South Essex is leading the nation in hi-tech methods to combat crime.

A new closed-circuit television monitoring station has come on line - with nearly 200 cameras across Thurrock feeding into the system.

Town centres such as Stanford and Corringham, housing estates and areas of high crime are being targeted with digital cameras sending their pictures to a special centre where they are monitored 24 hours a day.

We're watching : Dave Valentine monitors the screens Pictures: DAVE HENDERSON

There will also be a dedicated link to Grays police station so incidents can be transmitted live for police to co-ordinate their response.

The centre and CCTV system were partially financed by an £845,000 grant from the Home Office and Peter Maynard, Thurrock Council's cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said: "This is the first time this technology has been used on such a scale in the UK."

Each group of cameras feeds into a local computer as well as transmitting its pictures to the monitoring station. Officers at the station can also access the computers and download images to save on CD, DVD, floppy discs or even printed.

Dave Valentine, the council's principal electrical engineer, said that older cameras were being replaced with new dome cameras which give a 360degree coverage using a spinning mirror.

He said the computers at each site were expected to be able to hold information for around 31 days, although that would vary from site to site. The cameras will only record when there is movement and this is expected to reduce the space taken up on the hard-drives. "They will instantly record and instantly switch-off," said Mr Valentine.

"If there is a report of a crime, police can ask to see images from the area at the time concerned. They can key in right to it."

Mr Maynard said: "I am very proud that Thurrock is leading the way by adopting this system which will go a long way in combating the fear of crime in the borough."

Published Tuesday, April 29, 2003

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