Last updated at 20:01, Thursday, 26 July 2012

We know how important CCTV has become in monitoring crime and disorder in our town centres.

But, as in so many other areas right now, financial issues are threatening this vital service.

Allerdale council is not legally obliged to provide CCTV monitoring – but it has been doing so, and it has been very well received.

The council, however, in the face of cost cutting has decided to save £80,000 a year by ending its monitoring service.

It has instead urged local businesses to pay £40 each towards the cost of continued monitoring, but only 15 have so far said they would support it.

That’s certainly not enough, and live monitoring of the cameras may soon stop.

That would be a real shame, but understandable because traders are suffering the same financial constraints as the council.

Businesses are already struggling in the middle of what we now know is a longer and deeper economic recession than forecast.

Perhaps the lure of lower rates and rents might persuade more of them to back the CCTV scheme.

As it is, the council and traders are due to meet soon.

We urge them to work out a way of keeping the security cameras running under regular surveillance.

A loss of CCTV monitoring may come at the even greater cost of increased crime and a threat to people’s safety.

First published at 19:25, Thursday, 26 July 2012
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk