GAZETTE & HERALD: Chippenham Town Council is appealing to retailers and businesses to produce some cash for the CCTV system or risk the consequences.

Members of the town centre partnership sub committee want retailers and businesses to provide financial support for the CCTV system because the town council does not have enough money to man it.

But retailer and former town councillor Mike Braun was angry about the request and said the town council and North Wiltshire District Council had both failed to support retailers citing the proposed increase in car parking fees, the closure of the arches just before Christmas, the end of the park and ride scheme and their approval of large extensions of the out of town superstores, which he said had knocked town centre trade.

"Would I contribute? Absolutely not," he said. "Retailers dug deep to fund the setting up of the system and supported it for a fair number of years."

He said the town council raised £1 million precept and should fund the CCTV themselves.

"Perhaps they should precept just a little bit more. It's not just retailers who benefit from this it's also the public who feel that little bit safer in the town centre."

The town centre partnership raised concerns about the ongoing security of the High Street and surrounding areas and the possibility of a reduction in the effectiveness of the Storenet System, following the town council's policy decision not to monitor the CCTV from September 30 2005, when the existing contract runs out.

Lionel Dicks, manager of Borough Parade Shopping Centre and a private sector member of the partnership said:

"The loss of the manned CCTV scheme will not only be detrimental to the gathering of video evidence but will also result in a reduction in the control of the Storenet radio system.

"All businesses in the town centre should be aware that without their financial support, the CCTV scheme and its usefulness to the police in reducing crime and disorder will be dramatically reduced. Financial support is required now so that the existing controllers can be retained."