Broken CCTV cameras on Ironbridge car park to be axed

Broken CCTV cameras on a dark, isolated car park in Ironbridge are to be taken down, council officials said today.

But they won't be replaced as the council cannot identify who is responsible for them. Telford & Wrekin Council spokeswoman Charlotte Bone said investigations had not managed to identify who owned the cameras, which had not been working for some time because of flood damage.

She said: "The council has decided to remove the cameras as they have been broken for many years and we don't want people to get a false impression of security in the area."

She said the cameras did not belong to the council and would not be replaced.

She added that residents of any area could ask for cameras, street lights or any other security measures and requests would be considered individually.

Richard Brindley, who lives in the The Square in Ironbridge, said he only found out the cameras were broken when he contacted the council after his car was vandalised.

He has a permit to park his car on the council's Station Yard car park on the opposite side of the river.

He said: "It was vandalised when some yob jumped on the roof. I rang the police and they were really good, I couldn't fault them.

"I rang the council to see if there was any CCTV footage only to be told it wasn't working. It's completely dark down there at night. It could have been much worse, an assault or something."

He added: "My fiancee works shifts as a doctor and has to go in and out of that car park at all times. It's not just the fact that my car was damaged. It could have been much worse."

Mr Brindley's BMW Z4 was scratched and slightly dented in the incident.

He added that he was now unsure where he stands over the cost of the damage to his car.