No one's watching

The Chippenham Town Council cuts will leave the 30 cameras unmonitored from September, meaning police will not be immediately alerted to crimes recorded by the system.

Acting inspector Matt Armstrong, the man in charge of policing in Chippenham, said: "This is such a backward step in developing safer communities and fighting crime.

"I don't think the town centre will become an unruly place but criminals will be more free to roam around."

The council decided to stop spending the £85,000, saying it was fed up with stumping up the cash without any support from the district council, businesses or police.

Ninety-five per cent of the town centre is covered by the cameras, which stretch from Hathaway Retail Park to The Causeway, with 11 in Borough Parade alone.

Police estimate crime has dropped by 58 per cent since CCTV was introduced to the town in 1999, at a cost of £110,000.

The system is run by a private company whose three staff alert police and other emergency services by radio if they spot incidents.

Acting insp Armstrong said the cameras were a useful tool used by police daily, and had helped prosecute a number of criminals.

He said two women who cried rape in the town were convicted for wasting police time after their actions were caught on camera, two robbers were sent to prison after being identified by CCTV footage and another thief was tracked down by CCTV after a spate of raids in Monkton Park.

The cameras have also detected other major crimes in the town, including rapes, muggings, robberies and drug offences.

They are used for security on royal visits and big events such as the Christmas lights switch-on and tracking down missing children.

Ray Lane, who is employed by the town council and runs the CCTV, called it a major blow in ensuring security or public safety.

"It's very disappointing," he said. "This expensive, sophisticated equipment will now go to waste.

"It was a flagship system in Wiltshire, where other towns looked to us as an example. We've gone from the Premiership to non-league."

Town council leader Sandy Webb blamed North Wiltshire District Council for refusing to help out with the running costs.

The district council contributed up to 15 per cent of the cost of the cameras when they were first installed, but withdrew its funding two years ago.

"If they value it enough then they will help us out," said Coun Webb.

"They should give us some of the money businesses pay in rates, but the answer is a resounding no at the moment.

"We cannot afford to keep paying for it ourselves. Apart from anything else CCTV is a proven deterrent and criminals tend to move onto the next town if they know they are being watched."

A district council spokesman said the matter was being considered by the community partnership team and would be reported to the executive committee on February 3.

He said: "The council has supported CCTV through capital investment but has never indicated it would support CCTV with revenue contributions to support ongoing running costs.

"CCTV in Chippenham has been a town council initiative that has been supported by NWDC. In other towns such as Wootton Bassett the CCTV operation is monitored by volunteers."

Doreen Darby, deputy leader of the district council, said: "The district council paid for the installation of the CCTV under the strict condition that it would be the responsibility of the town council to pay for the cost of running it. The trouble is we are strapped for cash, like most other councils.

"If we help Chippenham we will have to help other towns with CCTV."

The three operators, employed by Trowbridge-based Security Guarding Solutions, will not lose their jobs but will be relocated elsewhere.

Town councillors decided saving the money would help keep council tax to a reasonable level.

The crisis in Chippenham comes as Malmesbury Town Council pledges its support for CCTV in the town.

At a public meeting held last week there was overwhelming support to introduce cameras in the town.