A British police force yesterday apologised over a controversial CCTV scheme which saw more than 200 surveillance cameras installed in two largely Muslim neighbourhoods.

West Midland Police Chief Constable Chris Sims said he was “deeply sorry” that his force got the balance between counter-terrorism and excessive intrusion into people’s lives “so wrong”.

The cameras, some of which were hidden, sparked anger from civil liberties campaigners and residents in Sparkbrook and Washwood Heath in Birmingham, where they were predominantly installed.

Mr Sims said there were “serious shortcomings” in the force’s management of the scheme, named Project Champion.

“I am sorry that we got such an important issue so wrong and deeply sorry that it has had such a negative impact on our communities,” he said.

“My real regret is that Project Champion has undermined the strong relationships that exist between West Midlands Police and our communities that have been built up over many years.

He went on: “At the heart of the controversy surrounding Project Champion sits a dilemma faced by police on behalf of wider society, how to find a balance between on the one hand the duty to offer protection from serious harm and on the other the risk of excessive intrusion and the danger of stigmatising a whole community.

“I am convinced that when Project Champion was conceived in 2007 this dilemma was clearly understood. However, somewhere between conception and delivery the critical balance was lost.”

Speaking to reporters at a press conference at West Midlands Police headquarters, he added: “There were serious shortcomings shown by the West Midlands Police management of this project. This allowed the specification to move beyond the point where it was proportionate to the community safety risks and counter terrorism threats that it aimed to address.