British householders want off Google

BROUGHTON, England, March 12 (UPI) -- Householders on a quiet street in a village about 50 miles northwest of London do not want the eyes of the world upon them in Google Street View.

Last year, residents of London Road, a cul-de-sac in Broughton, blocked Google from using a car with a camera from photographing the street, The Daily Telegraph reported. They argued the pictures would allow burglars to case their houses by computer.

Street Views of the area outside Milton Keynes went live Thursday without London Road. But by the end of the day, a view of the street appeared.

"I think it's an invasion of privacy," said John Neale, a retired building contractor who lives on London Road. "These photos are looking over your fences and walls -- it's an intrusion and I'm not sure it's a necessity."

Google blurs faces and car license plates on Street View and argues that preserves privacy.

Thames Valley Police say there is no evidence burglaries go up after neighborhoods go live on the Web.

But Edward Butler-Ellis, a Conservative member of the Milton Keynes council and a London Road resident, said people should at least be warned their front gardens will be out there for the world to see.