WIRES could be left dangling in the wind in future as everyone denies ownership and responsibility.

Maryport Town Council faced the cost of calling out a contractor after reports that some of its Christmas lights had been brought down by Storm Franklin.

Eaglesfield Street was closed for 24 hours as the wires dangled just six feet from the road.

The problem was sorted out, but it was discovered that the wires were not Christmas lights but cables from a now-obsolete CCTV system that used to be monitored from the Eaglesfield Street Police station which closed some years ago and was sold in 2016.

Mayor Peter Kendall said the network of wires goes from Eaglesfield /street all the way down and around the town centre.

“It has never been anything to do with us. We will have to pay the contractor for coming out.

“These wires have caused problems in the past, such as when a foreign lorry driver’s SatNav sent him the wrong way into Maryport and CCTV and Christmas lights were pulled down. We don’t have the budget to keep on paying for this when it is nothing to do with this council.”

A police spokesman said: “The old CCTV systems in town is not the property of the police and never has been. The old CCTV that existed in town had been wired into the station to allow the police to view it.”

An Allerdale spokesman said it was not the borough council’s property either.

Mr Kendall described the situation as 'absolutely crazy'. He said the various bodies will have to get together to sort out responsibility because this will happen again.

“Maryport Town Council will not be removing dangerous CCTV wire in the future, so the organisations responsible will have to decide what to do,” he said.