Basildon's CCTV cameras are back on line - a month after they were knocked out by a freak thunderstorm.

Thirteen cameras were struck down by lightning in April.

The bolt from the blue left the town centre, St Martin's Square and Gloucester Park without crucial crime-fighting coverage.

Just two cameras at Brooke House were left unscathed.

It is thought the cameras were brought back on line by Friday night, when youths were said to have run riot in the town centre, smashing lights in St Martin's Square.

Basildon Council chiefs today (Friday) said problems finding a key CCTV component were behind the delay in fixing the £190,000 system.

A Basildon Council spokesman said: "We worked as quickly as possible to get the cameras back on line.

"We had to liaise with contractors to get hold of a special component that was a key part of the system affected by the lightning."

The cameras provide 24-hour coverage of the town centre and parts of Gloucester Park, and complement cameras provided by some of the larger town stores.

The storm, which covered parts of Laindon in snow, struck on April 25, although a council spokesman could not say which part of the system was hit.

However, the hold-up will be embarrassing for both police and council chiefs. Last week they launched a high-profile joint strategy to combat crime in Basildon.

Town centre traders said they were "very concerned" over the amount of time it took to bring the system back on line.

Philip Baradeau, manager of Marks and Spencer, said: "Fixing CCTV cameras is not straightforward so we should use our commonsense.

"However, like everybody else we are very concerned it took that long. It leaves the town vulnerable in the evening and during the day."

Councillor Peter Patrick, deputy leader of the district's Tory party, said the delay put shoppers and traders at risk.

He said: "The public and shop proprietors have got used to a standard of safety which assumes CCTV is working. We have every right to assume the cameras are working.

"If the criminal elements had found out about the problem while they were not working and the public were unaware it would put shoppers and shop keepers at a distinct disadvantage."

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