THE latest technological innovation has put Exeter on the  worldwide map in extraordinary detail.

Almost every inch of the city  can now be viewed by a worldwide audience.

Google Street View allows internet users to view every street  in the city — and places elsewhere in Devon — and hone in  on individual properties.

The service allows people to  see around 238,000 miles of public road from Aberdeen to St  Agnes and Swansea to Southend  — as well as practically anywhere in between in the UK.

The internet giant first  launched imagery for 25 cities  in the UK in March last year  and, since doing so, has been  working to process and stitch  together more images collected  by distinctive cars fitted with  cameras.

The UK has joined countries  like Spain, France, Italy and the  US in having virtual nationwide  coverage in Street View.

 Google claims the service has  been used by people to check out  restaurants, make travel plans,  helped them get to know their  town better or for checking an  area which they might be moving to.

It also says businesses of any  size can make the most of the  technology for free by embedding Google Maps into their  websites.

Ed Parsons, of Google, said:  Street View took mapping to a  new level not possible before.

He said: “With so many practical applications it is no wonder that more than two thirds of  people who had tried Street  View said they would use the  service again.

“This new imagery of so  many stunning British places  means it’s the ideal time to start  planning a trip, kick start a  house-hunt or simply ensure  you never arrive late to a meeting again.”

But the innovation has  angered privacy campaigners.

 Big Brother Watch, a new  campaign set up to fight intrusions on privacy and protect  civil liberties, has criticised the  service.

Director Alex Deane said:  “Google’s Street View cameras  are an upsetting invasion of privacy for many people. They tend  not to be asked whether they are  comfortable with it coming to  their town.

“When it arrives somewhere  for the first time, those who are  concerned about being captured  should check it to see if they or  their property are now on  worldwide public view.

“We would advise people who  have found their face, car or  property on Street View to go to  our site where we provide a  guide to how to remove their  images from the system if they  want to.

“Our issue with Google is that  Big Brother Watch is required  to provide this guide. There  should be far greater safeguards  that give anyone who is concerned a much simpler recourse  to removing themselves from  Street View.”

The Information Commissioner’s Office  ruled last year  that Google Street View does  not contravene the Data Protection Act.