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Darren Turner found two motion sensor cameras on scaffolding outside his kitchen and living room windows at Hazlewood Tower in west London. The cameras had been installed by contractors The Law Tech Group as a safety measure in case anyone climbed on the scaffolding during the Notting Hill Carnival, according to Kensington and Chelsea Council.

Darren told MyLondon: “When I first discovered them I had just had a bath and went to my lounge completely naked. This was in the evening when I thought all the contractors had gone, only to discover motion sensor [cameras].

“I went to the window to get a towel from the airer, that’s when I was horrified to see the huge [cameras]. It has been extremely stressful.

“When I looked at them they are all angled towards my home. It’s a complete invasion of my privacy. If a child was running around naked they could have been [photographed]. I had to cover all my windows. It’s made me feel really uncomfortable.”

The council has now reassured residents that cameras should only take a photo if there is movement on the balcony but the positioning of the cameras has left Darren worried that they could have captured what he was doing in his flat.

Pictures taken by him show one camera inches from his window while another is placed overlooking the scaffolding.

Building works have been taking place on Hazlewood Tower for the past year. While new doors and windows are put in, residents are unable to access their balconies.

Darren, who suffers from PTSD after witnessing the Grenfell fire, has also been struggling with the noise of building works.

While the upgrades to the building are very welcome, drilling can start at any time of the day outside his window and they can often be as loud as a rock concert, he claimed.

Darren said: “We have had a year of drilling. You cannot hear, you cannot think, you cannot have a conversation.”

A spokesperson from Kensington and Chelsea Council said: “We understand this must have been concerning for residents, but would like to reassure people that the devices on the scaffolding are motion sensor cameras and not CCTV cameras. They monitor movement on the scaffolding and are triggered only by movement on the scaffolding.

“They were installed as an extra safety precaution ahead of Carnival and will be removed shortly afterwards. Regrettably, whilst residents were told about extra safety and security measures being put in place, they weren’t informed of the specific detail.

“We have now written to all residents to explain. We have also reviewed images from the motion sensor cameras and are satisfied they point onto the scaffolding and site compound, not into residents’ homes.”

The Law Tech Group has been contacted for further comment.

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