West Midlands Police hired an international security firm with experience in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait to help set up surveillance cameras in Birmingham neighbourhoods with large Muslim populations, it has emerged.

The force’s counter-terrorism unit employed The Olive Group, which has previously worked with UK Special Forces and intelligence agencies, to advise it on Project Champion.

Olive Group consultants helped to decide where 216 CCTV and number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras, including 72 hidden cameras, should be placed in Washwood Heath and Sparkbrook.

Minutes of a West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit meeting from July 2009 reveal that West Midlands Police and the anti-terrorism committee of the Association of Chief Police Officers, known as ACPO TAM, employed the firm.

The minutes state: “Olive Group completed a survey of the two geographical areas and came up with a number of recommendations in terms of how the project could be run and where these locations should/could be provided.”

According to The Olive Group’s website, it is a “global provider of integrated security and risk mitigation solutions” which advises governments and businesses working on “highest risk projects”.

Services include the emergency evacuation of staff, training in counter-surveillance and “solutions” for kidnap and extortion.

It has offices in Afghanistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabai, Kuwait and Nigeria as well as London and Virginia, in the USA.

The firm’s publicity material boasts: “Our senior team’s experience includes work with UK Special Forces, security intelligence agencies and the Prime Minister’s office, top tier management consulting firms and investment banks, and leading technology companies.”

The West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit was formed in 2006 and is one of three regional centres created to combat terrorism.

West Midlands Police has battled to win back the trust of communities after it emerged the cameras had been funded with a £3 million grant from ACPO TAM.

The cameras have been covered up, although not removed, and independent reviews of Project Champion are being undertaken by Thames Valley Police and the city council’s Community Safety Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

West Midlands Police Authority has now published a series of internal documents revealing the decision process which led to the cameras being installed in response to requests under the Freedom of Information Act, although many have been heavily censored.

A report presented to a meeting of the police authority, held behind closed doors on February 2008, includes a section titled “background to the business case” which begins: “The Chief Constable has briefed the Authority on several occasions about national and local counter terrorism issues that affect the West Midlands.”

It goes on to make the case for the cameras, and states that senior police officers have met un-named representatives of Birmingham City Council “who supports the proposal and its approach.”