A LONG promised 24/7 CCTV system for Spalding and South Holland could be scuppered if there’s no money in the pot.
District council deputy leader Nick Worth revealed a year ago he was looking at a plan to install an entirely new CCTV system monitored round the clock by a professional firm.
Currently cameras across the district are only monitored for a few hours each week by volunteers who go to Spalding Police Station – although the cameras record images all of the time.
In March this year, Coun Worth said a report would ask the council to sanction a £90,000 spend for “some more flexible cameras that can see bigger distances” as well as 24/7 monitoring via Boston or Thetford.
It was thought the new system would be ready this month, but Coun Worth revealed this week: “At the moment we are not that much further ahead. We are still getting quotes together and specifications. Hopefully, by the end of the summer holidays, we will get a bit further.”
But he warned the scheme cannot go ahead unless “everybody” puts money in and that includes Lincolnshire Police, which is currently having to slash millions from its budget.
Coun Worth said: “I don’t want to build people’s hopes that they are going to get a new system if there isn’t the money there to do it. It’s got to be affordable and everybody’s got to put money into it.”
Some parishes – including Long Sutton – stopped paying for the current system because they didn’t think they were getting value for money.
Following last Thursday’s raid on Barclays Bank in Long Sutton, parish council chairman John Clarey revealed he didn’t know of anyone in the last couple of years being arrested as a result of the town having two of the South Holland CCTV Scheme cameras.
Police got footage of the raid from the cameras but have not released the pictures.
l Barclays is due to reopen tomorrow following the attack by masked men who smashed a teleporter in to the bank wall to steal the cashpoint.
A spokesman said they had to repair electrical wiring as well as structural damage.