Glasgow City Council is upgrading CCTV cameras with sophisticated facial recognition software which can track people as they walk the streets.

Critics of Suspect Search say it is a threat to civil liberties because it can monitor innocent civilians.

Website The Ferret obtained figures from the council which shows the number of cameras that can use the software has increased from 10 to 70.

The system became operational in September 2015 but is not yet live.

Glasgow City Council said in their reply to The Ferret’s Freedom of Information request: “Suspect Search has now been configured on 70 cameras with the PSCCTV network. However, operational use of Suspect Search has not yet commenced.

“CCTV images are stored for 14 days then deleted unless the relevant footage is identified by police as incident footage or is the subject of a subject access request.”

Scottish Lib Dems justice spokeswoman Alison McInnes said: “The technology is light years ahead of laws in place to ensure that the privacy of innocent people going about their businesses is secure.”

Richard Haley, of Scotland Against Criminalising Communities, said: “The delay in implementing the system suggests there are issues with privacy.”

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: “There is no confirmed date when the Suspect Search software will be put into operation. It is still going through the legal and approval process.”