A Colchester trouble spot has been left without its state-of-the-art CCTV system for months because it was removed for evidence in a court case.

The Centre in Greenstead was granted Home Office cash to improve security after it was listed as one of the most deprived in the country and most in need of extra security.

But last September the police came in and removed the closed-circuit television system hard drive for evidence in an attempted rape case.

The Judge in the case told them copies of the hard drive's contents were not acceptable.

It means the hi-tech digital CCTV system, which films in colour and uses infra-red to keep 24-hour watch through the night, has not been in operation.

There are seven cameras positioned over The Centre, which cost £2,500 to install.

In place of the digital hard drive, the police have been giving Colchester Council £80 a week to provide a replacement. But the replacement is a link-up between the cameras and video recorders, which cannot record events at night and only film in black and white.

Nine months on and the £80 a week could have paid for a new CCTV system.

George Baddeley, spokesman for Springboard Housing, said: "We are concerned about this and we have been flagging it up."

Peter Carrington, community safety officer at Colchester Council, said: "There is a temporary replacement in place, but it gives nothing like the picture quality of the digital infra-red system and it doesn't work at night.

Sgt Paul Johnson, of Colchester Police, said the police were ordered to take the hard drive and had no control over the type of replacement installed as that was done by the council.

Published Monday, May 26, 2003

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