Backing for CCTV

Nearly 100 people attended a meeting of the Town Forum on Tuesday to hear Inspector Richard Allum of Sussex Police argue for the introduction of four mobile cameras in the town centre.

A straw poll held at the end of his presentation saw the vast majority in favour of CCTV. Only four voted against.

Insp Allum said footage from the cameras would be monitored by civilian staff in Uckfield and assured members of the public that police numbers would not drop as a result of the installation.

He said: 'Cameras will not be replacing policemen; the same number of police officers are going to be here. Cameras are there to assist us in our work. They are never a solution on their own they are an aid to use.'

He said that shoplifters were coming up from Eastbourne because they knew Uckfield did not have CCTV cameras. He added that cameras would help in the fight against car crime, which he admitted was a problem in the town.

The cost of four of cameras, said Insp Allum, would be 33,000. The quality was 'superb'.

He would be asking Uckfield Town Council to set aside 10,000 top of 10,000 the already pledged for cameras monitoring the civic centre.

The rest of the money would be sought from local businesses and community funds.

Three of the cameras would be scan the High Street, while one would cover McDonalds, Tesco's car park and the bus station.