Re: Where were they pointing?
>Given that the red light on the camera was visible from below, and that red lights on CCTV cameras tend to be on the front of the camera... I suspect the camera was pointing roughly in the direction from which the light was observed ...
Not at all. The front mounted LED typically isn't shielded; the camera's I've installed the dome of the LED cover is proud of faceplate and so it is visible within a 180 degree arc.
Also note how the camera was discovered:
"The discovery was made last week when the lights were switched off. A member of staff spotted what appeared to be a small red light between the panels of a suspended ceiling."
Firstly the lights were off so the red glow (and its reflection) of an LED would be more visible, secondly it was seen between (suspended) ceiling panels ie. through a crack, note it wasn't until the source was investigated that a camera was discovered. I suspect that if the camera really was intended to pick up users of the facilities, the discoverer would have seen and thus reported a camera lens hole in the ceiling tiles.
But then that does assume the "infrared light" seen was the camera LED and not light being used to illuminate the ceiling void so that the camera can perform its smoke detection/void monitoring function.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
