Short answer: Check the time shown on recorded footage against a reliable reference, confirm how the particular system handles British Summer Time and agree who will verify it after the change. Do not adjust a recorder merely because a live-view clock looks wrong. Establish what the recording and exported footage actually show, and involve the authorised maintainer before changing settings.
The UK clocks go back one hour at 2am on Sunday 25 October 2026, returning to Greenwich Mean Time. For a facilities team managing a commercial building in Watford, this is a useful prompt for a controlled CCTV check, rather than an instruction to change every device manually.
Check the recording, not just the screen
Arrange a normal, authorised playback check. Compare the timestamp on a recent recording with a reliable reference clock and note the date, the reference used and any difference. Check the date as well as the hour and minutes. Keep the comparison in a restricted maintenance record, not a public screenshot.
A camera overlay, playback search and viewing application may present time differently. Ask the maintainer to explain which time reference each uses. Do not assume that a correct phone clock proves the recorder is correct, or that one correct camera view establishes the condition of the whole system.
The ICO’s surveillance guidance specifically includes regular checks of recorded date and time accuracy around summer and winter clock changes. It also addresses retrieving copies without losing time and date information. The guidance is marked as under review following legislative changes, so refer to its current version when reviewing procedures.
Confirm how this installation manages time
Give the responsible maintainer the equipment make, model and relevant system documentation. Ask them to confirm the supported configuration rather than applying instructions written for a different recorder or app.
- Is footage managed using local UK time, UTC or another documented convention?
- Is seasonal adjustment automatic, and who has checked its configuration?
- What supplies the system’s time reference, and who checks it remains available?
- Do cameras, the recorder and any cloud service require separate checks?
- How should operators search footage from the hour repeated when the clocks go back?
A system deliberately using UTC should not be moved to local time simply to make its display resemble a wall clock. Equally, an automatic-adjustment option should not be treated as proof that the installation is configured correctly. The agreed convention needs to be understood by people retrieving footage.
Plan any correction as an authorised change
If a discrepancy is found, record what was observed before asking for a remedy. Identify who can approve the work, who will perform it and how recording continuity and existing material will be protected. Coordinate with any agreed monitoring provider where its service could be affected.
Do not factory-reset equipment, interrupt power, alter retention settings or delete recordings as a clock-checking exercise. Do not give an unapproved user administrator access to make a quick adjustment. Product-specific changes should follow the manufacturer’s instructions and the site’s change-control arrangements.
Keep a discovered time error separate from the event record
If footage may relate to an incident or an outstanding request, tell the person responsible for handling that material before changes are made. Preserve relevant material through the established authorised process. Do not edit the original footage’s timestamp to make it match an assumed event time.
Record both the displayed time and the reference time used in the comparison. For example, if a displayed time appears one hour behind, describe that observation and when it was checked; do not assume the same difference applied to every earlier recording. Use our footage-sharing checklist alongside your site’s approved disclosure procedure rather than circulating clips informally.
Verify playback and retrieval after the change
Assign someone to complete a follow-up check after the clock change or authorised correction. Confirm that recent footage can be found and played back with an understandable timestamp. Where appropriate, make a limited authorised test export and check its time information using the supported viewer. Avoid collecting or sharing unnecessary personal data for the test.
Close the maintenance record with the result, any remaining limitation, the person responsible and the next action. A discrepancy that has been reported but not checked again should remain an open issue, not a completed task.
Put time checks in the CCTV maintenance brief
Repeat checks after relevant equipment changes or a reported timing problem, as well as around seasonal changes. This guide is a management checklist, not a universal configuration procedure or a complete data-protection assessment.
Explore ZimCos’s CCTV installation service, or send the property postcode, equipment details and the scope of an existing-system enquiry. Do not include passwords or network credentials. Suitability, availability and any assessment work need confirmation for the particular installation.
Featured image: a company-supplied photograph of a site CCTV camera. It provides equipment context and does not show a time-setting fault or a current service visit.