Village CCTV system gets £3,000 upgrade

The CCTV system which monitors the main village car park and surrounding area in Audlem has recently undergone a major improvement.

It now comprises of two new high-definition and one older standard CCTV cameras securely fixed to the top of a high pole. These are set up to cover the main car park area, the playing field, the tennis courts, the children's play area and the public hall.

A fourth camera on a different pole has also been installed which points to the car park entrance and the toilets area.

This will be connected by a wireless link to the main system.

Kirstin Dixon, Audlem parish clerk, said: "The parish council has recently upgraded the CCTV system in the village car park for the benefit of the users of the village facilities in that area.

"The previous system was no longer viable and, as in the past the CCTV system has been of use in gathering information about incidents of a potentially criminal nature, the parish council agreed to refurbish the facility for around £3,000.

"The new system gives good coverage of the community facilities off Cheshire Street, including the award-winning public conveniences which the parish council took over in 2012.

"Audlem has very low levels of crime but there have been incidents of petty vandalism in the past and the CCTV system is a useful deterrent for reducing the likelihood of these, as well as helping resolve any that do happen."

The system now records a continuous video image in colour from each camera instead of the "every 20 seconds" intermittent still image that was recorded with the old system.

The system can store up to 30 days of information.

The information still has to be retrieved by accessing the camera control box and copying the video for the required time to a memory stick or disc for transport to wherever there are facilities to view it.

Training is being arranged for the relevant police officers and parish council staff who may need to use it to obtain images on behalf of police investigators.

The keys to the control box will be held at Nantwich Police Station and the whole system has data protection authorised and warning notices are displayed on the car park.

If a member of the public observes activity that requires further investigation then they are advised to call the 101 police number, or 999 in an emergency situation.