An increase in the use of body cameras by police has led to a huge drop in complaints made against officers, according to a new study.

A report published by the University of Cambridge found a 93% decrease in complaints made against officers clearly wearing the cameras compared to the year previous.

Researcher concluded the cameras, which record what happens during police incidents, “reduce officer non-compliance with procedures, improve suspects' demeanour, or both".

Dr Barak Ariel, leading the research, said results suggested wide use of body worn cameras (BWCs) could reduce violence conflicts with officers and mark a significant cultural change in policing.

His report stated: "Cooling-down potentially volatile police-public encounters to the point where official grievances against the police have virtually vanished may well lead to the conclusion that the use of BWCs indeed signals a profound sea change in modern policing."

Around 20,000 cameras have now been rolled out to uniformed officers across the Met in a bid to help officers fight crime and boost public confidence in the force.

However, body worn cameras have proved a controversial topic in Waltham Forest.

Earlier this year, campaign group No CCTV claimed the introduction of council-contracted litter enforcement officers wearing BWCs was a “new low in surveillance obsessed Britain”.

The enforcement officers were introduced by Waltham Forest council in late 2015 and have so far dished out thousands of fines to people caught littering or fly-posting, spitting or urinating in public.

The local authority defended the technology, stating the use of BWCs was becoming increasingly common in order to record interactions between officers and the public.