Pump Gyms Colchester has live CCTV in changing room

Members at Pump Gyms, in Grange Way, Colchester, shared their concerns over the presence of security cameras in the male changing room.

One member told the Gazette a staff member had claimed the images are displayed on a screen in an office within the gym which is accessible to all staff, including personal trainers.

But Pump Gyms denied this and said it was password protected and only a manager could access it in response to incidents of vandalism.

Gym - Pump Gyms, in Grange Way, Colchester (Image: Google)

Images captured in the changing room and seen by the Gazette show CCTV cameras on the ceiling pointing into changing areas from the sauna and shower cubicles.

The concerned gymgoer added: “Pointing straight at the changing area outside the showers is wrong.”

Pump Gyms operates a 24-hour service which could see hundreds of customers pass through its doors every day.

Guidance published by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which is an independent body set up to uphold information rights, suggests running CCTV cameras in private areas such as toilets or changing rooms is a breach of data protection law.

Captured - CCTV cameras can be seen facing towards a changing area (Image: Supplied)

What does the gym say?

A spokesperson for Pump Gyms said: “We have unfortunately been the victims of vandalism and theft on our premises and therefore the owner took the decision to install CCTV to find the culprits and put a stop to any further disruption to our members. There are clear signs up in the area informing members of the CCTV.

“The CCTV is password protected and only available to the manager who would only access it if there has been an incident.”

Is it against the law to have CCTV in changing rooms?

The ICO’s guidance to businesses says: “In exceptional cases – such as when dealing with repeated serious antisocial behaviour – it may be necessary to have surveillance in private areas.

“You’d need strong justification for this and should make it clear that people are being filmed in these areas.”

CCTV - the cameras are mounted close to the sauna and showers (Image: Supplied)

The law allows people to request copies of data which businesses hold on them, including video recordings.