Some 40,000 private security cameras have been added to the police surveillance network since September 2017, taking the total nationwide to 200,000, the police confirmed on Thursday.

The cameras, owned by private individuals and companies, are registered with the police Camera in Beeld network and can be accessed by officials if there has been an incident.

On Thursday, justice minister Ferd Grapperhaus will also launch a campaign to get more of the estimated 1.5 million security cameras in the Netherlands included in the data bank, which was set up in 2014.

The campaign consists of a drive to improve the quality of surveillance cameras by providing expert advice online. Cameras which are put through the quick scan will automatically be added to the system.

Private security cameras were instrumental in tracing the suspect in a vicious rape case in Rotterdam earlier this year, police said in a statement. ‘Images can be incredibly important in an investigation and the help provided by private citizens has real added value,’ a police spokesman said.