Teachers wear body cameras to deter disruptive pupils

Teachers are using body-worn cameras in a trial to combat unruly pupils, an academic has revealed.

Tom Ellis, a criminal justice researcher, told the Guardian that all classroom teachers in two state secondary schools were wearing the devices during the three-month experiment.

He said: "Most schools now have some level of problems with low-level background disorder in classrooms and the teachers have become quite fed up with not being able to teach."

The University of Portsmouth lecturer added that, much like the cameras worn by police officers, they do not constantly record and only do so when switched on during an incident.

A Department of Education spokeswoman said the trial "is a matter for the schools", which were reportedly not named in case it interfered with the pilot scheme.

The Metropolitan Police began equipping thousands of frontline officers with body-worn cameras in October, with other forces around the country planning a similar roll-out.