PORT homes have been targeted by sinister computer hackers illicitly accessing household webcams, it has been revealed.

Live footage from baby monitors and CCTV systems is also being uploaded onto a Russian-based website.

People in the Inverclyde town could be watched in their own homes or at work, the UK’s privacy watchdog has warned.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is now urging people to upgrade their passwords in response to the hacking being discovered.

According to a report, footage from a number of homes across Scotland — including Port Glasgow — has been uploaded and streamed live onto the web page.

The site is thought to feature feeds from homes and businesses across other areas in the UK, including a public gym, a bedroom and an office.

Around 350,000 internet-enabled cameras were sold in Britain last year.

Simon Rice, ICO group manager for technology, said: “The website, which is based in Russia, accesses the information by using the default login credentials, which are freely available online, for thousands of cameras.

“The footage is being collected from security cameras used by businesses and members of the public, ranging from CCTV networks used to keep large premises secure, down to built-in cameras on baby monitors.

“This is a threat that all of us need to be aware of and be taking action to protect against.”