British researchers say they have developed a new technology that will allow police to track suspicious individuals over CCTV more efficiently.

The system, which uses computer software to monitor and break down live television images, is able to track a moving face through a crowd.

Engineers at British defence company BAE Systems, which is working on the technology, claim it is even able to automatically follow a target even if they change their appearance by changing their clothes or hiding beneath a hat.

"Today the effectiveness of CCTV surveillance relies on a small, highly-trained team to identify and track suspicious individuals," said Andrew Cooke, project manager at BAE Systems.

"Automating elements of the system - and employing techniques to prevent suspects from throwing a team off their scent – enables a single operative to track multiple targets with as much, or even greater, precision than before."

The Integrated Surveillance of Crowded Areas for Public Security (Iscaps) project is part of a joint initiative with around Europe to develop security systems for potential deployment around the continent.