More Changes To East Cambs CCTV

21 September 2010, 13:52 | Updated: 21 September 2010, 14:11

Plans to just record CCTV footage in East Cambridgeshire, without having anyone actually monitoring it live, look to have been scrapped.

To save money, the district council was considering not having anyone watching feeds from CCTV cameras in Ely and Soham, but rather just record the footage and use it retrospectively when a crime took place.

However, after discussions with Cambridgeshire Police, this now no longer seems likely to happen.

It's thought a new CCTV system will be based at the police station in Ely, and officers will monitor the cameras during busier periods such as Friday and Saturday nights.

Although discussions into setting this up are continuing, councillors hope the new system will be up and running by January 2011.

Councillor Peter Cresswell, Chairman of Community Services Committee at East Cambridgeshire District Council, said: "When we began the review of the CCTV service in the district at the start of the summer, I wanted to find a solution which provided a better local service that afforded all those involved real value for money.

I believe the discussions we have had with the police in recent weeks will lead to a system which meets the needs of everyone.

The safety of the people who live and work in our district is of paramount importance and I am extremely pleased we are making real progress to achieve this goal."

Inspector Andy Bartlett from Cambridgeshire Constabulary added: "The introduction of this new CCTV service is great news for the people of Soham and Ely. CCTV not only assists in the detection of crime but also acts as a deterrent."

As well as being monitored at set times by police officers, volunteers are also needed to watch the camera feeds during other periods.

Anyone interested in volunteering is asked to contact Inspector Bartlett on 0345 456 456 4.