Live facial recognition to be used at Leeds Festival for first time

Police will be using live facial recognition technology at Leeds Festival this year, it has been confirmed.

The cameras will be located on the external perimeter, West Yorkshire Police have said, as part of the wider operation to help keep festivalgoers safe, prevent crime and create a secure environment for everyone attending.

The technology will also assist officers in identifying wanted offenders and individuals who may pose a risk to others It will be used in a targeted and proportionate way around the festival site in partnership with the organisers.

Chief Inspector Dan Tillett, who leads on Live Facial Recognition at West Yorkshire Police, said: "Our priority is for everyone attending Leeds Festival to experience a safe and enjoyable event.

“Live Facial Recognition will form part of the wider safety operation at Bramham Park and will be used to help us prevent crime, safeguard the public and identify people who are wanted by police or who may present a risk to others.

“Whilst most people attending Leeds Festival are there to enjoy the event responsibly, we want to work in partnership to identify those who might seek to use the event as an opportunity to commit crime or cause harm. LFR provides us with an additional capability to identify those individuals quickly and effectively.

“Live Facial Recognition has already been used a number of times across West Yorkshire, including in Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield city centres, as well as at major events. We are committed to using the technology responsibly, lawfully and transparently as a targeted policing tool to help make Leeds Festival as safe as possible for everyone attending."

LFR compares live camera images against a watchlist of individuals who are wanted by police or who may pose a risk to the public. Any alerts generated by the system are reviewed by specially trained officers before any action is taken.