PHOTOGRAPHS of you, your house and even your car could be viewed by anyone in the world from tomorrow.

Snaps of street scenes across East Yorkshire will be added to Google's online Street View service.

Users can zoom in on images and take a virtual walk along whole streets.

The tool, providing 360-degree images of public roads, was launched in the UK in March last year.

Initially, the service included images of 25 cities.

Hull and the East Riding is in the last batch of areas to be photographed by Google's Street View team.

The news has been met with both outrage and delight across the region.

John Dowson, 37, of North Bar Without in Beverley, will request his house is removed.

He said: "It's an infringement of people's civil liberties. It seems wrong that the default is people can opt out rather than opt in to have their houses pictured.

"People like my elderly mother won't be aware their house is online and wouldn't know what to do about it."

David Whiteland, 75, of Beverley, said: "I suppose it is a sign of the times, but I don't like the idea of my house being on it.

"It is an invasion of privacy. I will be removing myself."

But David Westwood, 61, of Saltshouse Road in east Hull, does not feel his privacy has been invaded.

He said: "It shows just what anyone can see when they walk down the street.

"I think it's a great tool. My son and his family emigrated to New Zealand and we've been able to go online and have a look around where he lives."

Joan Goodwin, 43, of east Hull, said: "People can request that Google remove their house or picture of themselves so I don't see what all the fuss is about."

Google has said it expects an influx of such requests following the full launch.

The company has received hundreds of requests for images to be removed, including pictures of people leaving sex shops or vomiting in the street. To protect privacy, Street View automatically blurs faces and vehicle number plates.

A spokesperson for Google said: "We try to blur everyone, so people are not identifiable.

"The image blurring is not perfect. If we have missed anyone out, we apologise about that.

"The technology for blurring can also be overzealous."

In one instance, Colonel Sanders's face on a sign belonging to fast food giant KFC was blurred.

"It usually only takes 24 hours after a report for it to be removed," said the spokesperson.

"People without access to the Internet can also write and we will deal with their request."

The online search giant also stressed that people can request pictures to be removed for whatever reason.

The spokesperson said: "People can simply report an inappropriate image using an icon at the bottom of the picture.

"It may be themselves, their house or their car. It doesn't matter what the reason is."

The technology can be used by people to get directions, check out a holiday destination or restaurant, get a helping hand with geography homework, or just get to know their town better.

Google says the tool is very popular with house-hunters.

Businesses can benefit from the technology by embedding Google Maps into their websites to help visitors locate them.

Tourism and business chiefs in the region have welcomed the news.

Janet Reuben, chief executive of Visit Hull and East Yorkshire, said: "The Internet is a powerful tool for prospective visitors, allowing them to explore an area before they arrive. Having this resource for Hull and East Yorkshire will allow people to get a taste of the culture and beauty of the area and it has the potential to inspire more tourists to come and see it with their own eyes."

Richard Kendall, of Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce, said: "We will be encouraging businesses to make use of this very useful tool.

"This is very good news for the area."

If you spot a funny image on Street View, or a picture you are concerned about, call the Mail on (01482) 389112 or email c.tanner@mailnewsmedia.co.uk