Spy camera hope

A TOWN centre CCTV 'spy' camera system for Uckfield moved a step closer this week.

Security cameras were originally ruled out because of an anticipated cost of 140,000. But a new system using radio waves rather than cabling has come in at 25,000, Cllr Kathy Fordham told a meeting of the full council on Tuesday. And crime reduction grants could cover a large part of that.

She was reporting on a demonstration given at a meeting of the town's regeneration partnership last week, and urged the council to request a similar talk before a budget meeting on December 17.

She was impressed by what she saw. The cameras could be moved from one site to another, the system was easy to use, the quality 'brilliant' and pictures could be relayed to Uckfield Police Station or if that was closed to stations at either Eastbourne or East Grinstead. And the pictures could be admissible as evidence in a court case.

For 25,000 Cllr Fordham said the whole of the High Street, from top to bottom and around to McDonalds, could be covered by three working cameras and two dummies.

In time the dummies could be replaced but until then they could be interchanged with the working cameras.

Cllr Martyn Stenning, who also saw the demonstration, said the cameras were capable of filming in the dark and were more or less indestructible.

The majority of councillors voted to hear more with a view to budgeting towards the system but two asked for votes to be recorded against inviting the police to address the meeting on December 17. They were Cllrs Ian Nottage and Martha Whittle.

Earlier Cllr Nottage said: 'If we are to give up our privacy in this way I would like to know what evidence there is that CCTV will reduce property and personal crime.'

Cllr Whittle said she would take any such figures with a 'very large pinch of salt.'

Cllr Stenning said the police had told the regeneration partnership that those towns which did not have CCTV were now becoming a target for criminals from towns which did have CCTV and for this reason they were expecting an increase in crime in Uckfield.