Monitoring apparatus

A monitoring system comprises video encryption devices 302a, 302b, etc connected to a network 303. Each encryption device has a (e.g. night vision) camera to capture data and an encryption module for encrypting the captured data. Plural electronic devices 304a, 304b, etc, e.g. mobile telephones, receive the encrypted data via the network. A server 305 connects to the video encryption devices and receives data from the video encryption devices. The electronic devices are authorised to receive the encrypted data from one of the encryption devices such that, when in use, each video encryption device transmits encrypted data to a single authorised electronic device and the server. A web based interface may activate any one of the video encryption devices for a specified period. Each encryption device may act as an access point, creating a mesh network. The system may be applied to monitoring unattended, e.g. sleeping, children or vulnerable adults while parents or guardians, for example, are using facilities in leisure environments such as hotels, cruise ships and holiday locations.