Oswestry's CCTV system gets £68,000 upgrade

West Mercia police and crime commissioner Bill Longmore was in Oswestry to see for himself the new CCTV cameras and monitors.

His department gave £68,000 to fit 15 new cameras and a bank of flat-screen monitors to replace the original system installed 14 years ago.

"Oswestry is an example that the rest of the region will want to follow," Mr Longmore said.

"It is a fine example of the police working with the community and I hope we can continue this partnership as we look at how Oswestry police station can develop. We are also getting a lot of other towns asking to come and look at this system in Oswestry."

He said that replacing the cameras would pay for themselves.

"The old system cost £10,000 a year to maintain while this new one is costing jut £3,000 a year. We have a much better system that is much cheaper to run."

Superintendent James Tozer of West Mercia Police said: "This is the best volunteer scheme in West Mercia with its volunteers giving up their time come rain or shine."

The need for a CCTV system in Oswestry was illustrated by police inspector Rik Klair who said that when he became a police officer in 1990 anti-social behaviour in towns across Shropshire, including broken windows, was commonplace.

The original system cost £112,000 to install in 2000, money well-spent Oswestry mayor, Councillor John Gareth Jones, said. "I remember the controversy at the time over whether that money should be invested in a CCTV system," he said.

"Since then there have been more than 10,000 incidents that have resulted in 2,500 arrests. It is keeping people safe and reducing crime."

Oswestry Town Council is also investing in the new system which was installed by local company, ORP surveillance. Councillors agreed to pay out the £68,000 which is being reimbursed by the police and crime commissioner over three years. The town council is also paying £10,000 a year towards the salary of a CCTV coordinator.

Inspector Klair said a co-ordinator was vital. "When the system began it had about 50 volunteers but when we lost our co-ordinator two years ago numbers went down to single figures. Now they are building up again but we are still appealing for more volunteers.

Two volunteers who have been with the project since it began are Christine Hughes from Whittington and Richard Humphreys from Oswestry.

"I have always enjoyed monitoring the CCTV," Mr Humphreys said. "The new cameras are outstanding. You can see so much more detail."