Comforted or confronted? Face recognition cameras will flood the Sydney Ashes test

The Sydney cricket and football grounds have been flooded with high-tech facial recognition cameras. Photo / Ethan Rohloff

Sports ground security will reach a staggering new level in the Ashes with 800 facial recognition cameras installed at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The fifth test begins today where the 46,000 spectators will be under the constant gaze of a $3.8m system which can monitor every face and even zero in on unattended bags. The cameras installed on light towers are so powerful they can zoom in on faces 1.5 km away.

New anti-terrorist security measures also include the SCG encouraging fans to use clear bags, with separate queues for quicker access to the ground.

This is not just an anti-terrorist measure however, with a handful of "known troublemakers" barred from entering the ground for an A-league football game when the facial recognition system was trialled

The Sydney Telegraph reported that "the increased security measures have been implemented by authorities in the wake of attacks at sporting and music venues across the world".

Those tragedies include the suicide bomber attack at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester last May, with 23 people killed and more than 500 hurt.

Britain's Daily Mail headlined the Sydney security story "Big Brother is watching", while officials are refusing to indicate the number of potential threats. The system as also been installed at the Sydney Football Stadium.

Channel 9 reported that "the operator doesn't need to be watching the cameras for a person who may be a banned spectator or a person of interest to be identified."

A cricket ground spokeperson said: "This is the first time the cameras have been used at a major sporting event and the New Year's Sydney Test is the city's biggest sporting event of the year.''

NSW Assistant Commissioner Mark Walton said: "We want patrons to feel comforted, not confronted by the additional security measures in place.''