed Falcon Protec to supply digital readers to analyse the digital video recordings acquired from the company's on-train digital recorders.

Wavelet Technology (see story in our CCTV Solutions supplement, page 44) had completed a feasibility study for CCTV review workstations in 2004, and the now urgent requirement demanded the completion of the systems development and delivery of a fully functional product immediately.

WTL established a fast track development programme, assigning software and hardware teams to perform the multiple tasks required for the work.

The data and storage system of the recorder was successfully recognised to allow the copying of several recorders onto a single large back-up hard drive. "Although each contains 72 hours of CCTV recording, the entire video files were copied in just 18 minutes," WTL said. "The original recorders were then to be installed back onto the trains for continued service."

The recordings were analysed by Wavestore Review software.

The attempted attacks of July 21 prompted the immediate deployment WTL's prototype review workstation, and the Police were able to quickly identify a suspect from the Oval train station recordings and release images that became ubiquitous in national newspapers and on television.