I'll admit... I totally got taken by this April Fools joke.  But, given some of the other stupid stuff that European governments are doing lately, can you blame me?

"Talking" CCTV cameras that tell off people dropping litter or committing anti-social behaviour are to be extended to 20 areas across England.

They are already used in Middlesbrough where people seen misbehaving can be told to stop via a loudspeaker, controlled by control centre staff.
...
The talking cameras did not constitute "secret surveillance", he said.

"It's very public, it's interactive."

Competitions would also be held at schools in many of the areas for children to become the voice of the cameras, Mr Reid said.

Downing Street's "respect tsar", Louise Casey, said the cameras "nipped problems in the bud" and reduced bureaucracy.

That's right... the government "respect tsar" (I kid you not) says that surveillance is not bad as long as you know it's happening.  Does that mean that warrantless searches of their homes would be acceptable too, as long as you were there when the police came through your door?  That's public and interactive too after all.

For the best piece of irony, check out this map which shows the location of cameras that are in the immediate area around George Orwell's former London home.  There are more than two dozen.  But that's perfectly fine.  The "respect tsar" says so.