CCTV a waste of money

A FORMER Uckfield Town councillor has branded a decision by the council to put up security cameras round the civic centre as 'a criminal waste of money'.

George Saunders, an independent councillor for 25 years before quitting in 1992, slammed the plan, agreed last week, to erect up to eight static cameras in and around the building in an attempt to combat trouble in the area.

Mr Saunders, 71, and MC for Uckfield's carnival for 44 consecutive years, said council members should have spent the 10,000 earmarked for the scheme on something else and pressured the police into increasing patrols in the area.

He said: 'Use of cameras round the civic hall is a criminal waste of money. They (council members) should have been on to the police asking why it (youths causing trouble) can't be stopped by them. They should be asking why they're not getting good numbers of policemen there.'

He added: 'The police should prosecute. They should use the powers they have under-16s have got parents and over-16s should be prosecuted. And they've got on the spot fines now.'