Football fan left “violated” after spotting camera overlooking women’s toilets

Football Fan Feels “Violated” After Spotting Camera Over Women’s Toilets

A Birmingham City supporter expressed discomfort after discovering a CCTV camera above the women’s toilets at Swindon Town’s County Ground

Sports

Birmingham, Swindon, CCTV, Football, Privacy

Swindon: A football fan was pretty shocked when she found a CCTV camera right above the women’s toilets during an away game. It was at Swindon Town’s County Ground, and she couldn’t believe her eyes.

The Birmingham City supporter made the discovery on January 14 and quickly shared her feelings on social media. The club responded, saying the camera was only for monitoring the concourse and that any footage from the toilets was blurred for privacy.

According to the English Football League, having CCTV is a safety requirement for stadiums. But that didn’t ease her worries. She tweeted, “Sat on the toilet at Swindon away and notice a CCTV camera right above me,” and her post blew up, getting around two million views.

Vicki Eyles, Swindon Town’s fan engagement officer, reached out to reassure her. She said the camera was approved by the EFL and that it was meant to keep an eye on the concourse area. But the fan still felt uneasy, saying it made her feel exposed and violated.

She understood the need for safety but thought it was wrong to have a camera over women’s toilets. Even with the digital blur, she worried someone could easily remove it or that it might fail. It just didn’t sit right with her.

Swindon Town later issued a statement explaining the camera’s purpose. They said it was positioned to monitor the away kiosk and the emergency exit, and that it didn’t have a view into the toilets due to the privacy blur.

They also mentioned that the CCTV is managed by licensed security officers and shared with the police if needed. The club is looking into adding more measures to ease fans’ concerns about privacy.

It’s a wild situation, and it’s definitely raised some eyebrows about privacy in public spaces. Fans just want to enjoy the game without feeling uncomfortable.

Image Credits and Reference: https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/football-fan-left-violated-after-34489917